Do You Know, That? - The Greatest Golden Mines Of The World

The gold was, of old times, a means of payment, at the same level, as an impulse for many quarrels, wars or conquesting excursions. So, golden fever is uselessly not signed as hysterical or psychopaticstage of stunning with such bright metal, being inferior hundreds of thousands of adventurers in West of America, who were looking for a wealth in frosty Alaska. Many examples are well known from history, where the gold became main reason for the excursions into undiscovered regions of South America. The Spanish conquistadors took from there bloody golden treasures from advanced civilizations of Incas, Mayos or Aztecs. At that time period, it was easier to plunder and rob. To tell the truth, modern world would not understand such activities at present. Anyway, a man was forced to invent more legal and more effective way in order to gain such valuable raw material. And now, we reach a thema of today´s chapter.

Golden mines of the world, concretely, those greatest and deepest ones will be a target for this time…

Do you know that South Africa is the greatest gold manufacturer of the world? Although the south of this black continent is well known through wealth source of diamonds mines, also the gold belongs to main temptations of mining companies. In Carltonville, mining town, situated approx. 70 kilometres from Johannesburg, mine ingenieurs and miners started to investigate the depths of the Earth. Nevertheless, after the following findings and excavations of the gold, involved nest of shifts and corridors was created, reaching total depth of 3600 metres, and so, the base of the deepest mine of the world was made! This unique place was named as Tau Tona - Great Lion. The man was not succeded to penetrate into such depth, so 3600 metres depth is a record, valid up to now. Nevertheless, there is an idea to extend this level up to the depth of 4000 metres. The mine itself started to be established in 1959, but the mining works were effected there just since 1962. The excavation was fully in operation even during a period, when the unit price for gold at world´s market dropped a lot, and the effectivity of excavation was very high. This fact was presented, first of all, by a wealth of local base. In this locality, more than 800 kilometres of tunnels were created during 50 years. Nearly 5600 mining workers are working there in uninterrupted shifts, whereas yearly death-rate makes 5-10 miners in average, according to official sources. This fact is, making comparison to Chinese mining industry, relatively small number indication. The average temperature in non-air-conditioned section of the mine is moving round 55 °C. The ingenious system of ventilative shifts is letting down the temperature to pleasant 30° C. On the other hand, the walls of low basements reach the temperature of nearly 60 °C. Anyway, the way downstairs in mining cage must be dramatical experience, as it could take even one hour! The quickest sections could be overcame in a lift dropping a speed of 16m/sec, which corresponds to 58 kms/hour. So, Great Lion got, with its expansion and vital power till 2015, but, it is supposed that such total lucrativeness of the mine would continue even after such date limit.

So, we visited the deepest mine of the world. Now, we will be transferred thousands of kilometres to the east, concretely, to the coasts of Australia. This country is, after South Africa and United States, the thrid biggest producer of gold of the world. This raw material is excavated there in the biggest surface golden mine of the world.

This gigantic gold mine, known as Super Pit, could be found not far from the town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in Federal State of West Australia, 550 kms distant from capital Perth. The crater has average length of 4 kilometres, width of 2 kilometres and depth, reaching nearly 400 metres. This is one of biggest scars of our planet. Originally, the mine was interwoven with classical shifts. However, this fact led to total destabilization of basement and it was necessary to consequent uncovering of the rocks. After shooting off (removal) of surface layers in 1989, the mine became a surface mine, where even heavy technics, consisting of giant stevedors (porters) and buldozers could operate better. The machines cut more and more into rocky massif, and unique scenery was established. At present, it is a big temptation for tourists. When working operations are at low stage, once a month, the sightseeing tours could be ready in mine bottom. So, Super Pit is very truthful title (name), in the same level as the golden mine. Total volume of net profit from the gold makes approx. 30 tonns from total volume of 15 millons of tonns of useless raw materials. The mine has one interesting fact: the gold is to be found there as a part of telluride (it is a compound of gold and tellure element), placed among layers of pyrite-mineral. The gold must be divided from each other by mechanical and thermic way. The mine got, during its history, just more than 1600 tonns of gold. The first findings were made there just in 1893. Today, approx. 550 employees are engaged there each day. Their hard work is, making comparison to a way of life, effected in depth of 4 kilometres under the earth, much more pleasant as in past, but…

In the Czech Republic, the mining and excavation of the gold had its important role, too. To main mining areas belonged, for instance, Jílové near to Prague, Zlaté Hory in Jeseník Mountains, Kašperské Hory in Bohemia Forest or Kremnica in Slovakia.

Text: Jan Chaloupka

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: Wikipedia Commons