Bloom Global

Gold Mining

Gold mining is the systematic extraction of gold resources through specialized mining techniques. Historically, gold was extracted from alluvial deposits using manual separation processes like gold panning. As mining expanded beyond surface deposits, more complex extraction methods emerged, including pit mining and gold cyanidation. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, large corporations have dominated gold mining volumes, while the gold's value has simultaneously supported millions of artisanal miners across the Global South.

Like all resource extraction industries, gold mining faces significant human rights and environmental challenges. In less regulated operations, health and safety risks are substantially higher. Our commitment is to implement the most advanced safety methods to minimize environmental hazards and potential pollution.

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Our Mining Processes

  1. 1. Hard Rock Mining

    Quartz reef and Carlin-type gold deposit mining extracts gold embedded in rock, producing the majority of global gold supplies. Techniques include open-pit mining, as seen at the Fort Knox Mine in Alaska, and Barrick Gold Corporation's extensive Goldstrike mine in Nevada. Underground mining is also critical, with South Africa hosting the world's deepest hard rock gold mine at 3,900 metres, requiring advanced cooling technologies to ensure worker safety.

  2. 2. By-Product Gold Mining

    Gold is frequently recovered as a secondary resource in other mining operations. Large copper mines like the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah often extract significant gold quantities alongside primary minerals. Some sand and gravel operations also recover trace gold amounts. The world's largest gold-producing mine, the Grasberg mine in Indonesia, primarily operates as a copper mining facility.

  3. 3. Placer Mining

    This technique focuses on extracting gold accumulated in loose sedimentary deposits. Placer deposits present unique challenges due to their composition, typically requiring water-based extraction or dredging methods to effectively recover gold resources.