According to GlobalData, there are over 7983 surface mines in operation globally, of which 785 are in the Middle East and Africa. GlobalData tracks and profiles over 33,000 mines and projects from early exploration to closure, across more than 150 countries and more than 100 commodities. Buy the latest mine-site profiles here.
The following are the ten largest surface mining projects by production in the Middle East and Africa in 2022, according to GlobalData’s mining database.
1. Marange Diamond Field Project
The Marange Diamond Field Project is a diamond mining project in Manicaland, Zimbabwe. The greenfield project is owned by Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond (Pvt) and is due to operate until 2033. The mine produced an estimated 501.18Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 1.44 million carats of diamond in 2022. Buy the profile here.
2. Sentinel Copper Mine
The Sentinel Copper Mine is a copper mine owned by First Quantum Minerals. Located in North-Western, Zambia, the greenfield mine produced approximately 64.51Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 270 thousand tonnes of copper in 2022. The expected mine closure date is 2034. Buy the profile here.
3. GolGohar Iron Ore Mine
Located in Kerman, Iran, the GolGohar Iron Ore Mine is an iron ore mining project owned by Golgohar Mining & Industrial.
The greenfield mine produced an estimated 60.43Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 24.17 million tonnes of iron ore in the same year. Buy the profile here.
4. Grootegeluk Mine
The Grootegeluk Mine is a coal mine located in Limpopo, South Africa. Owned by Exxaro Resources, the brownfield project produced an estimated 57.74Mt of ROM in 2022.
The mine had an estimated production of 32.46 million tonnes of coal in 2022. The Grootegeluk Mine will operate until 2041. Buy the profile here.
5. Sishen Mine
Owned by Anglo American Plc, the Sishen Mine is an iron ore mine situated in Northern Cape, South Africa. The mine is expected to operate until 2039.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 37.29Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 27.42 million tonnes of iron ore in 2022. Buy the profile here.
6. West Rand Tailings Retreatment Project
The West Rand Tailings Retreatment Project is a gold mining project in Gauteng, South Africa. The brownfield project is owned by DRDGOLD and is due to operate until 2042. The mine produced an estimated 34.44Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 55.17 thousand ounces of gold in 2022. Buy the profile here.
7. Kansanshi Mine
The Kansanshi Mine is a copper mine owned by First Quantum Minerals. Located in North-Western, Zambia, the brownfield mine produced approximately 33.3Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 200 thousand tonnes of copper in 2022. The expected mine closure date is 2043. Buy the profile here.
8. Lumwana Copper Mine
Located in North-Western, Zambia, the Lumwana Copper Mine is a copper mining project owned by Barrick Gold. The mine is expected to operate until 2048.
The brownfield mine produced an estimated 30.11Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 120.2 thousand tonnes of copper in the same year. Buy the profile here.
9. Ergo Mine
The Ergo Mine is a gold mine located in Gauteng, South Africa. Owned by DRDGOLD, the brownfield project produced an estimated 24.35Mt of ROM in 2022.
The mine had an estimated production of 146.6 thousand ounces of gold in 2022. The Ergo Mine will operate until 2041.
10. GAC Mine
Owned by Emirates Global Aluminium P, the GAC Mine is a bauxite mine situated in Boke, Republic of Guinea. The mine is expected to operate until 2039.
The ROM production at the mine produced was approximately 19.9Mt of ROM in 2022. It had an estimated production of 10.9 million tonnes of bauxite in 2022. Buy the profile here.
For more details on the latest mine sites, buy the latest mine-site profiles here.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Mining Intelligence Center tracks production, consumption, imports and exports of 17 key commodities across 60 countries, whilst its Mines & Projects Database tracks over 30,000 mines and projects with 200+ data fields for each, including production, operating costs, equipment and key mine-site contacts.
