- Who
- Mponeng gold mine
- What
- 4 kilometre(s)
- Where
- South Africa ()
- When
- 2012
The deepest mine in the world is AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng gold mine, near Johannesburg in South Africa. By 2012, the operating depth had already reached 3.9-km below the surface, and later expansions have resulted in digging below the 4-km mark. In 2012, the mine produced 405,000 oz of gold. Rock walls mine reach temperatures 60°C and humidity levels can exceed 95%. To keep things cool, more than 6,000 tonnes of ice slurry are pumped into underground reservoirs, and giant fans aid air flow. Every day, about 5,000 lb of explosives are used and 6,400 tonnes of rock are excavated.
