Donald YATES

Challenges in Gold Mining

The current thrust into bigger throughput and heavier hardware gold mining operations lacks commonsense. It is so energy intensive and wasteful. The mining approach by the major miners and their equipment suppliers reflects an oil price around $10-$20 a barrel.

But gold mining does not have to be like that. It can be (A) lean, (B) logical and fuelled by (C) local energy sources.

And it is to be hoped that the turning to automated mining for cost efficiencies also comes with a realisation of how the deep gold resources are found .... namely in veins, not like a coal or iron ore deposit where 'everything is extracted' ... so roll on 'smart mining'.