Cortez Gold Mine, United States

Among the priceless gold deposits located in the state of Nevada, the Cortez mine is also worth mentioning. It is located near the Goldstrake mine, in the vicinity of the city of Elko. The production capacity of the deposit is 1140 000 ounces of gold per year. The history of the gold mine is very interesting and begins in 1862. In the second half of the 19th century, active silver mining was conducted in this area, and gold deposits were discovered in one of the mines in the 1930s.

In 1968, the industrial mining of precious metal started. 8 years later it was suspended. In the 1980s the industrial plant received new investments and resumed its work. Since then the development of the deposit has been ongoing and has been improving from year to year. Currently, gold mining in the Cortez mine is conducted in an open way, and for transportation of ore to the processing sites, a complex underground communication system has been built.

Since the beginning of the development of the field, one of the main obstacles is water scarcity, which in the desert areas of northern Nevada is considered an incredible value. Now the company uses the most advanced water purification systems, which allow using the same water for industrial purposes many times. Another important nuance is connected with the interaction of industrial companies and indigenous people - the Shoshouun tribe. Over the years, the places where active industrial development is being conducted today, have been incredibly valuable for the indigenous people from a religious point of view. Over the past years, representatives of the tribe have repeatedly appealed for the protection of their religious rights in court. They advocate limiting the expansion of the mines. Next - Lagunas Norte