SHOWCASE MINE OF THE WEEK - SOUTH DEEP GOLD MINE!!

The South Deep gold mine, owned and operated by Gold Fields, is the seventh deepest mine in the world. The South African gold mine extends up to 2,995m below surface. The mine, covering an area of 4,268ha, is located 45km south-west of Johannesburg. The deep underground mine comprises of two shaft systems known as the South Shaft complex and the Twin Shaft complex. The mine switched from conventional mining to fully mechanised mining in 2008. The extracted ore is processed at a central metallurgical plant. The managed mineral reserve at South Deep as of December 2012 was estimated to be 39.1Moz. The mine produced 270,000oz of gold in 2012. It is undergoing a major development project to increase its annual production to 700,000oz by 2016. The mine life of South Deep is expected to be extended up to 2092 - Mining Technology. For a Google Earth view of the mine, click on the link below: https://lnkd.in/gTdqu76