The Deepest Mines In The World
| Rank | Name Of The Mine | Distance below surface of the ground. |
| 1 | Mponeng Gold Mine | Over 4 km |
| 2 | TauTona Gold Mine | 3.9 km |
| 3 | Savuka Gold Mine | 3.7 km |
| 4 | Driefontein Mine | 3.4 km |
Which is the deepest open pit mine in the world?
The deepest mine in the world is AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng gold mine, near Johannesburg in South Africa. By 2012, the operating depth had already reached 3.9-km below the surface, and later expansions have resulted in digging below the 4-km mark. In 2012, the mine produced 405,000 oz of gold. Rock walls mine reach temperatures 60°C and humidity levels can exceed …
How far down does the deepest mine in the world go?
Dec 14, 2021 · The Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, is in the US state of Utah. Originally discovered by Mormon pioneers in the 1800s, it is the deepest open pit mine in the world at over 1.2km deep and covering an area of 7.7km2 (visible from outer-space).
What is the deepest hole ever dug in the world?
10 rows · Mponeng Gold Mine is located to the southwest of the city of Johannesburg in South Africa, and is ...
What is the largest mine in the world?
The Gauteng province of South Africa is home to the AngloGold Ashanti’s Mponeng Mine. The company mines to the average depth of nearly two miles below the Earth’s surface, making it the deepest mine in the world. It is also one of the richest …
How deep can humans mine?
List of deepest minesRankName of mineDepth1Mponeng Gold Mine4.0 km (2.5 mi)2TauTona Mine3.9 km (2.4 mi)3Savuka Gold Mine3.7 km (2.3 mi)4East Rand Mine3.585 km (2.228 mi)19 more rows
What is the deepest mine in the United States?
The sinking of the deepest mining shaft in the United States was completed on May 24 at Hecla Mining's historic Lucky Friday Mine near Mullan, ID. The Lucky Friday #4 shaft, reached a milestone when Cementation USA Inc., reached the final depth of 2.92 km (9,587 ft) below the surface.May 25, 2016
What is the largest mine in the world?
Bingham Canyon Mine Bingham Canyon Mine is the biggest mine in the world. It is an open pit mine based in the state of Utah, USA and is known for its copper production. The mine itself is estimated to hold around 19 million tons of copper across the 1900 acres of land.Oct 29, 2021
How many miles is the deepest mine?
The Deepest Gold Mine in the World: Mponeng MineLocation: Guateng, South Africa.Depth: 2.5 miles below the surface.Aug 3, 2021
How deep can gold be found underground?
Other gold mines use underground mining, where the ore is extracted through tunnels or shafts. South Africa has the world's deepest hard rock gold mine up to 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) underground. At such depths, the heat is unbearable for humans, and air conditioning is required for the safety of the workers.
How deep is gold in the ground?
What is this? Orogon Gold Deposits – many of the larger gold deposits belong to this type and these deposits can be found at approximate depths of between 4000 feet and 15,000 feet. These deposits are typically caused by the formation of mountains and exist in marine deposits or in metamorphic rock.
Which country is rich in gold?
ChinaList of countries by gold production2020 RankCountryReserves (tonnes)1China2,0002Australia9,8003Russia5,3004United States3,00014 more rows
How deep is the deepest copper mine?
Bingham Canyon Mine, located near Salt Lake City, UT in the United States, is the world's deepest man-made open pit excavation site. Bingham Canyon, which is the largest copper mine in the United States, is approximately 4.5 km in diameter and 1.2 km deep.Jun 7, 2018
Where is the deepest coal mine?
In Europe, the deepest coal mine Shakhterskaya is located in Donbass. The depth is 1.5 km (1,546 metres), it has been developed since 1986. It is officially the deepest coal mine in the world.Jun 5, 2018
How deep is the Mariana Trench?
36,201 feetIt is 11,034 meters (36,201 feet) deep, which is almost 7 miles. Tell students that if you placed Mount Everest at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the peak would still be 2,133 meters (7,000 feet) below sea level. Show students NOAA's Mariana Trench animation.
How wide is Mponeng gold?
30 inches wideThe mine is as deep as 10 Empire State Buildings and its 236 miles of tunnels are longer than the New York subway. This entire operation and huge structure mines a seam of ore only 30 inches wide.Dec 22, 2013
How deep do diamond mines go?
Diamond Prospecting and Mining. Diamond is unusual as a target for mining because it is found in igneous/explosively emplaced rocks, and the diamonds are carried up with these rocks from the Earth's mantle. Apparently the depths are somewhere in the vicinity of 160 km (100 miles) below the Earth's surface.
How deep is Tautona Gold Mine?
The TauTona gold mine is 3.9 kilometers deep. Though mining at TauTona presently takes place at the depths extending from within 1.85 kilometers to 3.45 kilometers deep, and its mining depth was prolonged to 3.9 kilometers concealed with the accumulation of a subordinate shaft. The mining operation of TauTona hence begins with ...
Where is the Mponeng gold mine?
Mponeng Gold Mine is located to the southwest of the city of Johannesburg in South Africa, and is presently one of the deepest mines in the world. The ownership of the Mponeng gold mine lies with the firm AngloGold Ashanti. The depth of the mine is around 4 kilometers inside the earth.
What is a mine?
A mine is a term used to refer to a pit in the soil from which metal ores and other valuable minerals are extracted. As we know gold is very expensive, and therefore the gold miners need desire to extract merely 0.35 particles from a mountain of any rock formation to obtain a profit.
What is a CIP in mining?
The plant customs conservative milling to break the mineral, and a "carbon in plant" (CIP) is used to work up with the mine. When carbon is added, it transfers to the plant at Mponeng for the processes of "electro-winning" and melting before the final retrieval of gold is complete.
How deep is Kusasalethu Gold Mine?
It is said to be the third deepest operation mine, with a depth of 3.38 meters below the surface.
Where is La Ronde gold mine?
La Ronde Gold mine is one of the deepest mines in Canada, located in northwest Quebec in the Abitibi region. It has been producing gold since 1988 and is estimated to hold more than three million ounces. Exploratory activities continue as it is expected to be rich in natural resources.
Who owns the deepest gold mine in the world?
The deepest mine in the world is owned and managed by AngloGold Ashanti Limited, a global gold mining company established in 2004 following the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation. They estimate total revenue of the company at $5.33 billion. It employs more than 62,000 people who mine more than 5,000 metric tons ...
When was the Mponeng mine completed?
The sinking of the first Mponeng shafts began in 1981. Within 5 years, the main shaft was completed. The sub-shafts were completed in 1993. Mponeng Mine is still the deepest mine in the world increasing its levels from 109 to 120.
How much gold does South Africa have?
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that South Africa holds approximately 50% of the world's gold resources, and almost 40% of reserves. As of July 2018, the Mineral Council of South Africa reported that 75% of the mines in South Africa are not showing profits due to a decline in gold reserves.
Which country produces the most platinum?
Platinum and Palladium. South Africa is the world leader in platinum and similar metals, producing 78% of the world's platinum and 39% of its palladium. More than 178 tons of platinum was produced in 2010, generating export revenues of $3.82 billion. Palladium production comes either by recovery or mining.
Where is chromium mined?
Chromium. Chromium is also an important product of the deepest mine in the world. The chromium mined in South Africa is an essential ingredient when making stainless steel and in many industrial applications. Chromium mining occurs at 10 different sites around the country.
Is South Africa a diamond producer?
South Africa remains a world leader in the production of diamonds since 1868. The main sources of the diamonds (including the seven sizeable diamond mines around the country) are under the control of the De Beers Merged Mines Company. In 2003, the De Beers operation accounted for 94% of Africa's total diamond output of nearly 12 million carats plus the 6% of the diamond operations controlled by JK Minerals Africa. This figure reflects both gem stones and industrial diamonds.
Where is the deepest gold mine in the world?
The deepest gold mine in the world is Mponeng, a 2.5-mile hole in the ground in South Africa. A whole underground city — lightless and lawless — lives inside the mine. Advertisement.
How hot is the rock face in the mine?
Because temperatures increase the closer we get to the earth's core, the rock faces in the mine can get as hot as 140º F. "You can imagine what it's like to crawl into a cavity there," Hart said to NPR. "It's like crawling into a pizza oven."
How much of South African gold is stolen?
At least 10% of the gold in South African mines is stolen. Criminal syndicates help illegal "ghost" miners sneak into the mineshaft, where they then hide out for months at a time, turning ghostly from the lack of sunlight.
What is the only single species of bacterium that lives in the dark?
The rod-shaped bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator lives alone in the dark, hot waters of Mponeng; it is the sole member of the only single-species ecosystem discovered. All life forms need basic nutrients like carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and, usually, different bacteria pull different nutrients from the environment to form an ecosystem. But D. audaxviator is self-reliant, capable of producing everything itself. Scientists think the bacterium has not seen the surface of the earth in millions of years.
How far do mines go down?
Mponeng Gold Mine The Mponeng ('look at me' in Sotho) Gold Mine, which has been in commission since 1986, is located southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. Mponeng currently holds records as the world's deepest gold mine and the world's deepest mine, with depths reaching over 4.0 km below the surface.
How far do miners go underground?
Undergrounds coal mines can drive 2,500 feet (750 meters) into the Earth and other types even deeper -- uranium mines can reach 6,500 feet, or 2 kilometers. But those depths are extreme; most top (or bottom) out at about 1,000 feet (300 meters) [sources: Times Wire, ARMZ, Illinois Coal Association].
How deep has a human gone in the ocean?
The deepest point ever reached by man is 35,858 feet below the surface of the ocean, which happens to be as deep as water gets on earth. To go deeper, you'll have to travel to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, a section of the Mariana Trench under the Pacific Ocean 200 miles southwest of Guam.
How do they sink a mine shaft?
Shaft mining or shaft sinking is excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Shallow shafts, typically sunk for civil engineering projects differ greatly in execution method from deep shafts, typically sunk for mining projects.
What is the largest copper mine in the United States?
Leading U.S. copper mines based on capacity 2015 In that year, the largest copper mine in the United States was Morenci in Greenlee, Arizona. Morenci had a capacity of some 480,000 metric tons of copper that year.
Why are deep mines hot?
The rock is so hot underground that ice has to be pumped down to cool the tunnels. Because temperatures increase the closer we get to the earth's core, the rock faces in the mine can get as hot as 140º F. "You can imagine what it's like to crawl into a cavity there," Hart said to NPR.
How much gold is in the Black Hills?
In 1876 the Black Hills were ceded to the United States, and prospectors flooded into the area and found gold in Deadwood Gulch, Nigger Hill, and Rockerville. By 1880 from $6 to $8 million worth of placer gold had been mined, about half of which came from Deadwood Gulch (Lincoln, 1937, p. 11-12).
