10 Biggest Mining Operations in The World
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the world's 10 largest mining operations, from the Grassburg gold and copper mine in Indonesia, which is a significant taxpayer and believed to be worth a hundred billion dollars, to the Escondida mine in Chile, the world's leading copper producer. It also covers the El Teniente, the world's largest underground copper mine, and the Mir diamond mine in Russia, which faced extreme weather challenges. The Orapa diamond mine in Botswana, the Karajás iron mine in Brazil, and the Greenbushes lithium mine in Australia are also highlighted, showcasing the scale and impact of these operations on the global economy and the environment.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The Grasberg mine in Indonesia is home to the largest gold reserve and one of the top copper reserves in the world, controlled by Freeport-McMoRan.
- ⛏️ The Escondida mine in Chile is the largest source of copper globally, accounting for 32% of global production, with operations 10,000 feet above sea level in the Atacama Desert.
- 🏔️ El Teniente in Chile is the largest underground copper mine, with 1,900 miles of tunnels, and is operated by Chile’s state-owned company, Codelco.
- 🛠️ Chukicamata, another major copper mine in Chile, has been mined since 550 A.D., producing billions of tons of copper and continuing to expand with new tunnels.
- 💎 The Mir mine in Russia, a massive diamond operation, had one of the largest diamond productions and reopened in 2009 after being halted due to a flood.
- 💍 Botswana’s Orapa diamond mine is the largest in the world by area and is a key driver of Botswana’s economy, producing 10.8 million carats of diamonds annually.
- ⚒️ Brazil’s Carajás iron mine, discovered by accident in 1967, is the largest iron ore mine in the world, producing massive amounts of iron and other minerals.
- 🔋 Western Australia's Greenbushes mine is the largest lithium producer globally, supplying materials for lithium-ion batteries used in electronic devices.
- 💰 Uzbekistan’s Muruntau gold mine, one of the largest gold deposits in the world, produces millions of ounces of gold annually and continues to grow in production.
- 🏞️ The Bingham Canyon mine in Utah is the largest artificial excavation and the deepest open-pit mine, producing millions of tons of copper since 1906.
Q & A
What is the largest known gold reserve on Earth located in?
-The largest known gold reserve on Earth is located at the Grasberg gold and copper mine in Indonesia.
In which year was the Grasberg mine discovered, and when did mining operations begin?
-The Grasberg mine was discovered in 1936, but mining operations didn't begin until the 1970s.
What is the significance of the Escondida mine in Chile's economy?
-The Escondida mine in Chile is the world's leading producer of copper, accounting for 32% of all production and making up a massive portion of the Chilean GDP.
How deep is the Chuquicamata copper mine, and what is its historical significance?
-The Chuquicamata copper mine is 3,200 feet deep and is the largest open pit copper mine in the world. It has been in operation since 1910, with mining activities dating back to the 6th century.
What is unique about the Mir diamond mine in Russia?
-The Mir diamond mine in Russia is unique because it was built 280 miles away from the Arctic Circle and was the largest diamond mine in Russia and one of the biggest in the world.
How does the Orapa diamond mine contribute to Botswana's economy?
-The Orapa diamond mine contributes significantly to Botswana's economy by transforming the country from an impoverished nation to a thriving middle-income country, with most of the diamond revenue being reinvested in health, education, social assistance, and public infrastructure.
What is the significance of the Karajás iron mine in Brazil?
-The Karajás iron mine in Brazil is the world's largest iron mine and is fully owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale, playing a crucial role in Brazil's status as the second-largest iron producer in the world.
What is the Greenbushes mine known for, and how does it impact the global lithium market?
-The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is known for being the largest lithium mine in the world, accounting for over one-fifth of global lithium production, which is vital for the production of lithium-ion batteries used in various rechargeable devices.
What is the Muruntau gold mine's annual gold production, and what is its significance?
-The Muruntau gold mine in Uzbekistan produced 3 million ounces of gold in 2021. It is one of the largest gold operations on Earth and is a significant contributor to the global gold supply.
What is the historical background of the Bingham Canyon mine, and what is its current status?
-The Bingham Canyon mine, discovered in 1848, is the largest artificial excavation site in the world and the deepest open-pit mine. It is currently managed by Rio Tinto and Kennecott Utah Copper, accounting for over 16% of copper produced in the United States.
Outlines
🌏 World's Largest Mining Operations
The script describes some of the world's most significant mining operations, including a massive gold mine in Uzbekistan, a copper mine in Chile's Atacama Desert, an iron mine in Brazil, and a diamond mine in Russia. It details the discovery and production of these mines, emphasizing the scale of operations and their economic impact. The Grassberg mine in Indonesia, for instance, is highlighted for its vast gold and copper reserves, with production figures and ownership details provided. The Escondida mine's significance to Chile's economy and its sustainable energy initiatives are also discussed.
🏭 Chilean Copper and Russian Diamond Mines
This paragraph focuses on the El Teniente copper mine in Chile, which is the largest underground mine globally, and its historical and operational significance. It discusses the mine's challenges, such as its location in the Andes and the extensive tunnel network. The script also covers the Chuquicamata copper mine, including its size, depth, and historical context. Additionally, it details the Mir diamond mine in Russia, from its discovery by Soviet geologists to its current operations and the challenges faced due to the harsh climate.
💎 Diamond Mines and Economic Impact
The script provides an overview of the Jwaneng diamond mine in Botswana, emphasizing its size, production, and the economic transformation it brought to the country. It discusses how diamond revenues are reinvested into public services and infrastructure, contributing to Botswana's low corruption ranking. The Karajás iron mine in Brazil is also highlighted, detailing its accidental discovery, ownership, and the scale of iron ore reserves it contains.
🚜 Gold Mining and the Future of Muruntau
This paragraph delves into the Muruntau gold mine in Uzbekistan, one of the largest gold operations globally, with details on its size, production, and the geological processes that formed the deposit. It also mentions the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, the largest artificial excavation visible from space, and its historical significance and production of copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum. The paragraph concludes with a mention of a rock slide incident at Bingham Canyon mine and the mine's contribution to U.S. copper production.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Gold Mine
💡Copper
💡Atacama Desert
💡Iron Mine
💡Diamond Mine
💡Open Pit Mine
💡Underground Mine
💡Renewable Energy
💡Lithium Mine
💡Gold Deposit
💡Artificial Excavation
Highlights
The Grasberg gold and copper mine in Indonesia is the largest known gold reserve on Earth.
Grassberg mine is controlled by Freeport McMoRan and has produced over 53 million ounces of gold.
Escondida mine in Chile is the world's leading producer of copper, accounting for 32% of global production.
El Teniente is the largest underground mine in the world, with over 1900 miles of tunnels.
Chuquicamata is the largest open pit copper mine and the second deepest at 3200 feet.
The Mir diamond mine in Russia was the largest in the country and one of the biggest in the world.
The Orapa diamond mine in Botswana is the world's largest diamond mine, covering 0.46 square miles.
The Carajás iron mine in Brazil is the world's largest iron mine, discovered by accident in 1967.
Greenbushes mine in Australia is the world's largest lithium mine, supplying lithium for batteries.
Muruntau Gold Mine in Uzbekistan is one of the largest gold operations on Earth, producing 3 million ounces of gold in 2021.
Bingham Canyon mine in Utah is the largest artificial excavation site in the world, visible from space.
Grassberg mine is Indonesia's biggest taxpayer, contributing significantly to the country's revenue.
Escondida mine's transition to 100% renewable energy will displace 3 million tons of CO2 per year.
Kodelco, the state-owned company in Chile, manages all copper production, including the El Teniente mine.
Chuquicamata's expansion plans aim to deepen the mine by 2600 feet, extending its life by 50 years.
The Orapa mine's operations have transformed Botswana into a thriving middle-income country.
Greenbushes mine is undergoing a $1.9 billion expansion to double its size and production capacity.
Bingham Canyon mine has been in operation since 1906 and is the deepest open-pit mine on Earth.
Transcripts
from one of the biggest gold mines on
Earth located in the middle of
Uzbekistan and a massive copper
operation in Chile that sits ten
thousand feet above sea level in the
Atacama Desert to the world's largest
iron mine in Brazil that was discovered
entirely by accident and an unbelievable
diamond mine in Russia that was built
right next to a city here are the 10
biggest mining operations in the world
foreign
the year was 1936 a Dutch geologist
named John Dosey was climbing the
world's tallest Island Peak the
snow-capped mount Carstens on the
Indonesian island of West Papua as he
neared the top he noticed a strange rock
formation in the distance the green
streaks stole his attention he brought
samples back home for testing little did
he know he had stumbled upon a massive
deposit of gold and copper the grassburg
gold and copper mine houses the largest
known gold reserve on Earth some say
it's the second largest copper Reserve
in the world others say it's the third
either way there is a lot of gold and
copper down there the pit is about 60
miles north of Tamika a small town in
central Papua and though it was
discovered in 1936 mining didn't begin
until the 1970s today grassburg is
controlled by an American company called
Freeport McMoRan they've been there
since the beginning but thought they
mined the site dry in the mid-1980s
after some careful exploring in 1988 the
company found more gold deposits in the
area that's when they started printing
money between 1990 and 2019 grassburg
produced 53 million ounces of gold and
432 billion ounces of copper that's
equal to over 1 600 tons of gold all
that production makes grassburg
Indonesia's biggest taxpayer they
believe the reserves are easily worth a
hundred billion dollars in Revenue
the world's Undisputed primary source of
copper is the Escondida mine in Chile
it's located in the Atacama Desert and
makes up a massive portion of the
Chilean GDP they are the world's leading
producer of copper accounting for 32 of
all production they're just lucky they
found the mine Escondida means hidden in
Spanish the copper ore was buried under
thousands of feet of rock and Mountain
they had to drill through other known
copper deposits just to find it getting
there presented another challenge the
Escondido mine sits about 10 000 feet
above sea level in the Atacama Desert
it's also not your typical mining pit
the copper deposits stretch 11 miles
north to south and two miles east to
west production began in the 1990s but
unless they find another miracle deposit
the mine should only last into the 2030s
the mine's primary owner BHP Billiton is
a little more more optimistic in 2012
they estimated the mine had another 100
years of production left in her they're
also pretty happy with recent production
numbers in the first half of 2022 the
mine produced
824.4 kilotons of copper that was up 12
percent compared to 2021. they're also
making big moves on the sustainability
front according to BHP the mine will
soon run on 100 renewable energy they
did have to spend a pretty penny to
cancel their coal contracts about 1.1
billion dollars however moving to
Renewables should displace 3 million
tons of CO2 per year that's equal to 700
000 combustion engine cars
imagine a single road that stretched all
the way from New York City to Las Vegas
Nevada now bend that road like a
slithering snake and bury it below the
Andes Mountains in Chile what you'd have
is the El teniente copper mine the
largest underground mine in the world
but aren't all mines underground well
not necessarily most mines are open pit
meaning they're just a giant hole in the
ground you can't really dig holes in the
Andes mountains but you can dig tunnels
about 1 900 miles worth of tunnels we've
been digging those tunnels since 1819.
Legend has it that a fugitive Spaniard
stumbled upon the copper deposits and
started hauling them out by mule and
donkey in the early 1900s two American
men built a road to make moving the ore
much easier the mine was owned by a Utah
company until 1967. then the Chilean
government bought it in 1971 Chilean
president Salvador Allende nationalized
the copper industry all Chilean copper
now flows through one state-owned
company kodelco copper production hit a
six-year low in 2015 to compensate
kodelco opened another mine within the
El teniente division they predicted the
new expansion would produce 50 000 tons
of copper each year they also started
another expansion that would deepen the
Mine by about 328 feet the new Mine
level project costs about 5.4 billion
dollars but should extend the mine's
life another 50 years
the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile is
an arid landscape with little vegetation
however it has plenty of raw minerals
hidden underground in 2021 the mining
sector contributed
317 billion dollars to Chile's GDP
that's about 15 percent of all the money
they make much of it likely came from
the chuki kamata copper mine the largest
open pit copper mine in the world it's
also the second deepest at 3 200 feet
deep 9500 feet wide and sixteen thousand
feet long all of New York's Central Park
could fit inside current operations at
chuki kamata have been the same since
1910 but people had been mining copper
long before the Inca and Spanish
conquistadors used the mine to make
tools and weapons then in 1899 someone
found a well-preserved mummy buried deep
in the mine he became known as copperman
and his remains date back to 550 A.D now
if we've been mining chuki Hamada since
the 6th Century wouldn't it be empty by
now well they believe there's still
1.76 billion tons of copper down there
that's why in 2007 the Chilean
government suggested digging tunnels
under the mine they finalized the plans
in 2009 and the environmental agencies
granted approval in 2010. by 2060 the
mine should be nearly 2 600 feet deeper
it'll also cost the government about 4.2
billion dollars to dig of course they'll
make that back overnight with all the
copper they find the new tunnels should
produce 140
000 tons of ore per day
in the summer of 1955 a group of Soviet
geologists were trekking through Siberia
when they encountered a pleasant
surprise they discovered traces of a
rare volcanic rock called kimberlite in
case you aren't a geologist kimberlite
means diamonds for their Discovery these
men received the Lenin prize one of the
highest honors in the USSR the Russians
began building ASAP they quickly learned
that digging a mine 280 miles away from
the Arctic Circle isn't easy the area
experiences seven months of winter each
year the ground freezes making it hard
to penetrate then in the summer it turns
the slush making it very unstable it got
so cold at times that engine oil would
freeze and tires would shatter still the
Soviets persevered and mere mine was
born at the time it was the largest
diamond mine in Russia and one of the
biggest in the world by the 1960s Mir
was cranking out 10 million carats of
diamonds each year the more they dug the
more diamonds they found by the 1990s
they had reached
1120 feet deep then a flood in the pit
bottom halted production the mine
changed hands several times after the
Soviet Union collapsed when production
finally stopped in 2004 mere mine was
the second largest excavated hole on
Earth it was so big that you weren't
allowed to fly over it there was a
chance the downward airflow could suck
helicopters in like a vacuum mirror
reopened in 2009 and should last another
50 years it's currently owned by Al Rosa
the world's largest Diamond miner by
volume they employ about 70 percent of
the local community about 35
000 people
arapa Botswana is home to about 9 000
people four schools and the world's
largest diamond mine the mine covers a
.46 square mile area that's about 300
acres of land for the record the White
House only sits on 18 acres of land the
Europa mine is owned and operated by
Botswana Diamond company in partnership
with de Beer's diamond Co a team of De
Beer's geologists discovered the mine in
March of 1967. conveniently it was only
a year after Botswana declared
independence from Britain in his first
year orapa produced over 1.4 million
carats of diamonds it only went up from
there they operate seven days a week and
produce over 20 million tons of ore from
that ore they pull about 10.8 million
carats of diamonds each year botswana's
entire economy relies on the Europa mine
thanks to all those diamonds they
evolved from an impover Irish Nation to
a thriving middle-income country
according to the international monetary
fund transparency is the name of the
game where other countries might get
greedy botswana's government reinvests
in its people most of the diamond
Revenue goes towards health education
social assistance and public
infrastructure they're also ranked 35th
among countries regarding corruption for
the record the United States is 24th
Denmark is number one and Somalia is
dead last
thank you
when we think of giant Minds we like to
picture silver gold and plenty of
diamonds but the world still needs iron
too and we get most of it from the
karajas iron mine in Para Brazil the
mine is fully owned by a Brazilian
mining company called Veil according to
their estimates about 7.2 billion tons
of iron ore are waiting for them karajas
is the world's largest iron mine but it
wasn't discovered until
1967. even then they found it completely
by accident a team of geologists from
U.S steel was flying over the Amazon
rainforest when they had to make an
emergency landing to refuel they landed
their helicopter on a hill that seemed
rather odd it was Barren too Barren for
something in a remote corner of the
rainforest they tested the ground and lo
and behold it was basically made of iron
they also discovered manganese tin
copper aluminum and and gold but iron
was still the real prize the United
States said we found it so it's ours the
Brazilian government didn't want to hear
it they made a deal to split the mine in
1970. Vale took 51 ownership U.S steel
took the other 49 then U.S steel sold
their half in 1977 so now the mine is
fully controlled by Brazil today Brazil
produces the second most iron in the
world Australia's number one accounting
for 35 percent of global iron ore
production
thank you Western Australia is home to
Green Bush's mine the largest lithium
mine in the world Our Lives run on
lithium look at all the rechargeable
items in your room from your laptop and
your phone to your gaming consoles and
Bluetooth headphones they all likely run
on Lithium-ion batteries there's a good
chance your lithium came from
greenbushes Australia they produce about
1.95 million tons of lithium every year
for the record your average cell phone
has less than a gram of lithium the
mining project is split between two
companies a Chinese company called
tianchi lithium Industries owns a 51
steak the other 49 percent is owned by
an American company Albemarle Corp both
stand to make insane amounts of money as
lithium demand keeps Rising according to
reports Global lithium demand should
grow by 33.3 percent every year to keep
Pace with demand the green Bush's mine
is current currently going through an
expansion process they hope to build two
more processing facilities to produce
more battery juice than ever before
today the green Bush's open pit
operation is about 870 feet deep they've
been digging since 1888 when the area
was mostly mined for tin the lithium-ion
battery wouldn't be invented for another
88 years we have a British chemist named
Michael whittium to thank for that if
you're watching this video on your
smartphone or laptop say thank you
Michael Whittingham they first
discovered lithium at greenbushes in
1980. they had no idea how valuable it
was at the time to them it was just a
soft geological Oddity they began a
small-scale mining operation in 1983
then production exploded in the 2000s as
the push towards electric cars became
more mainstream as of 2021 greenbushes
accounts for over one-fifth of global
lithium production plans to expand the
mine are already in place the 1.9
billion dollar expansion will double the
mine's size we're talking 1.6 miles long
over a half mile wide and about 1 500
feet deep
if you zoom in on Central Uzbekistan
you'll see a massive circular cavity
surrounded by nothing but desert you'll
see trucks driving in and out like ants
on a hill each one is full of
humankind's most precious metal gold you
would be looking at the muruntao Gold
Mine one of the largest gold operations
on Earth according to NASA the muruntal
mine is home to one of the biggest gold
deposits on Earth today it stretches 1.8
miles across the kizukum desert and over
2 000 feet into the ground in 2021 the
mines spat Out 3 million ounces of gold
that's a hundred and eighty seven
thousand five hundred pounds or about
seven and a half fully loaded school
buses the gold deposit was first
discovered in 1958. before that the
Tau mine was a main source of
turquoise dating back to the ancient
Silk Road geologists believe it took
millions of years for the golden
muruntao to rise to the surface during
that time ancient oceans closed and
disappeared mountains sprouted from the
earth and tectonic shifts changed our
planet forever today the muruntal mine
is owned and operated by navoy Mining
and metallurgical combinet a state-run
company they have invested Millions if
not billions of dollars into growing the
mine over time as of 2023 muruntao is in
its Stage 5 development phase by 2026
navoy hopes to produce 50 million tons
of ore per year but remember that
doesn't mean 50 million tons of gold
the Bingham Canyon mine near Salt Lake
City Utah is the largest artificial
excavation site in the world covering an
area of 4.7 square miles it's one of the
few man-made objects you can see from
space other sites include the Three
Gorges Dam and the Palm jumera in Dubai
the canyon mine is also the deepest open
pit mine on Earth at three quarters of a
mile deep they say it's produced more
copper than any other mine in history
about 17 million tons Bingham Canyon has
been in operation since 1906. it was
discovered in 1848 by two Mormon
Brothers Sanford and Tom Bingham they
reported their findings to Brigham Young
the then president of the LDS church he
basically told them it wasn't worth it
so Sanford and Tom didn't stake their
claim another Utah Mining Company came
by in the 1860s and the rest is history
today it's owned by Rio Tinto an Anglo
Australian company meanwhile the
Kennecott Utah copperco manages all
mining operations that's why some locals
call it the Kennecott copper mine
instead of Bingham Canyon it accounts
for more than 16 percent of copper
produced in the United States they also
dabble in Gold Silver and molybdenum a
mineral used in steel Alloys in April of
2016 a massive rock slide shuttered
production at the Bingham County mine
according to reports
165 million tons of rocks slid to the
bottom of the pit thankfully nobody was
in the mine when the landslide occurred
well that's all we have for you today
but if you enjoyed this video and want
to see another just like it then be sure
to click the link on screen now with
that thanks for watching and be sure to
tune in next time
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