Deepest Mines of the World


Mining deep underground is difficult and dangerous. The temperature increases with depth, typically around 1 to 3 °C per 100 m, will cause an increase of temperature the lower you get. A 4,000 m deep mine has a temperature of between 60 °C and 140 °C, depending on the location. The air temperature might be controlled by pumbing cold air into the mine, but still the climate is not sutable for hard work. As a result there are very few really deep mines and they are located at consolidated areas like South Africa, where the geothermal gradient is rather low.


Name Depth Location Type Comment
Mponeng Gold Mine 4,000m Southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa gold
TauTona Mine (Western Deep No.3 Shaft) 3,900m West Wits, South Africa gold
Savuka Gold Mine 3,700m West Wits, South Africa gold
East Rand Mine 3,585m South Africa gold
Driefontein Mine 3,420m Gauteng, South Africa gold has produced more gold than any other gold mine, about 2292 tons
Kusasalethu mine 3,388m Gauteng, South Africa gold
MineEmpire Mine 3,355m United States gold
Kloof mine 3,347m South Africa gold, uranium
Blyvooruitzicht mine 3,213m South Africa gold, uranium
MineKolar Gold Fields 3,200m India gold
Moab Khotsong mine 3,052m Vaal River, South Africa gold
Kidd Creek Copper and Zinc Mine 3,014m Ontario,Canada Copper, zinc
LaRonde Gold Mine 3,008m Quebec, Canada gold, copper, silver, zinc
Morro Velho 3,000m Brazil gold
South Deep mine 2,998m South Africa gold has the deepest single-drop mining shaft with a depth of 2,991m
Target 1 Mine 2,945m South Africa gold
Lucky Friday Mine 2,600m Idaho, USA silver, lead, zinc
Phakisa Mine 2,426m South Africa gold
Great Noligwa Gold Mine 2,400m South Africa gold
Creighton Mine 2,390m Ontario, Canada Nickel
Bambanani Mine 2,365m South Africa gold
Tshepong Mine 2,349m South Africa gold, uranium
Kopanang mine 2,334m Free State, South Africa gold, uranium