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Saucito silver mine, Mexico. Source: Fresnillo
With nearly 22 million ounces of silver produced in 2016, Fresnillo’s Saucito silver mine is the largest silver operation in the world. Full-year silver production decreased marginally at Saucito as a result of the expected return to normal ore grades after mining the extraordinarily high grade ore from the Mesquite vein and exhausting the high-grade development ore.
2. Escobal
Escobal silver-gold-lead-zinc mine, Guatemala. Source: Tahoe Resources
The world’s second largest Escobal silver mine is located in southeast Guatemala, approximately 40 km southeast of Guatemala City. Tahoe is mining the Escobal deposit by underground longhole stoping methods, with processing by differential flotation to produce precious metal-rich lead and zinc concentrates. In 2016, the Escobal mine produced a record 21.2 million ounces of silver in concentrate, which is 4% more compared to 2015. The recent suspension of its mining licence at Escobal due to Guatemala’s Supreme Court ruling puts the future of this potentially world’s biggest silver mine in jeopardy.
3. Dukat
Dukat silver mine, Russia. Source: Polymetal
The Dukat silver mine is one of Polymetal’s first and original assets. It is the largest primary silver operation in Russia and Polymetal’s flagship operation. Silver output at Dukat dropped by 12%, from 22.4 million ounces in 2015 to 19.8 million in 2016.
4. Cannington
Often silver is outshone by gold, with most market participants paying attention to the yellow metal. At the same time, silver has many characteristics that makes the precious metal an attractive commodity and irreplaceable component in many applications – particularly for industry-related companies and their investors.
Silver boasts a multitude of properties that make it unique, including its strength, malleability and ductility, its electrical and thermal conductivity, its sensitivity to and high light reflectance, and its ability to endure extreme temperature ranges. Silver’s remarkable properties restrict its substitution in most applications.
Silver is used in the jewellery, electronics and electrical industries, energy, automotive as well as in medicine and optics. Silver is also an important investment instrument.
Silver prices rose 10% in the previous month thanks to improved industrial demand, uncertain global and economic political climates that spurred investment demand, and increasing gold prices.
Only around 30% of annual supply comes from primary silver mines while more than a third is produced at lead/zinc operations and a further 20% from copper mines. Only six of the top 20 producers are primary silver miners. The polymetallic ore deposits from which silver are recovered account for more than two-thirds of the world’s silver resources.
The following analysis covers those mining operations producing silver that are separate reporting units and which have recent mined silver figures disclosed by the owners/operators.
KGHM’s Rudna, Polkowice-Sieroszowice and Lubin primary copper mines located in Poland, have potential to be included in the list of top 10 silver producing operations in 2016, with the Rudna mine even likely to climb to the top of this list. But for now, these mines have been excluded from the analysis pending release of KGHM’s 2016 integrated results.
Data retrieved from the IntelligenceMine database. Experts since 1989, the IntelligenceMine team analyze mining news and hundreds of documents daily to keep you on top of global mining. Get information on more than 13,600 listed and private company profiles, 34,400 mines, projects and processing facilities and 1.6m regulatory and source documents. Learn more about IntelligenceMine.
1. Saucito
Saucito silver mine, Mexico. Source: Fresnillo
With nearly 22 million ounces of silver produced in 2016, Fresnillo’s Saucito silver mine is the largest silver operation in the world. Full-year silver production decreased marginally at Saucito as a result of the expected return to normal ore grades after mining the extraordinarily high grade ore from the Mesquite vein and exhausting the high-grade development ore.
2. Escobal
Escobal silver-gold-lead-zinc mine, Guatemala. Source: Tahoe Resources
The world’s second largest Escobal silver mine is located in southeast Guatemala, approximately 40 km southeast of Guatemala City. Tahoe is mining the Escobal deposit by underground longhole stoping methods, with processing by differential flotation to produce precious metal-rich lead and zinc concentrates. In 2016, the Escobal mine produced a record 21.2 million ounces of silver in concentrate, which is 4% more compared to 2015. The recent suspension of its mining licence at Escobal due to Guatemala’s Supreme Court ruling puts the future of this potentially world’s biggest silver mine in jeopardy.
3. Dukat
Dukat silver mine, Russia. Source: …read more
Source:: Infomine
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