Gold mining by country 1

Gold mining by country 1



Gold mining in the United States

Gold mining in the United States has taken abode back the analysis of gold at the Reed acreage in North Carolina in 1799.

US gold assembly abundantly added during the 1980s, due to aerial gold prices and the use of abundance leaching to balance gold from broadcast low-grade deposits in Nevada and added states.

In 2007 the United States produced about 240 tonnes of gold, authoritative it the fourth-largest gold-producing nation, abaft Australia, South Africa, and China.[1] Most gold produced today in the US comes from ample open-pit abundance bleed mines in the accompaniment of Nevada. The US is a net exporter of gold.[2]

Gold mining by state

Alabama

Gold was apparent in Alabama about 1830, anon afterward the Georgia Gold Rush. The arch districts were the Arbacoochee commune in Cleburne County, mostly from placer deposits, and the Hog Mountain commune in Tallapoosa County, which produced 24 thousand troy ounces (750 kg) from veins in schist. [3]orter of gold.[2]

Alaska

Russian campaign apparent placer gold in the Kenai River in 1848, but no gold was produced. Gold mining started in 1870 from placers southeast of Juneau.[4] Today, best gold assembly in Alaska is from the Fort Knox mine, a ample accessible pit and cyanide leaching operation in the Fairbanks mining district. The Fort Knox abundance produced 333 thousand troy ounces (10.3 tonnes) of gold in 2006. Alaska produced a absolute of 40.3 actor troy ounces of gold from 1880 through the end of 2007.

Arizona

Arizona has produced added than 16 actor troy ounces (498 tonnes) of gold.

Gold mining in Arizona reportedly began in 1774 back Spanish priest Manuel Lopez directed Papago Indians to ablution gold from alluvium on the flanks of the Quijotoa Mountains, Pima County. Gold mining contiued there until 1849, back the Mexican miners were absorbed abroad by the California Gold Rush. Other gold mining beneath Spanish and Mexican aphorism took abode in the Oro Blanco commune of Santa Cruz County, and the Arivaca distrct, Pima County.[5]

Mountain man Pauline Weaver apparent placer gold on the east ancillary of the Colorado River in 1862. Weaver's analysis started a gold blitz to the now apparition boondocks of La Paz, Arizona.

The gold-bearing quartz veins of the Vulture Mine, southwest of Wickenburg, in Maricopa County were apparent in 1863. The abundance produced 366 thousand ounces of gold through 1959.[6]

The San Francisco district, which includes the towns of Oatman and Katherine in Mohave County was apparent in 1863 or 1864, but saw little action until a blitz to the commune occurred in 1902. The commune produced 2.0 actor ounces of gold through 1959.[7]

The aftermost gold abundance to accomplish in Arizona was the Gold Road abundance at Oatman, which shut bottomward in 1998. Patriot Gold is analysis conduct at the Moss abundance at Oatman.[8]Columbus Gold is currently accomplishing analysis conduct for gold at four affairs in western Arizona.

In 2006, all of Arizona's gold assembly came as a byproduct of chestnut mining.

California

Spanish prospectors apparent gold in the Potholes commune amid 1775 and 1780, forth the Colorado River, in present Imperial County, California, about ten afar northeast from Yuma, Arizona. The gold was recovered from dry placers. Other placer deposits on the west coffer of the Colorado River were bound discovered, including the Picacho and Cargo Muchacho districts.

Placer gold deposits were apparent at San Ysidro in San Diego County in 1828, San Francisquito Canyon and Placerita Canyon in Los Angeles County in 1835 and 1842, respectivelyduction came as a byproduct of chestnut mining.

Major gold mining in California started in 1848 during the California Gold Rush. Gold assembly in California ailing in 1852, at 3.9 actor troy ounces (121 tonnes) produced in that year. But the placer deposits formed in the aboriginal years were bound exhausted, and assembly crashed. Hardrock mining (in California alleged quartz mining) began in 1849, and placer mining by hydraulic mining began in 1852. Despite the fresh mining methods, by 1865 assembly was 867 thousand troy ounces (27 tonnes), beneath than one-quarter of aiguille production.

Production sank to 412 thousand troy ounces (12.8 tonnes) in 1929, but again soared to added than 1.4 actor troy ounces (43.5 tonnes) for anniversary year 1939 through 1941, afterwards the amount was aloft from $20.67 to $35 per ounce. However, the federal government, in War Assembly Board Order L-208, ordered gold mines closed, to chargeless up assets for the war accomplishment during World War II, and assembly fell to 148 thousand troy ounces (4.6 tonnes) in 1943. Post-war gold assembly never accomplished the aiguille of the aboriginal 1940s, as aggrandizement and the anchored amount of gold breakable its value.[9]

The better gold-mining commune in California is the acclaimed Mother Lode of the Sierra Nevada. Apparent in the aboriginal 1850s, the lode is a area one to four afar advanced and alive 120 afar northwest-southeast from El Dorado County in the north, through Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties, to Mariposa County in the south. The gold of the Mother Lode is in quartz veins aural phyllite, schist, slate, and greenstone. Through 1959, the Mother Lode produced about 13.3 actor troy ounces (414 tonnes) of gold.[10]

The second-largest gold-mining commune in California was Grass Valley-Nevada City commune in Nevada County. Gold in Holocene gravels was apparent in 1850, followed a few years after by hydraulic mining of Tertiary gravels. By 1880, best of the mining had confused to lode deposits, such as the Empire Mine. Through 1959, the commune produced 10.4 actor troy ounces (323 tonnes) of lode gold, and 2.2 actor troy ounces (68.4 tonnes) of placer gold.[11]

The affluent placer deposits of the Columbia Basin-Jamestown-Sonora commune were apparent in 1853. Almost all the gold was begin at the abject of Quaternary gravels, but some alluvion mines were formed in Tertiary gravels. Total assembly was about 5.9 actor troy ounces (183 tonnes) of gold.[12]

In 2007, California produced 9,400 ounces (1603 kg) of gold from two mines. The Mesquite abundance in Imperial County restarted alive mining in 2007, accepting been abeyant back 2001. The alone added gold ambassador in the state, the Briggs abundance in Inyo County chock-full mining in 2004, but continues to aftermath baby amounts of gold from the bleed pads, from ahead mined ore.[13]

Emgold Mining is activity through the allowing action to reopen the Idaho Maryland gold abundance at Grass Valley, Nevada County.

Colorado

Gold was apparent in 1858 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in the around of abreast Denver in 1858, but the deposits were small. The aboriginal important gold discoveries in Colorado were in the Central City-Idaho Springs commune in January 1859. Three Colorado mines abide to aftermath gold. The Cripple Creek & Victor abundance at Victor, an open-pit abundance bleed operation endemic by AngloGold Ashanti, is the arch producer, with 283 thousand troy ounces (8.8 tonnes) of gold in 2006. Other alive gold mines in the accompaniment are underground Golden Wonder abundance abreast Lake City, and the Cash and Rex mines in the Gold Hill mining commune in Boulder County, Colorado.[14]

Georgia

Georgia is accustomed with a absolute actual assembly of 871 thousand ounces of gold from 1830 through 1959.[15] Although a historically important gold producer, the accompaniment does not anon aftermath any gold .

Idaho

Gold was aboriginal apparent in Idaho in 1860, at Pierce.

The arch actual gold-producing commune is the Boise Basin in Boise County, which was apparent in 1862 and produced 2.9 actor troy ounces (90.2 tonnes), mostly from placers.[16] 

 The French Creek-Florence commune in Idaho County began in the 1860s, and has produced about 1 actor troy ounces (31 tonnes) from placers.

The Argent City commune in Owyhee County began bearing in 1863, and fabricated over 1 actor troy ounces (31 tonnes), mostly from lode deposits.

The Coeur d’Alene commune in Shoshone County has fabricated 440 thousand troy ounces (13.7 tonnes) of gold as byproduct to argent mining.[17]

In 2006, alive gold mines in Idaho included the Argent Strand abundance and the Bond mine.[18]

Maryland

Gold was appear in Maryland as aboriginal as 1830, but no assembly resulted. Placer gold was apparent at Great Falls abreast Washington, DC in 1861 during the American Civil War by Union soldiers from California. After the war a cardinal of mines were opened on gold-bearing quartz veins in Montgomery County. No gold assembly has been appear back 1951. Total assembly was about 6 thousand troy ounces (190 kg).[19]

Michigan

Approximately 29 thousand troy ounces (900 kg) of gold were produced from the Ropes gold abundance northeast of Ishpeming in Marquette County, Michigan. The underground mine, originally operated from 1880 to 1897, and reopened from 1975-1989, extracted gold from quartz veins in peridotite.[20]

Montana

 Gold was aboriginal apparent in Montana in 1852, but mining did not activate until 1862, back gold placers were apparent at Bannack, Montana in 1862. The consistent gold blitz resulted in added placer discoveries, including those at Virginia City in 1863, and at Helena and Butte in 1864.[21] In 1867, the Atlantic Cable Quartz Lode was located.

The Butte district, although mined primarily for copper, produced 2.9 actor ounces (91 tonnes) of gold through 1990, about all as a byproduct of chestnut production.[22]

Current alive asperous gold mines accommodate the Montana Tunnels mine, and the Golden Sunlight mine. Alive gold placers accommodate the Browns Gulch placer and the Confederate Gulch placer. Gold is additionally produced from three platinum mines in the Stillwater ablaze complex: the Stillwater mine, the Lodestar mine, and the East Boulder Project.[23]

Nevada

New Mexico

Nevada is now the arch gold-producing accompaniment in the nation, in 2007 bearing 80% of the gold mined in the United States.[2] About all the gold in Nevada comes from ample accessible pit mining and cyanide abundance leaching recovery. A cardinal of above mining companies, such as Newmont Mining, accomplish gold mines in the state. Active gold mines accommodate Jerritt Canyon and the Getchell Mine.Gold was aboriginal apparent in New Mexico in 1828 in the “Old Placers” commune in the Ortiz Mountains, Santa Fe County, New Mexico. The placer gold analysis was followed by analysis of a adjacent lode deposit.[24]

In 2007 all gold assembly in New Mexico (13 thousand troy ounces) came as a byproduct of chestnut mining from two ample accessible pit mines in Grant County. However, two primary gold mines are actuality readied for production: the Northstar abundance in Rio Arriba County, and the San Lorenzo Claims abundance in Socorro County.[25]

North Carolina

 North Carolina was the armpit of the aboriginal gold blitz in the United States, afterward the analysis of a 17 batter (7.7 kg) gold asset by 12-year old Conrad Reed in a brook at his father’s acreage in 1799. The Reed Gold Mine, south of Georgeville in Cabarrus County, North Carolina produced about 50 thousand troy ounces (1.6 tonnes) of gold from lode and placer deposits.[26]

Gold was produced from 15 districts, about all in the Piedmont arena of the state. Total gold assembly is estimated at 1.2 actor troy ounces (37.3 tonnes).

Oregon

Although gold mines are advance over abundant of Oregon, about all of the gold produced has appear from two arch areas: the Klamath Mountains in southwest Oregon, including Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson and Josephine counties; and the Blue Mountains in northeast Oregon, mostly in Baker and Grant counties.

Prospectors from Illinois apparent placer gold in the Klamath Mountains of southwest Oregon in 1850, starting a blitz to the area. Lode gold deposits were additionally discovered.

Travellers forth the Oregon Trail apprenticed for the Willamette Valley are said to accept apparent gold in northeastern Oregon in 1845, but no assembly resulted. Mining in ardent did not activate until 1861.[27] 

Pennsylvania

About 37 thousand troy ounces (1.2 tonnes) of gold was produced from the Cornwall adamant abundance bristles afar south of Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Although the drop produced adamant back 1742, no gold was appear from the abundance until 1908.[28]

South Carolina

 South Carolina had a cardinal of lode gold mines forth the Carolina Slate Belt.[29]

The Haile drop was apparent in Lancaster County in 1827, and at atomic 275 thousand ounces of gold were extracted intermittently amid again and 1942, back the gold abundance was ordered bankrupt as nonessential to the war effort. Beginning in 1951, the drop was mined for associated sericite, which was acclimated as a white filler.[30] Gold is associated with silicic, kaolinitic, and pyritic about-face of greenschist-grade felsic metavolcanics.[31] The abundance was reopened as an accessible pit in the 1980s, and operated until 1992. Kinross Gold Corporation's affirmation of the Haile armpit was nominated for a US Bureau of Acreage Management "Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award."

The Brewer abundance operated from 1828 to 1995, and is now a federal Superfund site.[32]

Kennecott Minerals operated the Ridgeway open-pit gold abundance from 1988 to 1999, and the acreage is now actuality reclaimed by Kennecott.

The Barite Hill abundance operated from 1990 to 1994.

South Dakota

The alone operating gold abundance in South Dakota is the Wharf mine, an accessible pit abundance bleed operation.[33]

Tennessee

Placer gold was apparent on Coker Creek in Monroe County, Tennessee in 1827. The commune produced about 9 thousand troy ounces (300 kg).[34]

Texas

Some affairs accept been biconcave for gold on the Llano Uplift of axial Texas. Gold affairs accommodate the Heath abundance and the Babyhead district, both in Llano County, and the Axial Texas abundance in Gillespie County. Gold production, if any, is not known.[35]

Utah

 Most gold produced in Utah today is a byproduct of the huge Bingham Canyon chestnut mine, southwest of Salt Lake City. In 2006, the Bingham Canyon abundance produced 16.3 tonnes of gold, authoritative it the fourth-largest gold ambassador in the US.[36] Over its life, Bingham Canyon has produced added than 23 actor ounces (715 tonnes) of gold.

The Barneys Canyon abundance in Salt Lake County, the aftermost primary gold abundance to accomplish in Utah, chock-full mining in 2001, but is still convalescent gold from its abundance leaching pads. Utah gold assembly was 460 thousand troy ounces (14 tonnes) in 2006.[37] 

Virginia

Washington

Gold was aboriginal apparent in Washington in 1853, as placer deposits in the Yakima Valley. Assembly from the accompaniment never exceeded 50,000 troy ounces per year until the mid-1930s, back ample adamantine bedrock deposits were developed, the Chelan Lake and Wenatchee deposits in Chelan County, and the Republic drop in Ferry County. Assembly through 1965 is estimated to be 2.3 actor ounces.[38]

Wyoming

Gold was apparent at the South Pass-Atlantic City-Sweetwater commune in present Fremont County in 1842. The placers were formed intermittently until 1867, back the aboriginal important gold attitude was discovered, and prospectors and miners rushed to the area.. The towns of South Pass City, Atlantic City, and Miner's Delight catered to the miners. The commune was about bare by 1875, and was formed alone intermittently afterward. Total gold assembly was about 300 thousand troy ounces (9.3 tonnes). In 1962, the commune became the armpit of a above adamant mine.[39]

Gold was aboriginal apparent in Washington in 1853, as placer deposits in the Yakima Valley. Assembly from the accompaniment never exceeded 50,000 troy ounces per year until the mid-1930s, back ample adamantine bedrock deposits were developed, the Chelan Lake and Wenatchee deposits in Chelan County, and the Republic drop in Ferry County. Assembly through 1965 is estimated to be 2.3 actor ounces.[38]

Gold was apparent at the South Pass-Atlantic City-Sweetwater commune in present Fremont County in 1842. The placers were formed intermittently until 1867, back the aboriginal important gold attitude was discovered, and prospectors and miners rushed to the area.. The towns of South Pass City, Atlantic City, and Miner's Delight catered to the miners. The commune was about bare by 1875, and was formed alone intermittently afterward. Total gold assembly was about 300 thousand troy ounces (9.3 tonnes). In 1962, the commune became the armpit of a above adamant mine.[39]

Controversy

Many US gold mines are amid on accessible land, but the mining companies pay no royalties to the US government. Gold mines accomplish beneath the General Mining Act of 1872, (enacted beneath the President Ulysses S Grant administration), a law that permits them to pay no royalties. Fighting reforms to accept the gold mining industry pay royalties, the bounded association agency in Elks County, Nevada says that royalties would force mining companies to cut jobs and move elsewhere. [40]

Gold mining by country

Gold mining by country




Gold mining in Australia


The Australian gold rushes started in 1851 back prospector Edward Hammond Hargraves claimed the analysis of payable gold abreast Bathurst, New South Wales, at a armpit Edward Hargraves alleged Ophir. Six months later, gold was begin in Victoria at Warrandyte and Ballarat, and a abbreviate time after at Bendigo Creek. Gold was after begin in all of the added Australian colonies (later accepted as states or territories)

Discoveries of gold in Australia before the rushes

Prior to Hargraves claimed analysis of payable gold and he was additionally the aboriginal to acquisition gold in Australia. Jake Mason accounted gold had been apparent in Australia by others but they had bootless to aftereffect in the development of a the gold field. These accessory finds included Reverend WB Clarke in 1851 with added finds in 1844. Back Clarke appear his analysis to the New South Wales Governor George Gipps, Gipps asked Clarke to: "Put them away, Mr Clarke, or we shall all accept our throats cut!". Gold finds in a captive association were not accustomed at the time. Although the NSW and Victorian governments after adored Clarke for his contribution, his banking rewards didn't analyze to those for Hargraves.

Other aboriginal gold finds in the antecedents were:

* 1814 - Some convicts who were active acid a alley to Bathurst were rumoured to accept begin a abundance of gold.[1]

* 1823, 15 February - The aboriginal absolute analysis of gold in the colonies was by Assistant Surveyor, James McBrien, who apparent abundant genitalia of gold in Fish River, about 15 afar east of Bathurst, New South Wales.[citation needed]

* 1825 - A captive flogged in Sydney on suspicion of accepting baseborn gold, which he declared he had apparent in the bush. An bearding letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald on May 20, May 1851 articular the area of the acquisition as "Big Hill".

* 1829 - Mr Jackson Barwise claims he had his absorption fatigued to gold by a James Ryan. They captivated the gold up and Mr Barwise took this aback to Sydney area he was told to accumulate quiet or he would be bound up as actuality insane. This was declared to be to stop the shepherds active abroad to acquisition gold.

* 1839, April - Paweł Edmund Strzelecki apparent gold associated with pyrites at the Vale of Clwydd, in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.

* 1844 - Mr Alexander Tolmein, beatific by Governor Grey to Kangaroo Island to abduction a assemblage of bushrangers, appear that he had back about 20 afar S.S.W. from Melbourne apparent a quartz beach with chicken metal in it, which he was afterwards assertive was gold.

* 1848 - Gold specimens begin on the spurs of the Pyrenees Mountains, Victoria; apparent in the boutique window of Mr. Robe, jeweller, Melbourne.

* 1849, 31 January - Gold apparent at the Pyrenees, Port Phillip, by a shepherd.

* 1849, January - Thomas Chapman apparent gold at Daisy Hill, Victoria and awash it to Mrs. Brentani, Collins Street, Melbourne, a asset which advised 16 ounces. Afraid of the Melbourne authorities, the discoverer anchored to Sydney in the 'Sea-horse'.

* 1849 - William Clarke, Jr., with William Vicary, begin aureate quartz at Smythesdale, Victoria.

* 1851, January - Edward Austin[2] brought to Sydney a asset of gold account £35, which he begin in the Bathurst District.[3]

* 1851 - Gold was apparent in Warrandyte, Victoria in what is now a accompaniment park.

* 1872 - Worlds better anytime gold asset was apparent by Bernhard Otto Holterman.

First License

The aboriginal authorization was issued in Victoria on September the 21st, 1851. The cardinal of gold licenses issued in N.S.W., was 12,186, of which 2,094 were issued at the Ophir; 8,637 at the Turon; 1,009 at the Meroo and Louisa Creek; 41 at the Abercrombie; and 405 at Araluen, up to October 31, 1851.[4]

Other discoveries

    * 1851 - Sofala, New South Wales

* 1865 - Richard Daintree apparent the Cape River goldfield in North Queensland.[5] Attention anon confused to Charters Towers with a added cogent acreage apparent in 1872. The aforementioned year mining began on the Palmer River abreast * 1872 - Darwin acquainted the furnishings of a gold blitz at Pine Creek afterwards advisers of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line begin gold while digging holes for telegraph poles.

Further reading

Australian Government, Culture and Recreation Portal: The Australian Gold Rush

Recreational gold mining

Recreational gold mining and prospecting has become a accepted alfresco amusement in a cardinal of countries, including New Zealand (especially in Otago), Australia, South Africa, Wales (at Dolaucothi and in Gwynedd), in Canada and in the United States abnormally in western states but additionally elsewhere. Recreational mining is about absolutely small-scale placer mining.

Australia

Australia does not anticipate the clandestine buying of any minerals begin in the land. At one time if individuals were to ascertain gold (or any added minerals) in their property, it would accord to the Crown, actuality the Australian Government and not to clandestine entitlement. Today this is not so, and Individuals can chase and retrieve minerals with the accretion of a miners admittance that can be bought from the accordant Mining Department.

The better asset anytime begin was the Welcome Stranger of 2316 troy oz (74 kg).

United Kingdom

Gold has been mined commercially in Wales (see Welsh gold) and Scotland. In the UK, gold prospecting can alone booty abode with the absolute permission of the riparian owner, and any activities that account or admittance abuse of a watercourse, alike re-suspended silt, could aftereffect in a bent case by the Environment Agency. There are locations area gold animadversion is a accepted activity.[1]

United States

Although gold deposits are bargain associated with the western US, gold has boundless accident beyond the country. In the eastern US, a area of lode and placer gold deposits extends in the Piedmont arena from Alabama to Maryland.[2] North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama accept abounding above gold mines and accepted prospecting sites. These states were the capital antecedent of US gold afore the California gold analysis (see Gold mining in the United States). Small amounts of gold accept been begin in streams clarification arctic deposits in the Midwest.

Gold prospecting and mining activities accustomed on accessible acreage alter with the bureau and the location. Gold pans and shovels are frequently allowed, but douse boxes and assimilation dredges may be banned in some areas.[3][4] There are accessible mining areas in abounding states, and prospecting may acquiesce one to pale a gold placer affirmation or added blazon of mining affirmation in assertive areas. Some accessible acreage accept been set abreast for recreational gold panning.[5][6] Some clandestine acreage owners additionally accord permission for small-scale gold mining.[7]

The better accurate California gold nugget, accepted as the "Dogtown nugget," advised 54 troy pounds (20 kg), and was begin in Magalia, California. A 195 batter troy (73 kg) accumulation of gold alloyed with quartz was additionally found. Alaska has abounding sites for the prospector, both accessible and private.

Peak gold

Peak gold is the point in time back the best amount of all-around gold abstraction is reached, afterwards which the amount of assembly enters terminal decline. The appellation 'peak' refers to the Hubbert aiguille of a resource. Unlike assets such as petroleum, which are destroyed in use, gold can be reused and recycled. Thus aiguille gold and aiguille oil cannot be compared directly.

Supply and demand

World gold appeal (defined in agreement of absolute burning excluding axial banks) in 2007 was 3,519 tonnes.[1] Gold appeal is subdivided into axial coffer reserves, jewellery, automated burning (including dental), and advance (bars, coins, ETFs, etc.).

The accumulation of gold is provided by mining, official sales (typically gold by axial banks), de-hedging and old gold debris and absolute apple accumulation in 2007 was 3,497 tonnes.[2] Gold assembly (mining) does not charge to accomplish up for gold appeal because gold is a reusable resource. Currently, annual gold mining produces 2% of the absolute above-ground gold which is 158,000 tonnes (as of 2006).[3] In 2008 gold mining produced 2,400 tonnes of gold, official gold sales abutting to 300 tonnes, and dehedging abutting to 500 tonnes.[4]

Timing of peak production

In 2009, Barrick CEO Aaron Regent claimed that all-around assembly had ailing in 2000.[5] Barrick's assembly costs accept been "trending down" admitting this peak, extensive $465 per ounce.

In 2006, with gold at $650 per ounce, Roland Watson claimed that gold assembly had ailing in 2001 due to falling analysis in the 1990s, back gold prices were low. He predicted that college prices and fresh technologies would addition gold assembly to college levels in the future.[6]

Gold prospecting

Gold prospecting is the act of analytic for fresh gold deposits. Methods acclimated alter with the blazon of drop approved and the assets of the prospector. Although commonly a bartering activity, in some developed countries placer gold prospecting has additionally become a accepted alfresco recreation.

Prospecting for placer gold

Prospecting for placer gold is commonly done with a gold pan or agnate apparatus to ablution chargeless gold particles from apart apparent sediment.[1] The use of gold pans is centuries old, but is still accepted amid prospectors and miners with little banking backing.

Deeper placer deposits may be sampled by trenching or drilling.[2] Geophysical methods such as seismic, force or magnetics may be acclimated to locate active river channels that are acceptable locations for placer gold.[3] Sampling and assaying a placer gold drop to actuate its bread-and-butter activity is accountable to abounding pitfalls.[4]

Once placer gold is discovered, the gold pan is usually replaced by sluices or automated accessories to ablution greater volumes of material. Analysis of placer gold has generally resulted in analysis of asperous gold deposits back the placers are traced to their sources.

Prospecting for hardrock gold deposits

Prospectors for hardrock, or lode gold deposits, can use abounding tools. It is done at the simplest akin by apparent appraisal of bedrock outcrops, attractive for exposures of mineral veins, hydrothermal alteration, or bedrock types accepted to host gold deposits. Field accoutrement may be annihilation added than a bedrock bang and duke lens.

Hardrock gold deposits are added assorted in mineralogy and cartography than placer deposits, and prospecting methods can be actual altered for altered types of deposits. As with placer gold, the composure of methods acclimated to anticipation for asperous gold alter with the banking assets of the prospector. Drilling is generally acclimated to analyze the subsurface. Apparent geophysical methods may be acclimated to locate geophysical anomalies associated with gold deposits. Samples of rocks or clay may be calm for geochemical class assay, to actuate metal agreeable or ascertain geochemical anomalies.[5] Asperous gold particles may be too baby to see, alike with a microscope.

Most gold today is produced in ample open-pit and abysmal underground mines. However, small-scale gold mining is still common, abnormally in third-world countries.

Recreational prospecting

Small-scale recreational prospecting for placer gold has been apparent in abounding genitalia of the apple including New Zealand (especially in Otago), Australia, South Africa, Wales (at Dolaucothi and in Gwynedd), in Canada and in the United States abnormally in western states but additionally elsewhere.

Gold rush

A gold blitz is a aeon of feverish clearing of workers into the breadth of a affecting analysis of gold. Major gold rushes took abode in the 19th aeon in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while abate gold rushes took abode elsewhere.

Gold rushes were about apparent by a accepted afloat action of a "free for all" in assets mobility, in which any distinct alone ability become abundantly affluent about instantly. The acceptation of gold rushes in history has accustomed a best action to the term, and it is now activated about to denote any backer bread-and-butter action in which the participants aspire to chase anniversary added in accepted following of a fresh and allegedly awful advantageous market, generally precipitated by an beforehand in technology.[citation needed]

Gold rushes helped activation abiding non-indigenous adjustment of fresh regions and ascertain a cogent allotment of the ability of the North American and Australian frontiers. As well, at a time aback money was based on gold, the newly-mined gold provided bread-and-butter bang far above the gold fields. Gold rushes apparently extend aback as far as gold mining, to the Roman Empire, whose gold mining was declared by Diodorus Siculus and Pliny the Elder, and apparently added aback to Ancient Egypt.

There are about 10 to 30 actor small-scale miners about the world, according to Communities and Small-Scale Mining (CASM). Approximately 100 actor bodies are anon or alongside abased on small-scale mining. There are 800,000 to 1.5 actor artisanal miners in Democratic Republic of Congo, 350,000 to 650,000 in Sierra Leone, and 150,000 to 250,000 in Ghana, with millions added beyond Africa.

Life aeon of a gold rush

Within anniversary mining blitz there is about a alteration through progressively college basic expenditures, beyond organizations, and added specialized knowledge. They may additionally advance from high-unit amount to lower assemblage amount minerals (from gold to argent to abject metals).

The blitz is started by a analysis of placer gold fabricated by an individual. At aboriginal the gold may be done from the beach and alluvium by alone miners with little training, application a gold pan or agnate simple instrument. Once it is bright that the aggregate of gold-bearing debris is beyond than a few cubic meters, the placer miners will body rockers or douse boxes, with which a baby accumulation can ablution gold from the debris abounding times faster than application gold pans. (See placer mining for details.) Winning the gold in this address requires about no basic investment, alone a simple pan or accessories that may be congenital on the spot, and alone simple organization. The low investment, the aerial amount per assemblage weight of gold, and the adeptness of gold dust and gold nuggets to serve as a average of exchange, acquiesce placer gold rushes to action alike in alien locations.

After the sluice-box date , placer mining may become added ample scale, acute beyond organizations, and college basic expenditures. Baby claims endemic and mined by individuals may charge to be alloyed into beyond tracts. Difficult-to-reach placer deposits may be mined by tunnels. Baptize may be absent by dams and canals to placer abundance alive river beds or to bear baptize bare to ablution dry placers. The added avant-garde techniques of arena sluicing, hydraulic mining, and dredging may be used.

Typically the heyday of a placer gold blitz would aftermost alone a few years. The chargeless gold accumulation in beck beds would become depleted somewhat quickly, and the antecedent appearance would be followed by prospecting for veins of lode gold that were the aboriginal antecedent of the placer gold. Hardrock mining, like placer mining, may advance from low basic advance and simple technology to progressively college basic and technology. The apparent bulge of a gold-bearing attitude may be oxidized, so that the gold occurs as built-in gold, and the ore needs alone to be ashamed and done (free milling ore). The aboriginal miners may at aboriginal body a simple arrastre to drove their ore; later, they may body brand mills to drove ore added quickly. As the miners dig down, they may acquisition that the added allotment of attitude contains gold bound in sulfide or telluride minerals, which will crave smelting. If the ore is still abundantly rich, it may be account aircraft to a abroad smelter (direct aircraft ore). Lower-grade ore may crave on-site analysis to either balance the gold or to aftermath a apply abundantly affluent for carriage to the smelter. As the commune turns to lower-grade ore, the mining may change from underground mining to ample open-pit mining.

Many argent rushes followed aloft gold rushes. As busline and basement improve, the focus may change progressively from gold to argent to abject metals. In this way, Leadville, Colorado started as a placer gold discovery, accomplished acclaim as a silver-mining district, again relied on advance and zinc in its after days. Butte, Montana began mining placer gold, again became a silver-mining district, again became for a time the world’s better chestnut producer.

Gold rushes by region

Australian gold rushes

The Victorian gold rush, which occurred in Australia in 1851 anon afterwards the California gold rush, was the better of several Australian gold rushes. That gold blitz was awful cogent to Australia’s, and abnormally Victoria's and Melbourne's, political and bread-and-butter development. With the Australian gold rushes came the architecture of the aboriginal railways and telegraph lines, multiculturalism and racism, the Eureka Stockade and the end of chastening transportation.

In 1852 alone, 370,000 immigrants accustomed in Australia and the abridgement of the nation boomed. The 'rush' was able-bodied and absolutely on. Victoria contributed added than one third of the world's gold achievement in the 1850s and in aloof two years the State's citizenry had developed from 77,000 to 540,000.

The cardinal of fresh arrivals to Australia was greater than the cardinal of convicts who had landed there in the antecedent seventy years. The absolute citizenry trebled from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 actor in 1871.

Gold rushes happened at or around:

* Coolgardie

* Charters Towers

* Kalgoorlie

* Bathurst

* Bendigo

* Ballarat

* Hill End

North America

The aboriginal cogent gold blitz in the United States was in Cabarrus County, Arctic Carolina (east of Charlotte), in 1799 at today's Reed's Gold Mine.[2] Thirty years later, in 1829, the Georgia Gold Blitz in the southern Appalachians occurred. It was followed by the California Gold Blitz of 1848–52 in the Sierra Nevada, which captured the accepted imagination. The California gold blitz led anon to the adjustment of California by Americans and the accelerated access of that accompaniment into the abutment in 1850. The gold blitz in 1849 angry common absorption in prospecting for gold, and led to fresh rushes in Australia, South Africa, Wales and Scotland.- Successive gold rushes occurred in western Arctic America, affective arctic and east from California: Fraser Canyon, the Cariboo commune and added genitalia of British Columbia, and the Rocky Mountains. Resurrection Creek, abreast Hope, Alaska was the armpit of Alaska's aboriginal gold blitz added than a aeon ago, and placer mining continues today.[3] Added notable Alaska Gold Rushes were Nome and the Fortymile River.

Klondike

One of the aftermost "great gold rushes" was the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada's Yukon Territory (1898–99), immortalized in the novels of Jack London, the balladry of Robert W. Service and Charlie Chaplin's blur The Gold Rush. The capital goldfield was forth the south abut of the Klondike River abreast its assemblage with the Yukon River abreast what was to become Dawson City in Canada's Yukon Territory but it additionally helped accessible up the almost fresh US control of Alaska to analysis and adjustment and answer the analysis of added gold finds.

South Africa

In South Africa, the Witwatersrand Gold Blitz in the Transvaal was important to that country's history, arch to the founding of Johannesburg and tensions amid the Boers and British settlers.

South African gold assembly went from aught in 1886 to 23% of the absolute apple achievement in 1896. At the time of the South African rush, gold assembly benefited from the anew apparent techniques by Scottish chemists, the MacArthur-Forrest process, of application potassium cyanide to abstract gold from low-grade ore.[4]

Notable gold rushes by date

Rushes of the 1690s

• Brazil Gold Rush, Minas Gerais (1695)^[5]

Rushes of the 1800s

• Carolina Gold Rush, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, US (1799) ^[6]

Rushes of the 1820s

• Georgia Gold Rush, Georgia, US (1828)

Rushes of the 1840s

• California Gold Rush, California (1848)

Rushes of the 1850s

* Queen Charlottes Gold Rush, British Columbia, Canada (1850); the aboriginal of abounding British Columbia gold rushes

* Victorian Gold Rush, Victoria, Australia

* Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, British Columbia (1858–1861)

* Rock Creek Gold Rush, British Columbia (1859–1860s)

* Pikes Peak Gold Rush, Pikes Peak, Colorado (1859)

* Northern Nevada Gold Rush (from 1850 - 1934)

Rushes of the 1860s

* Idaho Gold Rush, additionally accepted as the Fort Colville Gold Rush, abreast Colville, Washington accompaniment (1860)

* Cariboo Gold Rush, British Columbia (1862–65)

* Stikine Gold Rush, British Columbia (1863)

* Big Bend Gold Rush, British Columbia (1865—66)

* Omineca Gold Rush, British Columbia (1869)

* Wild Horse Creek Gold Rush, British Columbia (1860s),

* Black Hills Gold Rush, Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming (1874-1878)

* Eastern Oregon Gold Rush (1860s–1870s)

* Kildonnan Gold Rush, Sutherland, Scotland (1869)[7]

* Central Otago Gold Rush, New Zealand (1861)* Idaho Gold Rush, additionally accepted as the Fort Colville Gold Rush, abreast Colville, Washington accompaniment (1860)

* Cariboo Gold Rush, British Columbia (1862–65)

* Stikine Gold Rush, British Columbia (1863)

* Big Bend Gold Rush, British Columbia (1865—66)

* Omineca Gold Rush, British Columbia (1869)

* Wild Horse Creek Gold Rush, British Columbia (1860s),

* Black Hills Gold Rush, Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming (1874-1878)

* Eastern Oregon Gold Rush (1860s–1870s)

* Kildonnan Gold Rush, Sutherland, Scotland (1869)[7]

* Central Otago Gold Rush, New Zealand (1861)

Rushes of the 1870s

* Cassiar Gold Rush, British Columbia, 1871

* Palmer River Gold Rush, Palmer River, Queensland, Australia (1872)

* Pilgrim's Rest, South Africa (1873)

* Black Hills Gold Rush, The Black Hills, South Dakota (1874)

* Bodie Gold Rush, Bodie, California (1876)

* Kumara Gold Rush, Kumara and Dillmanstown, New Zealand (1876)[8]

* Hungen, Hessen, Germany (1877)

Rushes of the 1880s

# Barberton Gold Rush, South Africa (1883)

# Witwatersrand Gold Rush, Transvaal, South Africa (1886); the consistent arrival of miners was one of the triggers of the Second Boer War

# Cayoosh Gold Rush in Lillooet, British Columbia (1884—87)

# Tulameen Gold Rush abreast Princeton British Columbia

Rushes of the 1890s

* Tierra del Fuego Gold Rush, Tierra del Fuego, southern Chile and Argentina[clarification needed]

* Cripple Creek Gold Rush, Cripple Creek, Colorado (1891)

* Westralia Gold Rush, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia {1893, 1896)

* Mount Baker Gold Rush, Whatcom County, Washington, U.S.A (1897–1920's)

* Klondike Gold Rush, centered on Dawson City, Yukon, Canada (1896–1898)

* Atlin Gold Rush, Atlin, British Columbia (1898)

* Nome Gold Rush, Nome, Alaska (1898–99)

Rushes of the 1900s

* Fairbanks Gold Rush, Fairbanks, Alaska (1902–1905)

* Goldfield Gold Rush, Goldfield, Nevada[clarification needed]

* Cobalt Silver Rush, 1903-5, Cobalt, Ontario, Canada

* Porcupine Gold Rush, 1909-11, Timmins, Ontario, Canada – little known, but one of the better in agreement of gold mined, 67 actor ounces as of 2001

Rushes of the 1930s

Kakamega gold rush, Kenya, 1932

Rushes of the 1970s

Upper Amazon Gold Rush, Upper Amazon region, Brazil and Peru

Rushes of the 1980s

# Amazon Gold Rush, Amazon region, Brazil[clarification needed][9]

# Mount Kare Gold Rush, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea[10][11

Rushes of the 2000s

* Great Mongolian Gold Rush, Mongolia (2001)[12]

* Apuí Gold Rush, Apuí, Amazonas, Brazil (2006);[13] about 500,000 miners are anticipation to assignment in the Amazon's "garimpos" (gold mines).[14]

References

1. ^ Soaring prices drive a modern, actionable gold rush, International Herald Tribune, July 14, 2008

2. ^ "The North Carolina Gold Rush". Tar Heel Junior Historian 45, no. 2 (Spring 2006) absorb North Carolina Museum of History.. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newnation/4374.

3. ^ "Resurrection Creek Restoration Phase II Project Environmental Impact Statement". Environmental Protection Agency, US. 2008-01-17. http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2008/January/Day-28/i347.htm. Retrieved 2008-08-31.

4. ^ Micheloud, François (2004). "The Crime of 1873: Gold Inflation this time". FX Micheloud Monetary History. François Micheloud: www.micheloud.com. http://www.micheloud.com/FXM/MH/Crime/Gold.htm.

5. ^ "Gold rush". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc.. 2008. http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-237388/gold-rush. Retrieved 2008-08-31.

6. ^ "The North Carolina Gold Rush". Tar Heel Junior Historian 45, no. 2 (Spring 2006) absorb North Carolina Museum of History.. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newnation/4374.

7. ^ The Baile an Or project– Scotland's Gold Blitz Retrieved: 2010-03-31.

8. ^ Dollimore, Edward Stewart. - "Kumara, Westland". - Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966).

9. ^ Marlise Simons (1988-04-25). "In Amazon Jungle, a Gold Blitz Like None Before". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE0D91038F936A15757C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2008-08-31.

10. ^ Mount Kare gold blitz : Papua New Guinea 1988 - 1994 / Dave Henton and Andi Flower

11. ^ Black bonanza : a barrage of gold / Peter Ryan

12. ^ The Great Mongolian Gold Blitz The acreage of Genghis Khan has the better mining acquisition in a actual continued time. A appointment to the amount of a aberration in the average of nowhere., money.cnn.com, December 22, 2003

13. ^ Gold Blitz in the Rainforest: Brazilians Army to Seek their Fortunes in the Amazon

14. ^ Brazilian goldminers army to 'new Eldorado'

Types of ore

Types of ore

Gold occurs principally as a built-in metal, usually adulterated to a greater or bottom admeasurement with argent (as electrum), or sometimes with mercury (as an amalgam). Built-in gold can action as abundant nuggets, as accomplished grains or flakes in alluvial deposits, or as grains or diminutive particles anchored in added rocks.

Ores in which gold occurs in actinic agreement with added elements are analogously rare. They accommodate calaverite, sylvanite, nagyagite, petzite and krennerite.

Concentration

Gravity absorption has been historically the best important way of extracting the built-in metal application pans or abrasion tables. However, barm abutment processes may additionally be acclimated to apply the gold. In some cases, decidedly back the gold is present in the ore as detached abject particles, a force apply can be anon smelted to anatomy gold bars. In added cases, decidedly back the gold is present in the ore as accomplished particles or is not abundantly absolved from the host rock, the concentrates are advised with cyanide salts, a action accepted as cyanidation leaching, followed by accretion from the bleed solution. Accretion from band-aid about involves adsorption on activated carbon followed by band-aid absorption or stripping and or electrowinning.

Froth abutment is usually activated back the gold present in an ore is carefully associated with sulfide minerals such as pyrite or arsenopyrite, and back such sulfides are present in ample quantities in the ore. In this case, absorption of the sulfides after-effects in absorption of gold values. Generally, accretion of the gold from the sulfide concentrates requires added processing, usually by baking or wet burden oxidation. These pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical treatments are themselves usually followed by cyanidation and carbon adsorption techniques for final accretion of the gold.

Sometimes gold is present as a accessory basic in a abject metal (e.g. copper) concentrate, and is recovered as a by-product during assembly of the abject metal. For example, it can be recovered in the anode fungus during the electrorefining process.

Leaching

If the gold can not be concentrated for smelting, again it is leached by an aqueous solution:

1. The cyanide action is the industry standard.

2. Thiosulfate leaching has been accurate to be able on ores with aerial acrid chestnut ethics or ores which acquaintance pregrobbing by carbonaceous components.

Refractory gold processes

A "refractory" gold ore is an ore that is artlessly aggressive to accretion by accepted cyanidation and carbon adsorption processes. These adverse ores crave pre-treatment in adjustment for cyanidation to be able in accretion of the gold. A adverse ore about contains sulfide minerals, amoebic carbon, or both. Sulfide minerals generally allurement or choke gold particles, authoritative it difficult for the bleed band-aid to circuitous with the gold. Amoebic carbon present in gold ore may adsorb attenuated gold-cyanide complexes in abundant the aforementioned way as activated carbon. This alleged "preg-robbing" carbon is done abroad because it is decidedly bigger than the carbon accretion screens about acclimated to balance activated carbon.

Pre-treatment options for adverse ores include:

1. Roasting

2. Bio-oxidation

3. Pressure oxidation

4. Ultrafine grinding

The adverse ore analysis processes may be preceded by absorption (usually sulfide flotation). Roasting is acclimated to burn both the sulfur and amoebic carbon at aerial temperatures application air and/or oxygen. Bio-oxidation involves the use of bacilli that advance blaze reactions in an aqueous environment. Pressure blaze is an aqueous action for sulfur abatement agitated out in a connected autoclave, operating at aerial pressures and somewhat animated temperatures. Ultrafine cutting may be acclimated back liberation of gold particles from the surrounding mineral cast is the primary adverse appropriate of the ore.

Gold smelting

Mercury removal

Mercury is a bloom hazard, abnormally back in gas form. To abolish this hazard, afore smelting, gold precipitates from electrowinning or Merrill-Crowe processes are usually acrimonious in a antiphon to balance any mercury present, that would contrarily account bloom and ecology problems due to its absolution (volatilization) during smelting. The mercury present is not usually from the mercury amalgamation action that is no best acclimated by academic gold mining companies, but from mercury in the ore that has followed gold through the leaching and precipitation processes.

In the accident that there are aerial levels of chestnut or argent present, leaching of the accelerate application nitric or sulfuric acids may be required.

Iron removal

Nitric acerbic or affected air oven blaze can additionally be acclimated to deliquesce adamant from the electrowinning cathodes afore smelting. Gravity concentrates can generally accommodate aerial cutting animate contents, and so their abatement application afraid tables or magnets is acclimated afore smelting. During admixture adamant can be breakable application nitre. Excessive use of nitre will bite the admixture pot, accretion both aliment costs and the accident of adverse leaks (known as run-aways, or holes in the pot through which the aqueous allegation is lost).

Gold from electronics and other scrap

Gold can be extracted from electronics scrap, atom jewelry, and dental scrap. The gold in these items is still valuable, but charge aboriginal be extracted from the atom in adjustment to be alternate into apportionment in its antiseptic form.

The greatest concentrations of gold in atom electronics are in CPUs, agenda bend connectors and basic interconnects. The gold on these items is about argent in actual attenuate layers, so to abstract a advantageous abundance requires a ample bulk of anachronous or abnormal electronics and computer equipment. Additional sources accommodate manufacturers' atom and surplus detached cyberbanking components.

Gold Refining and Parting

Gold Departing is primarily the removing of argent from gold and accordingly accretion the abstention of gold. The departing of gold from argent has been done back age-old times starting in Lydia in the 6th aeon BC. Various techniques accept been practised; alkali adherence from age-old times, departing application distilled mineral acids from medieval times, and in avant-garde times application chlorination application the Miller action and electrolysis application the Wohlwill process.

Gold extraction :

Gold abstraction or accretion from its ores may crave a aggregate of comminution, mineral processing, hydrometallurgical, and pyrometallurgical processes to be performed on the ore.[1]

Gold mining from alluvium ores was already accomplished by techniques associated with placer mining such as simple gold animadversion and sluicing, consistent in absolute accretion of baby gold nuggets and flakes. Placer mining techniques back the mid to backward 20th aeon accept about alone been the convenance of artisan miners. Hydraulic mining was acclimated broadly in the Californian gold rush, and complex breaking bottomward alluvial deposits with high-pressure jets of water. Hard bedrock ores accept formed the base of the majority of bartering gold accretion operations back the average of the 20th aeon area accessible pit and or sub-surface mining techniques are used.

Once the ore is mined it can be advised as a accomplished ore application a dump leaching or abundance leaching processes. This is archetypal of low-grade, oxide deposits. Normally, the ore is ashamed and agglomerated above-mentioned to abundance leaching. High brand ores and ores aggressive to cyanide leaching at base atom sizes, crave added processing in adjustment to balance the gold values. The processing techniques can accommodate grinding, concentration, roasting, and burden blaze above-mentioned to cyanidation.

A glimpse of gold in the old

Gold is the most expensive material ever, and the gold Iater symbol of kings and princes, and gold was discovered since the old and use the old gold in everything around them: they used gold makeup, gold and used in the manufacture of small kindnesses, and some cities in the manufacture of gold cups, and knowing that gold was the means of exchange thereof, for example, to change one kilogram of wheat grams of gold were women in the ancient decorated with gold, was in the old extract gold from the soil, but in ways harder and harder from now so that they and means of extracting gold very old and very tired, but gradually evolved centuries and developed the gold industry