{"id":57506,"date":"2025-05-13T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T10:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/all-gold-mining-methods-from-panning-to-biotechnology\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:57:23","slug":"all-gold-mining-methods-from-panning-to-biotechnology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/all-gold-mining-methods-from-panning-to-biotechnology\/","title":{"rendered":"All Gold Mining Methods: From Panning to Biotechnology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gold has fascinated people for millennia, first as a symbol of power, then as a safe asset. But today his role is much broader. Gold is contained in smartphone chips<\/a>, used in pregnancy and Covid tests, used in prosthetics and even in the treatment of cancer. Thanks to its plasticity, electrical conductivity and complete chemical inertness, this metal has proven to be indispensable – both in high technology and in medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n

And yet there is very little gold on Earth. Everything that humanity has mined for thousands of years can fit into a cube the height of a six-story building. To extract this metal, you need not only chutes and dredges, but also quarries a kilometer deep, bacteria that \u201ceat\u201d the rock, and entire research centers. How modern gold mining works and what is behind each gram – we\u2019ll figure it out together with Iskhak Farkhutdinov – geologist, candidate of geological and mineralogical sciences and author documentary film about gold mining<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

How and where gold is formed<\/h2>\n\n\n

For gold to appear, one star is not enough – it must explode. Only in a supernova explosion are heavy elements such as gold formed. And even more often, gold is born during the collision of two neutron stars – this cosmic explosion scatters gold dust throughout the Universe. Planets are formed from this dust. Including the Earth. Therefore, the piece of gold in your hands is a fragment of an ancient stellar catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n

Animation of the mechanism of gold formation: the collision of neutron stars causes an explosion in which heavy elements are formed. Source: TG channel Astroverts<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

When the Earth was young, gold, along with other elements, ended up in magma – a hot mass where everything seethed, boiled and mixed, like in a giant cauldron. Gradually this \u201ccocktail\u201d cooled down, and the gold froze in the rocks. This process took millions of years. But it is simply impossible to find gold in the earth\u2019s crust. It forms deposits – places where its concentration is higher than usual. There are two types of such places:<\/p>\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd38 Primary deposits<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n

Gold is contained in the rock itself – in quartz veins and sulfides. It is deep in the depths, and in order to extract it, the rock must be blasted, crushed and processed. Such deposits are often associated with magmatism and so-called hydrothermal activity – when hot fluids under high pressure saturate cracks and form gold deposits. It’s like natural factory<\/a> for gold production.<\/p>\n\n\n

\ud83d\udd38 Placer deposits<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n

When bedrock rises closer to the surface, it begins to break down: from temperature changes, from water, wind, even from bacteria. Mountain rivers wash gold out of the rock and carry it downstream. Where the flow slows down, heavy particles settle. This is how placers are formed – sand and gravel interspersed with gold.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Scheme<\/a>
How gold deposits are formed: primary (hydrothermal veins) and alluvial (deposition in a river bed after the destruction of rock). Source: documentary film \u201cHow are gold and its deposits formed? Why is it so valuable and how is it mined? YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

It all started with placers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

The first gold deposits that man encountered were alluvial deposits. The precious metal lay right in the riverbeds – in the form of nuggets and inclusions in sand and gravel. There was no need to drill, blast rock, or build factories\u2014it was enough to wash the sand by hand. As early as 3,000 BC, Egypt already knew how to obtain relatively pure gold, and in our area it was sought by the Scythians and Sarmatians – nomadic peoples who left behind magnificent products made from the finest gold foil. Gold was not melted in furnaces – it was rolled out, minted, applied to ornaments and extruded by hand.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Grains<\/a>
Gold nuggets from a placer deposit – this is what the first gold that man encountered looked like<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

How was gold found in ancient times without geochemistry, geophysics and drilling machines? It’s all about observation and experience: trackers, hunters, warriors knew how to read the landscape, notice the rock, feel the earth. They found rich ore and enriched it on the spot – in a primitive furnace or through simple washing.<\/p>\n\n\n

For thousands of years, the most common method of extraction was washing. Its peak came in the 19th century, when the gold rush began: California, Alaska, Australia, and with them Siberia. In the Yenisei province and Transbaikalia, gold was found in river mud. Simple peasants, escaped convicts, prisoners and settlers washed up sand even in the bitter cold, hoping to see the glitter of gold grains.<\/p>\n\n\n

Now the placers are almost exhausted, the gold rush is in museums and myths. But Artels still operate in Russia extracting gold from placers<\/strong> – especially in Siberia and the Far East. This is no longer a prospector with a tray, but small enterprises with equipment, a license and difficult working conditions. We will talk about this separately – now let’s see how <\/strong>gold is mined<\/strong> Today<\/strong>, when the chutes were replaced by quarries, mines and laboratories.<\/p>\n\n\n

How alluvial gold is mined: washing sand at the deposit using heavy equipment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Open method: gold from a quarry<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

One of the largest methods of gold mining is open pit mining.<\/strong> It is used in primary deposits, where the metal lies in the rock mass at a depth of hundreds of meters. This is how it works, for example: Olympics in Krasnoyarsk region<\/strong> – one of the largest and most complex deposits in the world. Pit depth<\/a> here – almost 900 meters, area – about three square kilometers. Moscow City skyscrapers could fit in such a \u201cfunnel\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

Before getting to the ore, geologists conduct geophysical<\/strong><\/a> And <\/strong>geochemical<\/strong><\/a> research<\/strong>, drilling, blasting. Then the technology comes in: excavators load the crushed rock into dump trucks, which transport it to the factory. We will tell you separately how gold is extracted from ore.<\/strong> Now let\u2019s continue the review: what other methods are used besides the open one?<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Olimpiada<\/a>
Open-pit gold mining: the Olimpiada quarry in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, one of the largest deposits in the world. Source Olympics – Polyus<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Underground method: when gold goes deep<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

When gold ores lie too deep – hundreds or even thousands of meters – it is impossible to use the quarry. In such cases, use underground mining method<\/strong>. This method requires construction of mines and excavation of horizontal galleries<\/strong>. Through them, workers get to the ore bodies, drill holes, lay explosives, blast the rock – and after that they transport the gold-bearing mass to the surface. For this purpose, lifting machines, trolleys and conveyors are used.<\/p>\n\n\n

This more expensive and complex<\/strong> method compared to the open one. But it has a key advantage – it allows you to mine gold where other methods are impossible<\/strong>. Example – mine Mponeng<\/strong> in South Africa. This is one of the deepest gold deposits in the world: workers go down there on depth more than 4 kilometers<\/strong>, and the temperature below exceeds 60\u00b0C. In order for the mine to operate, a separate cooling system had to be designed.<\/p>\n\n\n

Underground mining requires more investment and gives lower volumes of ore extraction over the same period of time<\/strong>than career. But it allows you to reach rich veins at great depths – without destroying the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Miners<\/a>
Underground gold mining: The Mponeng mine in South Africa is one of the deepest gold deposits in the world. Source wsj.com<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Dredging method: gold on water<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

When gold is not hidden deep in the rock, but scattered in sand and gravel – for example, in river beds or swampy valleys – it is mined differently. Comes into play dredge<\/strong> – a floating installation that operates directly on the water.<\/p>\n\n\n

In essence, this is a mobile mining and processing plant. It sucks up bottom sediments, washes them, separates heavy particles of gold, and throws everything else back. The ship does not require roads, does not build quarries or dig mines – it simply goes with the flow, leaving eroded banks behind it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

This method was especially actively used during Soviet geology – and dredges still work in Amur and Khabarovsk regions<\/strong>, where promising placers have been preserved. It is relatively cheap and allows you to mine gold in hard-to-reach and swampy areas.<\/p>\n\n\n

But today dredge mining is gradually fading into the background. Primary deposits yield more gold<\/strong>, A environmental impact<\/a> Dredges on rivers and banks are becoming more and more noticeable. Therefore, this method is increasingly being limited and replaced by others – larger and safer for nature.<\/p>\n\n\n

How a dredge works: a floating installation extracts gold directly from bottom sediments – it sucks up the soil, washes it, separates heavy particles and moves further along the river<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Homemade method: gold at your own risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n

This method is the oldest and most accessible. Washing river sand by hand<\/strong> using a tray, sieve or homemade installations does not require any drilling rigs or heavy equipment. This is how the gold rush began in the 19th century – in Russia, California, and Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n

More than a century has passed, but in some regions of Russia such miners are still working<\/strong>. Some – officially, as part of artels. Someone – illegally<\/strong>, without licenses, in violation of the law. These are called \u201cblack miners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Artisanal mining is attractive due to its accessibility. Theoretically, anyone can take a pan, go to the river and try to pan for gold – especially on old placers. But here sell it legally<\/strong> almost impossible: registration, permits are needed, and the mined gold must go through the official circuit. Until these rules are spelled out, free-flowing remains illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n

Separate question – ecology<\/strong>. Illegal miners rarely bother to restore disturbed land and sometimes use mercury, chlorine or cyanide to extract the metal faster. This destroys soils, pollutes water and makes artisanal mining one of the dirtiest for nature. The artisanal method is hard manual labor with high risk and virtually no guarantees. It’s a thing of the past, but it hasn’t disappeared yet.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Maria<\/a>
GeoConversation editor-in-chief Maria Kostina pans for gold by hand\u2014mining content and funding at the same time<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
Way<\/strong><\/th>Where is it used?<\/strong><\/th>Depth of work<\/strong><\/th>Equipment and technologies<\/strong><\/th>Peculiarities<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Open<\/strong><\/td>Primary deposits<\/td>Up to 800\u2013900 m<\/td>Quarries, drilling and blasting operations, excavators, dump trucks<\/td>High productivity, but requires large-scale intervention in the landscape<\/td><\/tr>
Underground<\/strong><\/td>Deep ore bodies<\/td>Up to 4 km<\/td>Mines, tunneling, ventilation, equipment for lifting ore to the surface<\/td>The most expensive and dangerous method, but it allows you to reach deep veins<\/td><\/tr>
Drazhny<\/strong><\/td>Placer deposits in rivers and swampy valleys<\/td>Up to 50 m (face depth)<\/td>Floating installation (dredge) with washing equipment<\/td>Works on water, but greatly disrupts river ecosystems<\/td><\/tr>
artisanal<\/strong><\/td>Old placers, manual search<\/td>Up to 0.5 m<\/td>Tray, sieve, homemade installations<\/td>Easy to start, but almost always illegal and with high environmental damage<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n

How gold is extracted: when there are no nuggets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

If extracting gold is half the battle, then extracting it from the rock is a separate technological challenge. Especially when it’s gold does not lie in large grains or nuggets<\/strong>, but is scattered throughout the rock in the form of microscopic particles.<\/p>\n\n\n

In nature, gold can be found in different forms:<\/p>\n\n\n