Biggest Open Cast Mine


Like any other statistics given here, this list is incomplete. And like all others, the "biggest" depends on which criteria is used. Concerning modern mines Bingham Canyon Mine, Chuquicamata Copper Mine, and Morenci Mine are the three biggest. Actually it is hard to compare them, as one is the deepest, another the one covering the biggest area, and the third is the most productive.

It is rather common to distinguish between man made (aka hand dug) holes and huge modern open casts created with heavy machinery. The biggest of the hand made holes is Jagersfontain, slightly deeper than the Big Hole in Kimberly.


Largest Open Cast Mines

Mine Location Length Width Depth Comment
MineHull Rust Mine Hibbing, Minnesota, us 8,000m 3,200m 180m Iron Mine
MineEl Cerrejón Coal Mine Hato Nuevo, co 7,200m 1,900m 300m Coal mine
MineXilutian Mine Fushun, Liaoning province, cn 6,600m 2,200m 420m Coal mine
MineMorenci Mine Arizona, us 5,200m 4,800m 400m Copper mine
MineChuquicamata Copper Mine Calama, cl 4,500m 3,540m 825m Copper mine
MineBingham Canyon Mine Utah, us 4,000m 4,000m 1,200m Copper mine
MineHaizhou Mine Fuxin, Liaoning province, cn 4,000m 2,000m 700m Coal mine
MineKorkinsk Coal Mine Korkino, Chelyabinsk Oblast, ru 3,000m 3,000m 600m Coal mine
MineSibaysky Open Pit Republic of Bashkortostan, ru 1,370m 1,190m 578m Copper mine
MineMir Diamond Mine Mirna, Siberia, ru 1,250m 1,250m 525m Diamond mine

Deepest Open Cast Mines

Mine Location Length Width Depth Comment
MineBingham Canyon Mine Utah, us 4,000m 4,000m 1,200m Copper mine
MineChuquicamata Copper Mine Calama, cl 4,500m 3,540m 825m Copper mine
MineKorkinsk Coal Mine Korkino, Chelyabinsk Oblast, ru 3,000m 3,000m 600m Coal mine
MineSibaysky Open Pit Republic of Bashkortostan, ru 1,370m 1,190m 578m Copper mine
MineMir Diamond Mine Mirna, Siberia, ru 1,250m 1,250m 525m Diamond mine

Biggest Hand Dug Open Cast Mines

Mine Location Length Width Depth Comment
MineJagersfontein Mine Jagersfontein, za 540m 450m 213m Diamond mine
MineKimberley Mine - Big Hole Kimberley, za 463m 463m 175 m (210 m) Diamond mine