List of open-pit mines

This is a list of open-pit mines.

Super Pit gold mine.

Argentina

• Cerro Vanguardia Mine – gold and silver mine located near Puerto San Julián, Santa Cruz
• Pascua Lama – binational gold and silver mine in San Juan, Argentina and Atacama, Chile (in project)

Australia

• Cadia mine – gold and copper mine located near Orange, New South Wales
• Challenger mine – gold mine near Coober Pedy, South Australia
• Boddington Gold Mine – Boddington, Western Australia
• Prominent Hill mine – copper mine near Coober Pedy, South Australia
• Ranger Mine – uranium mine east of Darwin in the Northern Territory
• Sunrise Dam gold mine – gold mine near Laverton, Western Australia
• Super Pit – gold mine near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
• Telfer Mine – gold and copper mine in Pilbara, Western Australia

Bulgaria

• Maritsa Iztok Mines – coal mine near Radnevo, Stara Zagora Province, Bulgaria

Canada

East Pit of Sherman Mine in Temagami, Ontario, Canada

• Adams Mine – abandoned mine in Kirkland Lake, Ontario
• Athabasca oil sands – second largest proven petroleum reserve in the world as of 2013, located in northern Alberta along the Athabasca river.
• Colomac Mine – gold mine in Northwest Territories
• Copperfields Mine, an abandoned base and precious metal mine in Temagami, Ontario
• Diavik Diamond Mine – diamond mine in Northwest Territories
• Ekati Diamond Mine – diamond mine in Northwest Territories
• Endako Mine – a molybdenum mine in the Nechako Region of British Columbia, 72 km W of Vanderhoof, BC
• Highland Valley Copper – copper mine in British Columbia
• Huckleberry Mine – a copper/molybdenum/gold/silver mine in the Nechako Region of British Columbia, 87 km SSW of Houston, BC
• Kanichee Mine, an abandoned base and precious metal mine in Temagami, Ontario
• Pine Point Mine – lead and zinc mine in Northwest Territories
• Sherman Mine – abandoned iron mine in Temagami, Ontario
• Silver Hope Mine – a silver/gold/copper mine in the Nechako Region of British Columbia, 40 km SE of Houston, British Columbia

Chile

• Chuquicamata – copper mine
• Escondida – copper mine
• Pascua Lama – binational gold and silver mine in San Juan, Argentina and Atacama, Chile (in project)
• Radomiro Tomic – copper mine

Colombia

• Cerrejón – coal mine in Guajira Department

Egypt

• Sukari – gold mine

Germany

• Tagebau Garzweiler – lignite mine
• Tagebau Hambach – lignite mine

India

• Hutti – gold mine in Raichur District of Karnataka
• Neyveli Lignite – largest open cast mines in India^[1]

Indonesia

• Batu Hijau mine – copper and gold mine on the island of Sumbawa
• Grasberg mine – located in the mountains of the Papua province

Iran

• Sarcheshme Copper Mine – copper mine with side production of gold and molybdenum

Kyrgyzstan

• Kumtor Gold Mine – gold mine in Tian Shan Mountains at 4,000-4,400 m (14,000 ft) above sea level

Mongolia

• Boroo Gold Mine – gold mine 110 km (70 mi) WNW of the capital Ulan Bator

Namibia

• Rossing – uranium mine

Open Cast Mine, Uncovered Coal Seam, Kai Point Coal Mine, New Zealand

New Zealand

• Macraes Flat – gold mine in Central Otago
• Martha Mine – gold mine in Waihi

Peru

• Toquepala – porphyry copper.
• Yanacocha – gold mine
• Cuajone Mine – porphyry copper.
• Antamina Mine – Polymetallic mine (Copper, Zinc)
• Antapacay Mine – copper.
• Cerro Verde Mine – porphyry copper.
• Toromocho Mine – copper and Moly.

Poland

• Adamów Coal Mine – coal mine (lignite)
• Bełchatów Coal Mine – coal mine (lignite)
• Konin Coal Mine – coal mine (lignite)
• Turów Coal Mine – coal mine (lignite)

Portugal

• Sao Domingos Mine – copper mine

Romania

• Berbeşti Coal Mine – coal mine
• Motru Coal Mine – coal mine
• Roșia Poieni copper mine
• Rovinari Coal Mine – coal mine

Russia

The Udachnaya pipe in Russia.

Abandoned baryte mine shaft in Perthshire, Scotland; an example of small scale open pit mining

• Mirny Mine – diamond mine in Mirny, Eastern Siberia
• Udachnaya pipe – diamond mine in Yakutia, Russia

South Africa

• The Big Hole – a former diamond mine in Kimberley, dug to 240 m (790 ft) between 1871 and 1914, making it the deepest hand-excavated pit in the world. Now a museum.
• The Jagersfontein Mine – operating between 1888 and 1971. This was hand-excavated to 201 m (660 ft) by 1911, and the hand-dug pit was sightly larger than the Big Hole.
• The Palabora Open Pit – mechanically excavated by Palabora Mining Company, in Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province. The pit is 898m deep and 1846m across on top.^[2]

Spain

• Corta Atalaya – the largest open-pit mine in Europe^[3] and was at one time the largest in the world.
• Sierra Menera – Sistema Ibérico

Sweden

• Aitik-gruvan in Gällivare – copper mine with side production of gold and molybdenum

United Kingdom

• Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme – coal mine in Wales
• Penrhyn Quarry – slate quarry in Wales
• Minorca – coal mine near Swepstone and Measham Leicestershire
• Halton Lea Gate near Lambley, Northumberland – coal mine (given planning approval 2014)

United States

The Lavender Pit, Bisbee, Arizona

• Berkeley Pit – former copper mine in Butte, Montana; now a toxic lake and tourist attraction
• Bingham Canyon Mine – copper mine in Salt Lake County, Utah
• Chino Mine – copper mine in Grant County, New Mexico
• Cresson Mine – a gold mine in Victor, Colorado
• Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine – largest open pit iron mine in the world near Hibbing, Minnesota
• Lavender Pit – copper mine in Cochise County, Arizona
• Morenci Mine – copper mine in Greenlee County, Arizona
• Red Dog mine – a zinc and lead mine in Red Dog Mine, Alaska
• Fort Knox mine – a gold mine in Fort Knox Mine, Alaska
• Thompson Creek Mine – a molybdenum mine in Custer County, Idaho

Zambia

• Nchanga Open Pit Mine, Chingola – the second largest open cast mine in the world,^[4] covering nearly 30 km² and up to 400m deep.

References