Only one of the world's top ten gold mines will surpass the production levels achieved in 2010, opening the door for Kalgoorlie-Boulder's Super Pit to make its way up the rankings, new research says.
Intierra Resource Intelligence said today if individual site production continued in-line with first-half results, Barrick Gold's Cortez mine in Nevada would be the only top-ten gold mine worldwide headed for an improved 2011.
“The remainder of the top ten gold mines from last year are all forecast to achieve between 85 per cent and 100 per cent of their 2010 production figures,” Intierra's report said.
“Included in this group is the Grasberg mine in Indonesia, which is on track to again head to world's top gold production list.”
Intierra said the Super Pit's production levels, which have exceeded 200,000 ounces for the first two quarters of 2011, could vault it into the top ten for 2011.
The world's top ten gold mines in terms of production for 2010 are listed below:
- Grasberg, Indonesia, 2,050,000oz
- Muruntau, Uzbekistan, 1,800,000oz
- Carlin-Nevada, USA, 1,735,000oz
- Yanacocha, Peru, 1,462,000oz
- Goldstrike, USA, 1,239,000oz
- KDC, South Africa, 1,215,000oz
- Cortez, USA, 1,141,000oz
- Veladero, Argentina, 1,121,000oz
- Lagunas Norte, Peru, 808,000oz
- Lihir, Papua New Guinea, 806,877oz