Diamond quarry. The richest diamond mine in the world

October 10th, 2012

In 2008, the underground mine put into operation a skip shaft complex, skip hoisting machines, two 7-cubic-meter skips, as well as a cage for transporting people and lowering goods. From February to August 2008, commissioning work was completed on the main fan installation, which performs the most important function - providing ventilation of underground mine workings. At the end of December 2008, the mining and capital works section No. 8, headed by A. Velichko and foreman A. Ozol, carried out a conveyor crosscut and reached the diamond pipe. The author of these lines, under the thickness of the earth 650 meters, 150 meters from the bottom of the famous MIR quarry at horizon 310, was able to touch the treasured ore body. In 2009, the mine builders achieved a serious task - connecting between the -210m and -310m horizons, which made it possible to deliver cargo to all layered runs of the first operational block of the subway. Secondly, it provides reliable ventilation mines. By the way, it must be said that the first production block was promptly prepared for mining operations or, at the miner’s term, the mining operation. In March 2009, an important operation was completed - the sliding of the above-mine structure to accommodate a lifting unit, the function of which is to lower workers to underground levels, deliver materials, equipment, and also issue rock. And in the spring of 2009 they began commissioning works. The Mir mine was commissioned in 2009.

August 21, 2009 will be remembered as a significant date in modern history diamond mining: Mirny pompously celebrated the launch of the first stage of the MIR underground mine. This is the crown of many years of work, significantly strengthening the position of AK ALROSA in all aspects. The MIR underground mine has become powerful production unit AK ALROSA, capable of producing 1 million tons of diamond ore. Now it’s time to complete the construction of the stowage complex. Much will depend on the progress of its construction and equipping.

—> Satellite images (Google Maps) <—

sources
http://sakhachudo.narod.ru
http://gorodmirny.ru

Among the amazing natural phenomena we can certainly include holes that periodically open up in different places on the globe.

1.Kimberlite pipe "Mir" (Mir diamond pipe), Yakutia.

The Mir kimberlite pipe is a quarry located in the city of Mirny, Yakutia. The quarry has a depth of 525 m and a diameter of 1.2 km, and is one of the largest quarries in the world. Mining of diamond-bearing kimberlite ore ceased in June 2001. Currently, an underground mine of the same name is being built on board the quarry to develop the remaining sub-quarry reserves, the extraction of which by open-pit mining is unprofitable.

The world's largest diamond quarry is amazing.

2.Kimberlite pipe "Big Hole", South Africa.

The Big Hole is a huge inactive diamond mine in the city of Kimberley (South Africa). It is believed that this is the largest quarry developed by people without the use of technology. Currently it is the main attraction of the city of Kimberley.

From 1866 to 1914, approximately 50,000 miners dug the mine using picks and shovels, producing 2,722 tons of diamonds (14.5 million carats). During the development of the quarry, 22.5 million tons of soil were extracted. It was here that such famous diamonds as "De Beers" (428.5 carats), bluish-white "Porter-Rhodes" (150 carats), orange-yellow " Tiffany" (128.5 carats). Currently, this diamond deposit has been exhausted. The area of ​​the “Big Hole” is 17 hectares. Its diameter is 1.6 km. The hole was dug to a depth of 240 meters, but was then filled with waste rock to a depth of 215 meters, currently the bottom of the hole is filled with water, its depth is 40 meters.

At the site of the mine previously (about 70 - 130 million years ago) there was a volcanic crater. Almost a hundred years ago - in 1914, development in the “Big Hole” was stopped, but the gaping crater of the pipe remains to this day and now serves only as a bait for tourists, serving as a museum. And... it starts to create problems. In particular, there was a serious danger of collapse not only of its edges, but also of the roads built in its immediate vicinity. South African road services have long banned the passage of heavy freight vehicles in these places, and now they strongly recommend that all other drivers avoid driving along Bultfontein Road in the Big Hole area. The authorities are going to completely block the dangerous section of the road. And the world's largest diamond company, De Beers, which owned this mine since 1888, did not find anything better than to get rid of it by putting it up for sale.

3. Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah.

The largest active open-pit mine in the world, copper mining began in 1863 and is still ongoing. About a kilometer deep and three and a half kilometers wide.

It is the world's largest anthropogenic formation (excavated by humans). It is a mine whose development is carried out using an open pit method.

As of 2008, it measures 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covers an area of ​​1,900 acres (7.7 sq. km).

The ore was first discovered in 1850, and quarrying began in 1863, which continues to this day.

Currently, the quarry employs 1,400 people who extract 450,000 tons (408 thousand tons) of rock daily. The ore is loaded into 64 large dump trucks, which are capable of transporting 231 tons of ore, these trucks cost about $3 million each.

4. Diavik Quarry, Canada. Diamonds are mined.

The Canadian Diavik quarry is perhaps one of the youngest (in terms of development) diamond kimberlite pipes. It was first explored only in 1992, the infrastructure was created by 2001, and diamond mining began in January 2003. The mine is expected to last from 16 to 22 years.
The place where it emerges from the surface of the earth is unique in itself. Firstly, this is not one, but three pipes formed on the island of Las de Gras, approximately 220 km south of the Arctic Circle, off the coast of Canada. Since the hole is huge, and the island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is small, only 20 km²

and in a short time, the Diavik diamond mine became one of the most important components of the Canadian economy. Up to 8 million carats (1,600 kg) of diamonds are mined from this deposit per year. An airfield was built on one of its neighboring islands, capable of receiving even huge Boeings. In June 2007, a consortium of seven mining companies announced their intention to sponsor environmental studies and begin construction of a major port on Canada's North Shore to accommodate cargo ships of up to 25,000 tons, as well as a 211 km access road that would connect the port to the consortium's plants. . This means that the hole in the ocean will grow and deepen.

5. Great Blue Hole, Belize.

The world-famous Great Blue Hole is the main attraction of picturesque, ecologically perfectly clean Belize (formerly British Honduras) - a state in Central America, on the Yucatan Peninsula. No, this time it is not a kimberlite pipe. It is not diamonds that are “mined” from it, but tourists - diving enthusiasts from all over the world, thanks to which it feeds the country no worse than a diamond pipe. Probably, it would be better to call it not “Blue Hole”, but “Blue Dream”, since this can only be seen in dreams or in a dream. This is a true masterpiece, a miracle of nature - a perfectly round, twilight blue spot in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, surrounded by a lace shirtfront of the Lighthouse Reef.

View from space!

Width 400 meters, depth 145 - 160 meters.

It’s like they’re swimming over an abyss...

6. Drainage hole in the reservoir of the Monticello Dam.

A large man-made hole is located in Northern California, USA. But this is not just a hole. The drainage hole in the Monticello Dam reservoir is the largest spillway in the world! It was built about 55 years ago. This funnel-shaped exit is simply irreplaceable here. It allows you to quickly discharge excess water from the tank when its level exceeds the permissible limit. A kind of safety valve.

Visually, the funnel looks like a giant concrete pipe. It is capable of passing through itself as much as 1370 cubic meters per second. m of water! The depth of this hole is about 21 m. From top to bottom it has the shape of a cone, the diameter of which at the top reaches almost 22 m, and at the bottom it narrows to 9 m and comes out on the other side of the dam, removing excess water when the reservoir overflows. The distance from the pipe to the exit point, which is located slightly to the south, is approximately 700 feet (about 200 m).

7. Karst sinkhole in Guatemala.

A giant funnel with a depth of 150 and a diameter of 20 meters. Caused by groundwater and rain. During the formation of the sinkhole, several people died and a dozen houses were destroyed. According to local residents, from about the beginning of February, soil movements were felt in the area of ​​the future tragedy, and a muffled rumble was heard from underground.

In Soviet times, a sufficient number of cities were built on the territory of our country, many of which are truly unique in their geographical location and the engineering solutions used. This is the city of Mirny (Yakutia). The diamond quarry, which is located within its boundaries, is one of the wonders of the modern world, as it amazes even seasoned specialists with its size.

"Peace Pipe"

By the way, scientifically this quarry is a “kimberlite pipe” called “Mir”. The city itself appeared after its discovery and the start of development, and therefore was named in its honor. The quarry has an unreal depth of 525 meters and a diameter of almost 1.3 km! It itself was formed in time immemorial, when streams of lava and hot volcanic gases burst out from the depths of our planet at tremendous speed. When cut, it resembles a glass or cone. Thanks to the enormous force of the explosion, kimberlite, the name given to the rock containing natural diamonds, was ejected from the bowels of the Earth.

The name of this substance comes from the name of the South African city of Kimberley. Almost 17 grams were discovered there in 1871, as a result of which prospectors and adventurers from all over the world poured into that area in an unstoppable stream. How did our city of Mirny (Yakutia) come into being? The quarry is the basis for its appearance.

How the deposit was discovered

In mid-June 1955, Soviet geologists in Yakutia were looking for traces of kimberlite and came across a fallen larch, the roots of which had been torn out of the ground by a powerful hurricane. The fox took advantage of this natural “preparation” by digging a hole there. It served us well: judging by the color of the earth, the experts realized that there was excellent kimberlite under the fox hole.

A coded radiogram was immediately sent to Moscow: “We lit the pipe of peace, excellent tobacco!” Just a few days later, huge columns of construction equipment were pouring into the wilderness. This is how the city of Mirny (Yakutia) arose. The quarry had to be developed in extremely difficult conditions. One has only to look at the pit covered with snow to understand the enormous scope of the work carried out here!

Delegation from South Africa

To break through a few meters of permafrost, tens of thousands of tons of powerful explosives had to be used. Already in the 60s of the last century, the deposit began to consistently produce two kilograms of diamonds, and at least 1/5 of them were of excellent quality and could be sent to jewelry stores after cutting. The remaining stones were intensively used in Soviet industry.

The deposit developed so rapidly that the South African company De Beers was simply forced to buy Soviet diamonds in droves just to prevent a global decline in their prices. The leadership of this organization submitted a request for a visit to the city of Mirny (Yakutia). The quarry amazed them, but they didn’t stay there for long...

Tricks of the trade

The USSR government agreed, but demanded a return favor - that Soviet specialists be allowed into the fields in South Africa. The delegation from Africa arrived in Moscow... and was delayed there for a long time, because banquets were constantly being held for the guests. When the specialists finally arrived in the city of Mirny, they had no more than 20 minutes to inspect the quarry itself.

But what they saw still shocked them to the core. For example, the guests simply could not imagine the technology of diamond mining without the use of water. However, there is nothing surprising in the conditions for this: in those places there is sub-zero temperature for almost seven months of the year, and permafrost is not something to joke about. The city of Mirny is in a dangerous place! The depth of the quarry is such that, if desired, you can even create a miniature sea here.

Brief history of mining

From 1957 to 2001, more than $17 billion worth of diamonds were mined here. During the development process, the quarry near the city of Mirny in Siberia expanded so much that from the bottom to the surface the length of the road for trucks was eight kilometers. It should be understood that in 2001 the deposit was not depleted at all: open-pit diamond mining simply became too dangerous. Scientists were able to find out that the vein stretches to a depth of more than a kilometer, and in these conditions an underground mine is needed. By the way, it reached its design capacity of one million tons of ore already in 2012. Today, experts believe that this unique deposit can be developed for another 35 years (approximately).

Some terrain problems

Helicopters are strictly prohibited from flying over the quarry, since such a flight is certain death for the vehicle and crew. The laws of physics simply throw the helicopter to the bottom of the quarry. The high walls of the tube also have their share of disadvantages: there is a far from remote possibility that one day precipitation and erosion will lead to the formation of a monstrous landslide that will completely engulf the city of Mirny (Yakutia). The quarry, a photo of which is in the article, can also be used for purposes that some may consider truly fantastic. We are talking about the possibility of creating a unique city of the future in a titanic pit.

“City of the Future”: dreams or reality?

Nikolai Lyutomsky was appointed head of this project. The most difficult thing in the upcoming work is to create a cyclopean concrete structure that will not only strengthen the walls of the quarry, but will also expand it, providing additional strength. This will be an incredible tourist attraction that only the city of Mirny can boast of!

The quarry, a photo of which can be seen in the review, is supposed to be covered from above with a transparent dome, on the sides of which solar panels will be mounted. Of course, the climate in Yakutia is extremely harsh, but there are plenty of sunny days. Energy experts suggest that batteries alone will be able to generate at least 200 MW of energy per year. Finally, it will be possible to take advantage of the warmth of the planet itself.

The fact is that in winter this area cools down to -60 degrees Celsius. Yes, it’s hard to envy those whose homeland is the city of Mirny (Yakutia). The quarry, the photo of which is amazing, is frozen in the same way, but only to a depth of 150 meters. Below is a constantly above-zero temperature. The futuristic city is supposed to be divided into three main tiers. On the lowest one they want to grow agricultural products, on the middle one it is planned to mark out a full-fledged forest park area.

The upper part is an area for permanent residence of people; in addition to residential premises, there will be offices, entertainment complexes, etc. If the construction plan is fully implemented, the area of ​​the city will be three million square meters. Up to 10 thousand people will be able to live here at the same time. The peaceful city itself (Yakutia) has about 36 thousand citizens. The quarry, which is half a kilometer deep, will allow them to rest comfortably without having to fly to distant lands.

Other information on the Eco-City project

Initially, this project was given the name “Eco-city 2020”, but today it is clear that it will clearly not be possible to implement it by the scheduled date. By the way, why are they even going to build it? The point is the residents: only five months of the year their living conditions more or less correspond to the comfortable norm, and the rest of the time they live at temperatures that are more typical for the Arctic and Antarctica. The city will allow them to relax at any time of the year, basking in the sun’s rays, and they shouldn’t forget about the production capacity of giant farms: all residents and tourists will be more than provided with vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables.

To ensure that the lower levels receive enough light, it is planned to leave a lighting shaft of gigantic diameter in the center. In addition to solar panels, the effectiveness of which is still quite questionable (plus installation difficulties), some engineers offer the option of building a nuclear power plant. Today, all this is at the stage of very vague plans. I really want to hope that the city of Mirny, whose diamond quarry is famous all over the world, will become more comfortable for people to live in.

As we said, in the 60s, up to two kilograms of diamonds were mined here per year, and a fifth of them were of high jewelry quality. There were up to a gram of pure raw materials per ton of rock, and among the stones there were many that were suitable for jewelry processing. Today, there are approximately 0.4 grams of diamonds per ton of ore.

The largest diamond

At the end of December 1980, the largest in the history of the deposit was found here. This giant, weighing 68 grams, received the solemn name “XXVI Congress of the CPSU.”

When did open-pit mining cease?

When did they finish off Mirny? The diamond quarry became dangerous to develop in the 1990s, when the working depth reached 525 meters. At the same time, the bottom of the pit was flooded. It was Mir that became the largest diamond mine in our country. Mining lasted more than 44 years. Until that time, production was managed by the Sakha company, whose annual profits exceeded $600 million. Today the mine is managed by Alrosa. This corporation is one of the largest diamond producers in the world.

When did the idea of ​​a closed mine come about?

Already in the 1970s, construction of the first tunnels began, as everyone understood the impossibility of permanent open-pit mining. But this method was transferred to a permanent basis only in 1999. Today it is known for sure that the vein still exists at a depth of 1200 meters. Perhaps diamonds will be able to be mined deeper.

This is how the Republic of Yakutia is rich in raw materials: the city of Mirny, the quarry in which stuns everyone’s imagination - one of the sources of national wealth. The diamonds that are mined there go not only to the needs of jewelry companies, but also to the production of many complex devices and mechanisms.

Feb 10, 2009

Kimberlite pipe ‘Mir’ is a quarry located in the city of Mirny, Yakutia. The quarry has a depth of 525 m and a diameter of 1.2 km, and is one of the largest quarries in the world. Mining of diamond-bearing kimberlite ore ceased in June 2001. Currently, an underground mine of the same name is being built on board the quarry to develop the remaining sub-quarry reserves, the extraction of which by open pit mining is unprofitable.

The kimberlite pipe was discovered on June 13, 1955 by geologists of the Amakinsk expedition Yu. I. Khabardin, E. N. Elagina and V. P. Avdeenko. The famous radiogram they transmitted to the leadership of the expedition about the discovery of kimberlite was coded:
Lighted a peace pipe zpt tobacco excellent dot Avdeenko zpt Elagina zpt Khabardin dot

In 1957, open-pit diamond mining began and continued until June 2001. The village of Mirny was formed near the quarry, which became the center of the Soviet diamond mining industry. The largest diamond found in Russia was mined at the Mir mine on December 23, 1980. It weighs 342.5 carats (more than 68 g) and is called “XXVI Congress of the CPSU”. In recent years, mining trucks have been driving along a spiral road 8 km from the bottom to the surface.
During its work, the quarry was reconstructed 3 times, a unique grouting curtain was created that prevented the entry of aggressive brines from the Metegero-Ichersky aquifer complex, as well as a drainage system for 32,250 m3 of water per day (about 1 million m3 per month). Geological exploration has shown that the depth of diamonds exceeds a kilometer, so currently the ALROSA company, which is developing the deposit, is building an underground mine at the deposit. For the construction of an underground mine and future safe mining of the upper underground horizons, the bottom of the mothballed quarry was covered with a special protective layer of rock. This “cushion”, or “pillar”, is not susceptible to burst pressure, its thickness is 45 meters.
Over the years of development using the open-pit (quarry) method, diamonds were extracted from the deposit, according to unofficial data, worth $17 billion, and about 350 million cubic meters were exported. m of rock.
For the discovery of the Mir tube Yu.I. Khabardin was awarded the Lenin Prize, E.N. Elagina was awarded a diploma and a diploma “Discoverer of the Deposit”, and also became an honorary citizen of the city of Mirny.

Creating artificial islands or destroying natural mountains: people are constantly changing the face of the planet. And the miners cope excellently with this task by changing ever larger areas of the landscape. Some pits dug by crushers in an attempt to extract ore are true marvels of technology, and the largest of them are visible from space.

Some of these amazing examples of human ability to subjugate nature are created in the form of open pits. This mining method is used when resources lie too close to the surface and the soil composition does not allow tunneling. Through the efforts of miners, careers grow until resources are exhausted. After the quarries are depleted, they turn into landfills or artificial lakes, but despite this they continue to amaze the imagination with their scale. We invite you to see the best of the largest quarries in the world.

Diamond tube "Mir"

Owner: Alrosa
Resources: diamonds
Location: Russia, Mirny
Development started in 1957

Currently, it is the second largest man-made crater in the world. This diamond mine is located in Russia, near the city of Mirny. “The World” is so huge that flights are prohibited over it, since the mine workings create a very strong downdraft of air. The quarry, whose development began in 1957, produced up to 10 million carats of diamonds per year until its closure in 2011. "The World" was notorious for its terrible conditions. In winter, the temperature in the quarry drops so much that it freezes engine oil and rubber, and leads to the gradual collapse of the quarry. By the time the mine was closed, the time it took to lift the car from the bottom of the quarry to the surface had reached 2 hours.

Diamond tube "Davik"

Owner: Rio Tinto (60%), Harry Winston Diamond Corporation (40%)
Resources: diamonds
Location: Canada
Development started in 2003

The Diavik diamond pipe is located in Canada and is no less impressive than the Mir, despite the fact that it is significantly smaller than its Russian counterpart. Diavik produces 8 million carats of diamonds per year, and the development of the mine began in 2003. It is most notable for the fact that it is located on the island of Lac De Grace, which allows you to observe amazing metamorphoses: in the summer the quarry is surrounded by crystalline water, and in winter it is shrouded in an icy desert. There is a winter road leading to Diavik - the seasonal road is accessible only two months a year, it stretches along the surface of a frozen lake 375 km north of Yellowknife. The rest of the time, you can only get to Diavik by air.

Bingham Canyon

Owner: Rio Tinto
Resources: copper
Location: Utah, USA
Development started in 1904

Visible from space and also known as Kennecott, the Bingham Canyon copper mine is the deepest mine in the world. The discoverers of the mine were the Mormons - who discovered it in the mid-19th century, at that time the deposit reached 1.2 km deep, 2.5 miles wide and occupied an area of ​​more than 7.7 km 2. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the quarry is being developed since 1904, production at the field is expected to continue until 2030.

Calgory Super Pit

Owner: Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines
Resources: Gold
Location: Calgory, Australia
Development began in 1989.

The Phemiston Open Pit gold mine is the largest gold mine in the world and is commonly referred to as the Super Pit. The oblong-shaped section is located in western Australia, reaches 3.5 km in length, 1.5 km in width and drops to a depth of more than 320 meters. The Super Pit produces more than 850 thousand ounces of gold per year.

Hal-Rust-Mahoning Quarry

Owner: Hibbing Taconite
Resources: Iron Ore
Location: Minnesota, USA
Development started in 1893

The Mahoning quarry began to be developed as an underground mine, but the iron ore turned out to be too close to the surface and the development had to be carried out using an open pit method. Now the Mahoning quarry reaches 8 km in length, 3.2 km in width and 180 meters in depth. During the development of the field, it was decided to combine several smaller workings into one large quarry. For such a “merger” it was necessary to move the city of Hibbing, located in close proximity to the quarries. Relocating the city took 2 years and $16 million, during which time nearly 200 residential buildings and 20 office buildings were moved. At its peak between World War I and World War II, the mine produced 14 percent of all iron ore produced in the United States. Today, almost 100 years later, the Hibbing Taconite Company still uses Mahoning for mining.

Toquepala

Owner: Southern Copper Corporation
Resources: Copper
Location: Tacna, Peru
Development started in 1960

The Andes are home to several of the world's largest mines. Toquepala reaches 700 meters in depth, and the diameter reaches more than 2.5 km. Looking at the photograph taken by a NASA satellite, you can see the giant rock dumps that have formed artificial mountains along the northern part of the mine.

Diamond pipe "Ekati"

Owner: BHP Billiton
Resources: Diamonds
Location: Northwest Canada
Development started in 1998

Ekati is located 300 km from Yellowknife, and was discovered during the gold rush. Since the project opened in 1985, lands from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Circle have been resold like geological lottery tickets. The scientific discovery that proved that kimberlite pipes are a sign of a diamond deposit made Yekati another Jack later in this lottery.

Kimberley Quarry

Owner: Da Beers
Resources: diamonds
Location: Kimberley, South Africa
Development started in 1871

The name - Giant Hole - is what really lets your imagination run wild. The section, 240 meters deep, is the largest mine in the world where mining was carried out manually. The field was originally owned by the Da Beer brothers, which led to a battle over patent licenses with Hal-Rust-Mahoning.

After 16 years of excavations in extremely harsh conditions, small quarries located in the region came to the decision to create a conglomerate, and unite all workings in one company, Da Beers Consolidated Mines Limited. After lying abandoned for more than 100 years, the mine was turned into a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Grasberg Quarry

Owner: Freeport-McMoRan
Resources: copper, gold
Location: Papua, Indonesia
Development started in 1990

The Grasberg deposit is the largest gold mine in the world and the third largest copper mine. Grasberg's turbulent past includes dozens of expeditions, a rebel attack and $55 million in over-budget construction.
In the 1930s, a Dutch scientific expedition set out to explore one of the highest peaks in the Dutch East Indies. The expedition report reported the discovery of reserves of gold and copper, which later became the Ertsberg Quarry. Due to inaccessibility - the field is located in a mountain range at an altitude of more than 4,100 meters above sea level - construction costs were estimated at $175 million; the project involved the construction of 116 km of roads, an airstrip, a power plant and a port. In 1977, a group of rebels attacked the mine and caused sabotage by planting explosives on the railway line.

Ten years after the attack, Freeport concluded that production had been depleted and began exploring the area around the field in hopes of producing smaller associated deposits. The company hit the jackpot at the Grasberg deposit, located 3 km from Ertsberg with maximum copper reserves of $40 billion. In the aerial photographs below you can see what Grasberg looks like now. And although Östberg began to be developed in the 30s and about $175 million was invested in it, it is too small to be visible.

Chuquicamata

Owner: CODELCO
Resources:: copper, gold
Location: Chile
Development started in 1882

If we talk about volumes, you will not find production larger than the Chilean Chuquicamata. Having moved to the state property after the Chilean nationalization of 1970, the workings reached 4.3 km long, 3 km wide and almost 900 meters deep.

For a brief period, Chuquicamata held the largest annual production volume. Prior to its merger with the Escondida quarry in 2002, the quarry operated the largest smelter and largest electrolytic refinery in the world. It is obvious that the area in the mine area was used for many hundreds of centuries; 17 years after the start of work, a “copper man” dating back to 500 BC was discovered in a blocked temporary working.

Escondida

Owner: Minera Escondida
Resources: Copper
Location: Atacama Desert, Chile
Development started in 1990

Escondida produces more copper than any other quarry in the world. In 2007, Minera Escondida produced more than 1.5 million tons of copper worth more than $20 billion. Construction of the quarry began after studies showed a high probability of the existence of a copper belt in the region, just 300 km from the Chuquicamato quarry.

Berkeley Pete

Owner: Atlantic Richfield Company
Resources: copper, silver, gold
Location: Montana, USA
Development started in 1955

The development of the mine was stopped 30 years ago. Since then, without water pumps to keep the quarry open, the 540-meter pit has filled with rainwater. Despite the fact that the water appears crystal clear from above, in fact it contains a real soup of heavy metals and dangerous chemical elements - such as arsenic, sulfuric acid and cadmium. In fact, the water in the quarry is so rich in minerals that Montana Resources extracts 180 thousand tons of copper per month pumping water into the surrounding ponds.

The mine opened in 1955, production was in the region of 1 billion tons of resource and subsequently grew so much that the owner of the Anaconda deposit bought a neighboring city to continue expansion.

Yuba Goldfields

Owner: Western Aggregate
Resources: Aggregated
Location: California, USA.
Development started in 1848

Yuba Goldfrieds is located along the Yuba River in California. The deposit was established during the gold rush of 1848-55. Being located in the river bed, the mine was in its infancy, but as soon as word spread about the prospects of the region, large mining companies began to actively invest in projects in the region. To minimize production, companies began opening mines using the pressure of water jets in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Soon, so much waste and debris was dumped into the river that the river bed rose 100 feet and in some areas destroyed and flooded communities in the river area.

The area has now exhausted its gold reserves and although it is still used for the extraction of concrete components, there are plans to turn it into a nature reserve. Yuba Goldfrieds are known for their unusual appearance, when looking at aerial photography you can see how mountains, streams, and pits created under the influence of many years of mining - like a gut, stretch along the river bed.

Diamond pipe “Udachnaya”

Owner: ALROSA
Resources: Diamonds
Location: Republic of Sakha, Russia
Development started in 1988

The depth of Udachnaya reaches more than 600 meters, although it is not as wide as Mir. Discovered a little later than Mir, Udachnaya is so remote from civilization that the project had its own small town built for the mine workers, named after the deposit. Since 2010, Alrosa has changed the type of mining at the mine to underground, since open-pit mining has become no longer profitable.

Olympic Dam

Owner: BHP Billiton
Resources: copper, gold, silver, uranium
Location: South Australia
Development started in 1988.

Although BHP Billiton's underground mine has plans to expand into the world's largest open pit mine, it already stretches a long way from what was once Roxby Downs Ships station. Imagine that this deposit contains tons of copper, uranium, gold and silver.

Olympic Dam has the world's fourth largest copper reserve and is the world's largest uranium deposit. Even without expanding the area of ​​the Olympic Dam quarry, it consumes 35 million liters of water daily.