Underground Mining in Australia & Primary Methods
The economy of Australia is quite big and the mining business is giving a big contribution to the economy of the country. It is a very compelling primary industry. Australia is home to many rich ores and mining of various minerals happens across the country. Australia is one of the biggest producers of gold and stands in the second position, only after China. It was the third-largest producer of iron in the year 2008.
In 2006, Australia became the second-largest nickel producer in the world. In 2011, it was the biggest producer of bauxite/aluminium. It was the world’s third-largest producer of uranium in 2010. Australia is the largest producer of opal, the third-largest producer of diamond, the second-largest producer of zinc, the fourth-largest producer of coal, the third-largest producer of LNG and twenty- 8th  biggest producer of petroleum. Besides them, Australia also produces copper, silver, oil shale, silica and rare earth elements. Thus, we wouldn’t be wrong if we say that, the mining industry in Australia is in full bloom.
The most active mines in Australia are Olympic Dam situated in South Australia. This mine produces uranium, silver and copper and is considered the largest resource of uranium in the world. The Super Pit gold mine is another major mine in Australia. This is the biggest open-pit mine and is the largest gold producer in Australia. It is located in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
Talking about the gold mines, it all started in the year 1851, when gold was first found near Ophir in New South Wales. After a few weeks, gold was again found in a colony of Victoria. The Victorian Gold Rush had a great impact on Australia. This discovery made Victoria the richest colony of Australia. By the mid of 1850, Australia became the leading gold producer in the world by producing 40% of the world’s total gold. Here, we have compiled a list of the biggest gold mines in Australia.
Take a look –
- Lawlers Gold Mine, Leinster
The owner of this mine is Gold Fields. Located in Leinster, this mine produces 352,000 troy ounces.
- Lawlers Gold Mine, Wiluna
This mine is located in Wiluna in the Mid West region. It is one of the largest mines in Australia yielding about 412,300 ounces of gold. The owner of this mine is Newmont.
- St Ives Gold Mine, Kambalda
Owned by Gold Fields, the St Ives Gold Mine is located in Kambalda inGoldfields-Esperance region. The amount of gold produced annually is 428,300 ounces.
- Telfer Mine, Telfer
Telfer mine is located in Telfer in Pilbara region. The owner of this mine is Newcrest Mining Limited. About 688,909 ounces of gold is produced by this mine per year.
- The Super Pit , Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA
It is Australia’s most massive open-pit mine. It is also a very popular tourist spot in Kalgoorlie. The operation in this mine yields about 850 000 ounces of gold per year. The operations are carried out by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines, a joint venture held by Barrick and Newmont.
Also Read: Top 10 Reasons to Visit the Gold Rush Town of Kalgoorlie
How many underground mines are there in Australia?
In Australia there are around 70 active underground rock mines. The majority of these mines are situated in Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales, with a few other mines in South Australia.
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