Goldstrike mine

Goldstrike is a gold mine in Eureka County in north-eastern Nevada. It is located on the Carlin Trend, a prolific gold mining district. It is owned and operated by the world's largest gold mining company, Barrick Gold. Goldstrike is the largest gold mine in North America.

History

Gold was first mined from the upper, well-oxidized portion of what became the Post deposit in 1976 by PanCana Minerals Ltd., in a small open-pit heap leach operation. In 1978, Western State Minerals Corporation entered into a joint venture (JV) with PanCana. The JV delineated ore reserves for the Post deposit in 1986, and mining started in 1987. Barrick acquired 100% ownership of the property that year.

Geology

The Goldstrike mine complex (including the Betze-Post-Screamer and Meikle-Rodeo deposits) is the largest Carlin-type mine in the world. The Goldstrike mine adjoins Newmont Mining's Carlin mine complex. Goldstrike is northwest of the Carlin mine on the Carlin Trend.

Like most Carlin type gold deposits in Nevada the gold was epithermally deposited in carbonate or silicate sedimentary rocks. The source of the heat was magmatic but the exact mechanism is still under debate. The Betze-Post deposits are up to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long, 600 feet (180 m) thick and 800 feet (240 m) wide. In 2007 the average processed gold grade was 0.136 troy ounces (4.2 g) per ton of ore, with a recovery rate of 85.5%.