South Africa’s Mponeng gold mine extends nearly 4 km below the surface — temperatures inside can reach 60°C.
How to Play: Guess if the mine on the right is DEEPER or SHALLOWER than the one on the left.
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Top 10 Deepest Mines
Mine depth measures from surface to deepest active workings. South Africa’s Witwatersrand gold mines hold most of the records due to deep gold-bearing reefs.
| # | Name | Depth (m below surface) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kola Superdeep Borehole (Russia) | 12,262 | m |
| 2 | Mponeng (gold, South Africa) | 3,900 | m |
| 3 | TauTona (gold, South Africa) | 3,900 | m |
| 4 | Savuka (gold, South Africa) | 3,700 | m |
| 5 | Driefontein (gold, S. Africa) | 3,400 | m |
| 6 | Carletonville (S. Africa) | 3,400 | m |
| 7 | Kusasalethu (S. Africa) | 3,276 | m |
| 8 | LaRonde Mine (Canada) | 3,110 | m |
| 9 | Moab Khotsong (S. Africa) | 3,054 | m |
| 10 | Kidd Mine (Canada, copper-zinc) | 3,000 | m |
Why Mines Get So Deep
Deep mining is technologically and physically extreme. At 4 km depth, rock temperature is 60°C, requiring massive cooling systems. Air pressure is nearly 50% higher than at surface.
Mponeng (Anglo Gold Ashanti, South Africa) is the deepest active gold mine. Gold reefs in the Witwatersrand basin extend kilometers deep, accessible only by extreme mining.
Kola Superdeep Borehole (Russia, 1989-1992) is technically a research borehole, not a mine. At 12,262m, it’s the deepest hole humans have ever drilled — but extracted no resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deepest active mine?
Mponeng in South Africa at ~3,900m. TauTona is similar.
Why so much South African gold?
The Witwatersrand basin contains 40% of all gold ever mined. Reefs extend kilometers deep, justifying extreme mining costs.
Could mines go deeper?
Limits are heat (60°C+ at 4km), pressure, and economics. Beyond 5km, costs may exceed value of extracted resources.
Is Kola the deepest hole?
Yes — 12,262m, deeper than any active mine. But it’s a research project, not a mine. Drilling stopped when temperatures hit 180°C.
Note: Mine depths in meters per industry records.
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