Gold

A figurine of a golden rhino found at Mapungubwe (ca. 1050 to 1270 A.D.) Courtesy of University of Pretoria, South Africa.


Gold is one of the least reactive chemical elements, solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, usually with tellurium. Gold resists attacks by individual acids, but it can be dissolved by the aqua regia (nitro-hydrochloric acid), so named because it dissolves gold. Gold also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide, which have been used in mining. It dissolves in mercury, forming amalgam alloys; is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and base metals, a property that has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, giving rise to the term acid test. Besides its widespread monetary and symbolic functions, gold has many practical uses in dentistry, electronics, and other fields. Its high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions, and conductivity of electricity has led to many uses, including electric wiring, colored-glass production, and gold leafing.


Gold market basics


According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), Australia is the world’s second-largest gold producing country after China, which it estimated to have produced 455 t of gold in 2016. In third place was Russia, followed by the US, Canada and Peru. South Africa, once the world largest gold producing country, was seventh with 140 t.
China in 2015 was the planet’s largest gold market in both supply and demand terms, with yearly gold production up 650% to 462 t from 60 t in 1985..


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Gold price: 12 months
Gold charts on InfoMine.com
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Conversion: 1 gram = 0.03215 troy ounces
Gold weight conversion


The gold price ended 2016 up 8%. Having risen 25% by the end of September, gold relinquished some of its gains in Q4 following Trump’s conciliatory acceptance speech and the FOMC’s interest rate rise.

Gold has lost value for three straight years, starting in 2013.
Gold prices declined slightly over 2014 as losses in the year’s final day of trading prevented the metal from merely breaking even on an annual basis. For the year, gold prices declined 1.5%, compared with the Dec. 31, 2013, settlement price of $1,202.30 an ounce.
At the end of 2013 the gold price closed $472.90 or 28.2% lower than in 2012; the first time in 12 years that the price dropped. However, global mined gold output rose 4% in 2013 to 2,982 tonnes.



Click HERE for links to gold supply and demand

List of gold stocks with latest financial data

Value Creation in the Gold Mining Sector (Goldcorp)


RankCountryWorld Mine Production, By Country (Kilograms) - 2009
1China320,000320000
2United States223,000223000
3Australia222,000222000
4South Africa197,698197698
5Russian Federation190,693190693
6Peru182,391182391
7Indonesia130,000130000
8Canada97,36797367
9Uzbekistan90,00090000
10Ghana86,00086000
11Papua New Guinea66,00066000
12Brazil60,00060000
13Mexico51,39351393
14Colombia47,83747837
15Argentina47,00047000
16Mali42,00042000
17Chile40,83440834
18Tanzania, United Republic Of40,00040000
19Philippines37,04737047
20Kazakhstan22,00022000
21Guinea18,08318083
22Kyrgyzstan16,95016950
23Burkina Faso13,50013500
24New Zealand13,44213442
25Suriname12,19312193
26Turkey12,00012000
27Venezuela10,50010500
28Mongolia9,8039803
29Guatemala8,4858485
30Guyana8,1838183
31Mauritania8,0008000
32Japan7,0007000
33Finland7,0007000
34Bolivia7,0007000
35Côte D'ivoire6,5736573
36Senegal5,6005600
37Saudi Arabia5,5005500
38Sweden5,0005000
39Lao People's Democratic Republic5,0005000
40Zimbabwe4,2004200
41Bulgaria4,2004200
42Spain3,4503450
43Nicaragua3,4003400
44Ethiopia3,4003400
45Viet Nam3,0003000
46Thailand3,0003000
47India2,8002800
48Malaysia2,7942794
49Uruguay2,1802180
50Honduras2,1272127
51Ecuador2,0922092
52Namibia2,0222022
53Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The2,0002000
54Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of2,0002000
55French Guiana2,0002000
56Niger2,0002000
57Georgia2,0002000
58Botswana2,0002000
59Sudan1,9221922
60Cameroon1,6001600
61Uganda1,6001600
62Zambia1,5001500
63France1,5001500
64Tajikistan1,3611361
65Morocco1,2001200
66Denmark1,1171117
67Fiji1,0401040
68Algeria1,0101010
69Armenia944944
70Poland814814
71Panama800800
72Burundi750750
73Liberia600600
74Mozambique511511
75Serbia500500
76Costa Rica500500
77Greece500500
78Italy450450
79Iran, Islamic Republic Of400400
80Romania400400
81Azerbaijan353353
82Gabon300300
83Kenya300300
84Nigeria200200
85Sierra Leone200200
86Equatorial Guinea200200
87Slovakia200200
88United Kingdom185185
89Korea, Republic Of175175
90Dominican Republic173173
91Myanmar100100
92Chad100100
93Congo100100
94Madagascar7070
95Eritrea3030
96Oman2828
97Rwanda2020
98Benin2020
99Central African Republic1010
100Belize55
Year of Estimate: 2009
1. Grasberg Mine (Indonesia) - 1,444,000 ounces - Freeport-McMoRan - view chart
2. Cortez (U.S.A.) - 1,421,000 ounces - Barrick Gold - view chart
3. Yanacocha (Peru) - 1,293,000 ounces - Newmont  - view chart
4. Goldstrike (U.S.A.) - 1,088,000 ounces - Barrick Gold  - view chart
5. Veladero (Argentina) - 957,000 ounces - Barrick Gold - view chart
6. Vaal River (South Africa) - 831,000 ounces - Anglogold Ashanti - view chart
 7. The Super Pit ( Kalgoorlie-Boulder, WA, Australia) - 794,000 ounces - Joint venture owned by Newmont and Barrick
 8. West Wits (South Africa) - 792,000 ounces - Anglogold Ashanti  - view chart
9. Lagunas Norte (Peru) - 763,000 ounces - Barrick Gold - view chart
10. Boddington mine (Boddington, WA, Australia) - 741,000 ounces -- Newmont - view chart

The Western World average for grassroots discoveries of new gold mines was $55/oz for the period 1985 to 2002 according to a WMC paper or $30/oz according to the Metals Economics Group 2004 paper “Major Gold Discoveries Worldwide.”

Click HERE for an overview of GOLD MINING IN AFRICA (MBendi)


List of mining companies operating within the Birimian Greenstone Belts in Africa


List of gold deposits in the Birimian Greenstone Belts:

Deposit Country Contained Ounces
Obuasi Ghana 42,300,000
Tarkwa Ghana 30,000,000
Afaho Ghana 27,127,024
Akyem Ghana 20,300,000
Loulo Mail 18,500,000
Sadiola Mali 18,500,000
Prestea Ghana 10,000,000
Dossi Burkina Faso 9,400,000
Teberbie Ghana 9,200,000
Siguiri Guinea 7,500,000
Mana Burkina Faso 7,100,000
Morila Mali 7,000,000
Inata Burkina Faso 6,700,000
Essakane Burkina Faso 6,200,000
Kiaka Burkina Faso 5,900,000
Konongo Ghana 5,600,000
Bomboré Burkina Faso 5,300,000
Syama Mali 5,200,000
Bissa Hill Burkina Faso 5,100,000
Bibiani Ghana 5,000,000
Chirano Ghana 5,000,000
Tongon Cote d’ivoire 4,500,000
Banfora Ghana 4,500,000
Yatela Mali 4,500,000
Gaoua Burkina Faso 4,400,000
Fekola Mali 4,200,000
Abosso Ghana 4,000,000
Sabodala Mali 4,000,000
Massawa Mali 3,600,000
Bélahouro Burkina Faso 3,500,000
Tabakoto-Segala Mali 3,500,000
Karma Burkina Faso 3,400,000
Konkera Burkina Faso 3,300,000
Bogoso Ghana 3,300,000
Batie West Burkina Faso 3,100,000
Damang Ghana 3,000,000
Obotan Ghana 2,800,000
Samira Hill Burkina Faso 2,500,000
Iduapriem Ghana 2,300,000
Houndé Burkina Faso 2,200,000
Taparko Burkina Faso 2,200,000
Vindaloo Burkina Faso 2,200,000
Natougou Burkina Faso 1,800,000
Youga Burkina Faso 1,600,000
Bonikro Cote d’ivoire 1,300,000
Kalsaka/Sega Burkina Faso 1,200,000
Poura Burkina Faso 1,200,000
Tanlouka Burkina Faso 1,200,000
Salman Ghana 1,200,000
Bouly Burkina Faso 1,100,000
Yaramoko Burkina Faso 1,100,000
Souma Burkina Faso 760,000
Nabanga Burkina Faso 700,000
Mapan Ghana 700,000
Sartenga Burkina Faso 651,000
Ronguen Burkina Faso 500,000
Bondi Burkina Faso 400,000
Kubi Ghana 400,000
Ouare Burkina Faso 300,000
Balogo Burkina Faso 200,000

 
Source: The Spectator

The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights.
-Jean Paul Getty