There are different methods by which gold mining companies are ranked. One is by their annual production. Another is by their cash cost per ounce, that is, how much money it costs them to mine the gold. Since gold prices are the same everywhere, companies with lower costs per ounce make more profit. The most common method lists by market capitalization which considers the total value of capital holdings by that company. Also considered when comparing companies is their market capitalization per ounce of gold equivalent (sometimes abbreviated MV-GEO, EVO if the enterprise value is used) which takes the market value and total reserves and resources for each company as well as the price of gold into consideration. The figures for each company can be used to determine the value the stock market gives to each company's reserves on an ounce to ounce basis. [1]
If the calculation is to exclude financial assets the enterprise value is used instead of market capitalization. [2] EVO = Enterprise Value/Ounce (gold equivalent) = Enterprise Value divided by resources. The enterprise value is the difference between a company's market capitalization (product of the number of company shares and listed stock price) and its cash, investments less debt (amortization). Three of the 10 largest companies by market cap that engage in gold mining, Fresnillo, Buenaventura and Freeport-McMoran (copper/molybdenum) are not included in the first list because they are minor gold producers/most of their revenue comes from a metal other than gold (Fresnillo and Buenaventura rely more on silver, in some lists silver production is treated as gold production, converted to gold equivalent using the gold to silver price ratio; McMoran produced 32.375 tonnes of gold in 2013 (up 32% after falling by 31% in 2012) but gold accounted for only 8% of revenue (down from 10%). [3] [4]
World gold production in 2008 declined by 50 tonnes despite a strong showing in market price. [5] Total production cash costs were up 4.1% industrywide in the third quarter of 2010 to US$585 per ounce of gold mined. [6] The lower price of gold in 2013 is expected to impact gold production in the coming years; Barrick Gold is slowing construction at one of its largest gold projects Pascua Lama (18 m ounces of gold, 676 m ounces of silver) while in Australia mines are being shuttered by companies in an attempt to curb costs. [7] [8]
In 2016, five of the world's 10 largest producing regions recorded growth in output, they are: China (450 tons +5), Russia (250 +8 tons), USA (209 tons +9), Canada (170 tons +10), Mexico (125 tons +5) and Indonesia (100 tons +25); In 2015 only Australia, Peru, Mexico, Uzbekistan and Indonesia produced more than the year before. [9] In 2013, nine of the world's 14 major producing regions recorded growth in output, they are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Indonesia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Russia; In 2012 only Canada, China, Ghana, Mexico, Peru and Russia produced more than the year before. [10] In 2013, the world's five leading gold producers, in order of total production were China (420 tons +17), Australia (250 tons +5), US (227 tons -8), Russia (218 tons +2), South Africa (145 tons -15). [10] [11] In 2011, all of the world's 14 major producing countries recorded growth in output except for Peru, Indonesia and Brazil (global primary production up 5.5%); list was led by China (355 tons), Australia (270 tons), USA (237 tons), Russia (200 tons), South Africa (190 tons). [12] South Africa's drop in output (down 10% from 2010 to 2012) is not a result of resource depletion but rather high production costs. [13]
Rank | Name | Base | Revenue mil.USD Ytd Dec 2020 | 2008 cap bil $ | 2013 cap bil USD | 2021 cap bil USD | profit mil USD Ytd Dec 2020 | 2020 FY production tonnes | Reserves Moz | Total Resource Moz | Cash Cost 2013 year US$ total/oz |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Newmont | USA | 11,497 18% [14] [15] | 18.23 | 16.1 [16] Aug.17 | 50 | 26667% [14] | 178.3523% | 85.0 [17] | 142.67 | 761 2013 |
2 | Barrick Gold | Canada | 12,595 30%%page 51 [18] | 26.90 | 19.4 [19] Aug.17 | 45.9 | 2,32441%page 53 | 134.9415% [20] | 140.2 [21] | 226.92 | 566 [18] |
3 | Franco-Nevada | Canada | 1,020.2 21% [22] | 8.22016 [23] Jn.19 | 25.1 | 326.25% [22] | 8.2 | 113.726 Jan'16 [22] | 204.307 | 821 [22] | |
4 | Polyus Gold | Russia | 4900 25% [24] | 9.00 | 9.7 [25] Mar.12 | 21.8 | 164615% [24] | 78.42.6% | 74.1 [17] | 211.92 | 707 [26] |
5 | Agnico Eagle Mines | Canada | 3138.1 27% [27] | 6.0 [28] | 6.32016 [29] Oct'15 | 14.1 | 511.68% [27] | 49.2327% | 9.976 [27] | 15.013 | 637 [27] |
6 | Newcrest | Australia | 3922 5%page 21 [30] | 10.01 | 7.2 [31] Jun.26 | 13.8 | 750 34%page 21 | 61.5512.7% 59.82 2013 [30] 58.77 (2012) 77.44 (2011) NC 50 [32] Lihr 25 [33] | 77.0 [34] | 205.45 Newcrest 119.2 Lihir 86.234 | A$750 [30] |
7 | Gold Fields | South Africa | $3,892 31% [35] | 7.51 | 5.85 [36] Aug.2 | 9/18 | 723300% [35] | 63.402% | 78.9 [17] | 270.28 | 803 [37] |
8 | Kinross Gold | Canada | 4,213.4 20% [38] | 11.14 | 6.1 [39] Aug.1 | 8.3 | $783.350% [38] (3742.3)('13) (2509.7)('12) | 67.105.6% [40] 74.2 (2012) [41] Kinross 65.14, RB 11.40 ('10) [42] | 59.17 | 92.06 Kinross 74.8 Red Back 17.26 | 743 [40] |
9 | AngloGold Ashanti | South Africa | 4427 25.6% [43] | 11.61 | 6.0 [44] May.28 | 8.57 | 946144% (2,200)'13loss [43] | 86.47% | 74.9 [17] | 264.30 | 830 |
10 | Yamana Gold | Canada | 6.09 | 7.2 [46] Aug.5 | 5.5 | 203.69.7% [45] | 25.55 | 19.4 [17] | 46.35 | 596 [45] |
these previous top companies succumbed to M&A
new | Name | Base | Revenue mil.USD Ytd Dec 2014 | 2008 cap bil $ | 2013 cap bil USD | 2021 cap bil USD | profit mil USD Ytd Dec 2014 | 2014 FY production tonnes | Reserves Moz | Total Resource Moz | Cash Cost 2014 year US$ total/oz |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NA | Eldorado Gold | Canada | 1123.912 2.0% [47] | 3.03 | 5.36 [36] Aug.2 | NA | (641.615) [47] | 20.4510% [47] | 18.61 [48] | 20.2 | 494 [47] |
NA | Goldcorp | Canada | 4687 20.9% [49] | 21.63 | 23.0 [50] Jn.19 | 10.0 | (2709)loss [49] 1749 (2012) | 75.6010% [51] | 54.38 dec'13 [52] 60.1 feb'11 [53] | 81.59 | 687 [49] |
Sources and other information
Even though Canada lags far behind its counterparts in its amount of central bank gold reserves, Canadian companies dominate the industry. These companies are big players in the Canadian industry which ranks 7th globally [56] but rely mostly on assets in foreign countries (Barrick Gold alone produced 209.79 tonnes of gold in 2009, [57] Canada produced 100 tonnes). In fact 75% of the world's mining companies are headquartered in Canada. [58] Canada's biggest undeveloped gold deposit is the Kerr Sulphurets Mitchell copper-gold property in northwestern British Columbia; It holds 38.2 million ounces of gold (2P reserves steady in 2012, up 27% in 2011). [59] Another project in the Detour Lake area of Ontario ranks 4th among North America's deposits (up from six in July 2010). [60] [61] [62] Among the largest gold containing properties controlled by Canadian companies is Goldcorp's wholly owned billion ounce silver, 18 million ounce gold Penasquito mine in Mexico and Ivanhoe Mines' 81.3 billion pound copper, 46.4 million ounce gold Oyu Tolgoi deposit in Mongolia. [63] [64] Barrick Gold owns 50% of Super Pit, Australia's biggest gold mine. [65]
60% of the country's gold output come from six mines, they are Red Lake 493,000 oz, Malartic 475,277 oz, Meadowbank 430,613 oz, Porcupine 291,900 oz, Musselwhite 256,300 oz, Detour Lake 232,287 oz. [66]
In 2018 the Canadian embassy in Athens, Greece was attacked with sledgehammers and red paint by an anarchist group opposed to the embassy's support for Eldorado Gold Corp.’s mining plans in Greece. [67]
As of September 2009, there were 20 companies in the country with a market cap of 1 billion dollars or more. [68] Barrick Gold Corp. is the country's largest gold mining company by several measures of size. After growing 3.35% on the year, on November 8, 2012 Goldcorp leapfrogs Barrick Gold in capitalization – Barrick lost 25% of its market value that year. [69] In the following table are Canada's 10 highest valued gold mining companies for 2010 as well as 6 other mid cap companies.
Large Cap | 2010 cap | 2020 | Mid Cap | 2010 cap | 2020 | other | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barrick Gold | $40 bil [70] Jan | $60 billion | Yamana Gold | $8.17 billion [71] May | $6 billion | Franco-Nevada | $33 bil | |
Goldcorp | defunct | IAMGOLD | $6.87 bil [72] | $2 billion | New Gold | $2 bil | ||
Kinross Gold | $19 bil [73] Sept | $13 bil | Red Back Mining | $5.80 billion [74] May | (see Kinross) | Alamos Gold | $5 billion | |
Agnico-Eagle | $11.4 bil Oct. | $23 billion | Osisko Mining | $5.2 billion [75] July 31 | $2 billion | Seabridge Gold | $2 billion | |
Kirkland Lake Gold | $15.0 billion | $15 bil | Centerra Gold | $3.03-4.776 billion [76] [77] | $3 billion | NovaGold Resources | $4 bil | |
Franco-Nevada | $33 bil | Endeavour Mining | na | $5.0 billion |
The world's 5th largest gold producer (170 tons in 2012) that is home to two of the world's ten largest gold mines. [79] As recently as 2007 South Africa was the world's top gold producer. The drop in its global ranking is not due to resource depletion (South Africa ranks close behind leader Australia in reserves) but rather to its high costs of production. In fact South Africa has the highest mining cash costs among all major producing regions. [13]
Notable South African gold companies include:
The Forbes Global 2000 list is produced annually by Forbes. Compiling information about each of the 2000 largest companies globally it ranks them. These are all of the gold companies that made the list in 2015. Companies that dropped out of the list, 2016: Osisko Gold Royalties; 2015: Polyus Gold, Newcrest Mining; 2014: Anglogold Ashanti, Yamana, Gold Fields, Kinross, Buenaventura, Shandong Mining, Eldorado; 2013: Iamgold; 2012: Agnico Eagle Mines.
It ranks them based on a number of factors, the top companies on its list aren't necessarily the biggest. Data reflects the 12-month period ending March 2016 for companies based in the United States, Canada and Bermuda. For all other countries, data is for the last fiscal year period.
May 2016 Cum. Rank | Name | Rank 2013 | Rank 2014 | Rank 2015 | Rank 2016 | Base | 2016 rev (bil.USD) | 2016 Profit (mil.USD) | Assets 2016 (bil$.) | Market cap April (mil$.) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Freeport-McMoRan | 273 | 224 | 659 | 740 | United States | 16.2 | (12,200) | 46.6 | 14,600 |
2 | Barrick Gold | 659 | 771 | 895 | 913 | Canada | 9.1 | (3,000) | 26.3 | 18,800 |
3 | Newmont | 448 | 1033 | 891 | 977 | United States | 7.8 | 89 | 24.6 | 16,600 |
4 | Goldcorp | 559 | 1160 | 1268 | 1290 | Canada | 4.4 | (4,400) | 21.4 | 14,200 |
5 | Newcrest | na | na | na | 1607 | Australia | 3.4 | 3,440 | 11.3 | 10,600 |
Source: May 6, 2015: The Global 2000
Barrick Gold Corporation is a mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has mining operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, the United States and Zambia. In 2023, it produced 4.05 million ounces of gold at all-in sustaining costs of $1,335/ounce and 420 million pounds of copper at all-in sustaining costs of $3.21/pound. As of 31 December 2023, the company had 77 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves.
Newmont Corporation is an American gold mining company based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is the world's largest gold mining corporation. Incorporated in 1921, it owns gold mines in Nevada, Colorado, Ontario, Quebec, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Ghana, Argentina, Peru, and Suriname. In addition to gold, Newmont mines copper, silver, zinc and lead.
Newcrest Mining Limited is an Australian-based corporation which engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and the froth flotation product, gold-copper concentrate. It is Australia's leading gold mining company and its operations have expanded beyond Australia, for example Indonesia, thus becoming a prominent international mining corporation. Newmont initially started the company as a subsidiary in 1966. The subsidiary became Newmont Holdings Pvt Ltd in 1980 and in 1990 acquired 100 per cent of Australmin Holdings Limited taking the current name.
Goldcorp Inc. was a gold production company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company stood among the largest gold producers in the world, employed about 15,800 people worldwide, engaged in gold mining and related activities including exploration, extraction, processing and reclamation. Goldcorp’s operating assets included eleven mines in North and South America.
Kinross Gold Corporation is a Canadian-based gold and silver mining company founded in 1993 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Kinross currently operates six active gold mines, and was ranked fifth of the "10 Top Gold-mining Companies" of 2019 by InvestingNews. The company's mines are located in Brazil, Mauritania, and the United States. It trades under the KGC ticker in the New York Stock Exchange, and under K in the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Mining in Papua New Guinea is an important part of the Papua New Guinea economy.
In the United States, gold mining has taken place continually since the discovery of gold at the Reed farm in North Carolina in 1799. The first documented occurrence of gold was in Virginia in 1782. Some minor gold production took place in North Carolina as early as 1793, but created no excitement. The discovery on the Reed farm in 1799 which was identified as gold in 1802 and subsequently mined marked the first commercial production.
Gold mining in Nevada, a state of the United States, is a major industry, and one of the largest sources of gold in the world. In 2018 Nevada produced 5,581,160 troy ounces, representing 78% of US gold and 5.0% of the world's production. Total gold production recorded from Nevada from 1835 to 2017 totals 205,931,000 troy ounces (6,405.2 t), worth US$322.6 billion at 2020 values. Much of Nevada's gold production comes from large open pit mining using heap leaching recovery.
Telfer is a minesite and company town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, within the Great Sandy Desert. It is the state's most isolated town and is located 1,300 kilometres (808 mi) north-east of the state capital Perth. The gold, copper, and silver mine is run by Newcrest Mining, and is one of the largest gold mines in Australia.
The Telfer Mine is a gold, copper and silver mine located at Telfer on the land of the Martu people, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. It is owned by Greatland Gold, having been acquired from the previous owner, Newmont, in December 2024.
The Boddington gold mine is a gold and copper mine located 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of Boddington, Western Australia.
Normandy Mining was an Australian mining company which predominantly mined gold. Normandy was, during much of the late 20th century, Australia's largest gold miner.
The Canadian Malartic Corporation is a mining company that operates the Malartic mine near Malartic, Quebec. Prior to 2014 the company was a public company named Osisko Mining Corporation with shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. In 2014, Osisko Mining was subject to a hostile takeover bid by Goldcorp but an alternative bid by white knights Yamana Gold and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited was accepted that, in addition to offering a higher price, created the spin-off Osisko Gold Royalties and turned Osisko Mining Corporation into the subsidiary company Canadian Malartic Corporation jointly owned by Yamana Gold and Agnico Eagle. From its founding in 1982 until 2006, Osisko Mining bought and sold mineral exploration rights in Quebec, conducting exploration work. The company acquired an interest in the Canadian Malartic property in 2004 and after promising feasibility studies the mine was constructed with commercial production achieved in May 2011.
The Red Lake mine was one of the largest gold mines in Canada and in the world. The mine is located in northwestern Ontario at Red Lake. The mine had estimated reserves of 3.23 million oz of gold in 2013. Note that the Campbell and Red Lake mines are mining the same orebody, commonly referred to as the Campbell-Red Lake deposit.
The Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, formerly and historically the Cresson Mine, is an active gold mine located near the town of Victor, in the Cripple Creek mining district in the US state of Colorado. The richest gold mine in Colorado history, it is the only remaining significant producer of gold in the state, and produced 322,000 troy ounces of gold in 2019, and reported 3.45 million troy ounces of Proven and Probable Reserves as at December 31, 2019. It was owned and operated by AngloGold Ashanti through its subsidiary, the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mining Company (CC&V), until 2015, when it sold the mine to Newmont Mining Corporation.
Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. is a Canadian multinational precious metals streaming company. It produces over 26 million ounces and sells over 29 million ounces of silver mined by other companies as a by-product of their main operations.
The El Indio Gold Belt is a mineral-rich region spanning the border between Chile and Argentina that contains large quantities of gold, silver and copper. On both sides of the border the belt is located within the Andes. The El Indio mine within the district was the first modern mine in Chile to produce gold as its main product. In Chile the main precious metal containing mineral is enargite. The El Indio belt is bordered in the north by another gold-silver mining district known as the Frontera District. Rodalquilarite, alunite and poughite are some of the minerals present in the area. The deposits of the belt formed during the Late Miocene period.
Pueblo Viejo mine is an open-pit gold and silver mine in the Sánchez Ramírez Province of the Dominican Republic where mining operations started in 2012 and expect to cease in 2041. It is the largest gold mine in Latin America and 13th largest gold mine in the world. The mine is run by Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (PVDC), which is 60% owned by Barrick Gold Corporation and 40% owned by Newmont Corporation.