Gold mining in South Africa
Over 50% of the total gold reserves are found in South Africa, with the Witwatersrand Basin remaining the largest gold resource in the world. However, in 1975, South Africa was responsible for producing 40% of the gold ever mined. By 2010, China affirmed its status as the world’s largest gold producer with production of 324 tonnes of gold, followed by Australia (222.8 tonnes), and South Africa with 219.8 tonnes. Today, South Africa produces only 4.2% of the world’s gold.
Which province is gold mined in South Africa?
The South Deep gold mine, located in Gauteng Province of South Africa, is one of the world’s biggest gold mines.
Where is the biggest gold mine in South Africa?
South Africa and the US host two each of the “world’s ten largest gold mines”, while Indonesia, Russia, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Australia, and the Dominican Republic house the remaining. South Deep gold mine in South Africa has the largest gold deposits in the world.
- South Deep gold mine – 32.8 million ounces (Moz)
South Deep gold mine is actually the largest gold mine in the world, based on reserves. Located 45km south-west of Johannesburg in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, South Deep is also the seventh deepest mine in the world, with a mine depth up to 2,998m below the surface. South Deep produced around 157,100oz of gold in 2018, compared to 281,300oz in 2017. The mine life of South Deep is expected to be extended up to 2092.
- Grasberg gold mine – 30.2 Moz –
Grasberg gold mine in the Papua province of Indonesia was discovered in 1988. The Grasberg mining operation consists of the Grasberg open-pit and four underground mines, namely DOZ, DMLZ, Big Gossan, and Grasberg Block Cave (GBC). It also includes an undeveloped ore body named Kucing Liar. The mine produced 2.69 million ounces (Moz) of gold in 2018, milling 178,100t of ore a day.
- Olimpiada gold mine – 26 Moz –
Olimpiada gold mine, located in the Krasnoyarsk region of Eastern Siberia, Russia, is owned and operated by Polyus Gold. First production at Olimpiada gold mine occurred in 1996. The mine produced 1.3Moz of gold in 2018. It was transitioned to autonomous machine operation in January 2019.
- Lihir Gold mine – 24 Moz
Lihir gold mine, located 900km north-east of Port Moresby in the New Ireland Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG), has been in production since 1997. It is owned and operated by Lihir Gold Limited (LGL), which was merged with Newcrest Mining in August 2010. Newcrest Mining currently owns and operates the Lihir gold mine. Newcrest completed a prefeasibility study for the Lihir pit optimisation in February 2016. The mine is expected to produce 1Moz of gold in 2020.
- Norte Abierto gold mine – 23.2 Moz
The Norte Abierto gold mine, which is yet to commence production, is located in the Atacama Region of Chile. Norte Abierto, a 50:50 joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Goldcorp, is developing the mine as an open-pit project. The mine was estimated to contain 23.2Moz of proven and probable gold reserves as of December 2018.
- Carlin Trend gold mine – 12.46 Moz
Carlin Trend gold mine operated by Newmont in Nevada, US, had combined proven and probable gold reserves of 12.46Moz, including open-pit and underground reserves of 5.6Moz and 4.87Moz respectively, as of December 2018, while the stockpiles reserves were estimated to be 1.25Moz. The Carlin mine complex produced 927,000oz of gold in 2018, compared to 972,000oz of gold in 2017.
