Top 20 Gold Mines Worldwide

1. Pebble

Stage: Pre-feasibility Study/Scoping Study

Ranking first is Northern Dynasty Minerals' Pebble project, with a gold resource of 69.84 million ounces. Due to its proximity to the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska, the project has been stalled for over a decade. The US Environmental Protection Agency's veto of the project led to legal disputes, and Pebble's fate remains uncertain.

2. Olympic Dam

Stage: Expansion

Olympic Dam ranks second, with a gold resource of 65.6 million ounces. In the coming years, BHP's copper-gold and uranium complex in South Australia will undergo a major expansion. BHP plans to invest A$840 million in a series of growth projects to develop other deposits. Olympic Dam is also one of the world's largest copper mines.

3. Grasberg

Stage: In Production

Ranking third is the Grasberg copper-gold mine located in the Sudirman Mountains, with a gold resource of 54 million ounces. Operated by Freeport McMoRan, the mine made headlines this year after a fatal accident at its largest underground deposit, causing concerns about copper supply. Parts of Grasberg remain under long-term development, such as the "Kucing Liar" orebody and the early-stage Dom deposit.

4. KSM

Stage: Pre-feasibility Study/Early Construction

Seabridge Gold's Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (KSM) project ranks fourth, with a gold resource of 41.4 million ounces. The project in British Columbia received federal approval a decade ago, and early construction work has advanced since 2022, with over C$550 million invested. KSM is also involved in legal disputes between operator Seabridge Gold and neighboring explorer Tudor Gold.

5. Donlin

Stage: Construction/Planned

Donlin is the second Alaskan project on the list, ranking fifth with a gold resource of 40 million ounces. Mining giant Barrick previously held a 50% stake but transferred it earlier this year to its partner Novagold Resources and US hedge fund magnate John Paulson. The new owners are considering a new feasibility study in 2027.

6. Siembra Minera

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

Venezuela's Siembra Minera project ranks sixth, with a gold resource of 26.82 million ounces. The project is owned by Siembra Minera, a joint venture between Gold Reserve (55%) and the Venezuelan government (45%). Last year, Gold Reserve raised $36 million to advance this copper-gold project in Bolívar State.

7. La Colosa

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

AngloGold Ashanti's La Colosa project in Colombia ranks seventh, with a gold resource of 23.35 million ounces. The project faces local opposition. Following a 2017 referendum, the Tenth Administrative Court of Ibagué upheld a mining ban in Cajamarca, Colombia, leaving the project stalled.

8. Filo del Sol

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

The Filo del Sol project, located on the Chile-Argentina border, has a gold resource of 22.3 million ounces. Formerly owned by Canadian Filo Corp., the project advanced to pre-feasibility based on its near-surface oxide resource. Earlier this year, the project was acquired by BHP and Lundin Mining.

9. Pascua-Lama

Stage: Advanced Exploration

Barrick's troubled Pascua-Lama project in Chile has a gold resource of 21.87 million ounces. Plagued by environmental issues, Barrick was forced to spend $136 million to terminate the project after Chilean courts ordered a "complete and definitive" closure.

10. Cascabel

Stage: Feasibility Study Initiated

SolGold's Cascabel project in Ecuador ranks tenth, with a gold resource of 21.8 million ounces. The company relocated its headquarters to Switzerland this year and is advancing project development. Cascabel receives support from mining giants like BHP and Newmont.

11. Treaty Creek

Stage: Resource Expansion

Tudor Gold's Treaty Creek project in northwestern British Columbia ranks 11th, with a gold resource of 21.66 million ounces. This year, Tudor applied for an underground exploration permit for the project.

12. South Deep

Stage: In Production

Gold Fields' South Deep mine ranks 12th, with a gold resource of 21.1 million ounces. In operation since the 1970s, its estimated mine life extends beyond 2100, potentially making it South Africa's last major gold mine.

13. Nevada Gold Mines

Stage: Expansion

Nevada Gold Mines, a joint venture between Barrick and Newmont, ranks 13th with a gold resource of 20.16 million ounces. The partnership dates to 2019, after Barrick, then smaller, launched a hostile takeover bid for Newmont. Newmont can now initiate an acquisition of Barrick's stake in the operation.

14. Norte Abierto

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

Norte Abierto is a 50/50 joint venture between Barrick and Newmont in Chile, with a gold resource of 20 million ounces. Located in the northern Atacama Region, it was formed in 2017 by combining Barrick's Cerro Casale and Newmont's Caspiche projects.

15. Onto

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

Vale's Onto copper-gold project in Indonesia has a gold resource of 20 million ounces, similar to Norte Abierto, but with a slightly higher proportion of measured and indicated resources. The discovery was first announced in 2020 by Sumbawa Timur Mining, a joint venture between Eastern Star Resources Pty (80%) and Vale.

16. Golden Summit

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

Freegold Venture's Golden Summit project in Alaska ranks 16th, with a gold resource of 18.24 million ounces. A July resource update increased its indicated metal content by 42%, pushing the company's share price to a 5-year high.

17. Elang-Dodo

Stage: Resource Expansion

The Elang-Dodo project on Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, has a gold resource of 16.78 million ounces. It is owned by PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara, which also operates the nearby Batu Hijau mine.

18. Metates

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

Chesapeake Gold's Metates project in Durango, Mexico, has a gold resource of 16.77 million ounces. In 2021, the company announced a breakthrough in heap leaching of sulphide ore at Metates, expected to improve the project's economics.

19. Panguna

Stage: Pre-feasibility/Scoping Study

The Panguna mine in Papua New Guinea has a gold resource of 16.1 million ounces. With a complex history, it was previously owned by Rio Tinto and is now operated by Bougainville Copper. The mine closed in 1989 after a decade-long civil conflict sparked by opposition to the mine resulted in over 20,000 deaths. Rio Tinto divested its stake in 2016. In September, Papua New Guinea's National Court dismissed a multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuit against Rio Tinto.

20. Detour Lake

Stage: In Production

Ranking last is Agnico Eagle Mines' Detour Lake project in Ontario, with a gold resource of 15.79 million ounces. Last year, the company updated the project's plan, including a preliminary economic assessment for an underground mine.