(GOLCONDA, Nev.) —
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, a look inside a massive Nevada gold mine reveals the enduring importance of mining to the state’s economy and identity.
- Turquoise Ridge, one of over 100 mines in Nevada, is a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining.
- The mine operates more than 3,150 feet underground and has a projected lifespan through 2050.
- Nevada produced 3.5 million ounces of gold in 2024, representing over 70% of the United States’ total gold production.
Deep beneath the Nevada desert, miners are extracting gold from the Turquoise Ridge mine, a sprawling operation that exemplifies the state’s long and lucrative relationship with mineral wealth. The mine, located about an hour’s drive past Winnemucca, is one of more than 100 scattered across rural Nevada, and a key contributor to the state’s position as America’s top gold producer.
Turquoise Ridge is a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining, with a history stretching back to the 1930s, according to mine general manager Anton Kruger. “It started in the 1930s with open pit operations near the Getchell mine. From there, operations moved progressively underground. We’ve been mining Turquoise Ridge underground since the 1990s. At the moment, the mine’s got a mine life stretching up to 2050 about,” Kruger said.
Digging Deep
Unlike open-pit mines, the gold at Turquoise Ridge is locked in ore thousands of feet below the surface. Geologists first take core samples to map potential mineral resources before any digging begins. Miners descend through a third shaft that drops more than a half mile, reaching a maximum depth of 3,150 feet, into a network of tunnels.
Inside the mine, jumbo drill operators like Marco Castaneda drill dozens of holes in precise patterns, preparing the rock face for blasting. After drilling, explosives are placed and detonated remotely, and the broken ore is carried to the surface by 45-ton haul trucks via a conveyor system.
Above ground, the ore undergoes processing in autoclaves – large pressure vessels that use high temperatures to extract the gold. “We recover the gold and whatever is left we send to a tailings dam on the property,” Kruger explained.
A Legacy of Mining
Turquoise Ridge currently employs roughly 900 people and produces around 500,000 ounces of gold annually, continuing a mining tradition that began in Nevada in the mid-1800s. “The culture and the economics of mining have been in Nevada before we even had statehood,” said Amanda Hilton, president of the Nevada Mining Association.
Hilton noted that Nevada’s path to statehood was closely tied to the Comstock Lode in Virginia City. UNR history professor Dr. Eric Nystrom explained that the silver discovery transformed the region. “Most folks who got here figured out that somebody else had gotten here first. They couldn’t claim the mines that were already claimed. And so plenty of them got to work … But some went out and tried to find more. Within a few years, there were waves of people exploring the desert outside of Virginia City,” he said. “Then each of these big discoveries became the nucleus for other discoveries in the area.”
While silver initially drove Nevada’s mining boom, gold remains the state’s most valuable mineral today. In 2024, Nevada produced 3.5 million ounces of gold, accounting for more than 70% of the nation’s total, and 5.4 million ounces of silver, according to Hilton. The total value of all minerals mined in Nevada last year reached $12.6 billion, supporting approximately 30,000 jobs statewide.
Why It Matters
Nevada’s mining industry has evolved significantly over time, prioritizing safety alongside production. Hilton stated, “So many processes have been put in place and improvements have been made that mining is now considered one of the safest industries in Nevada. In fact, its safety statistics are comparable to finance.” This evolution underscores the industry’s commitment to responsible resource extraction and its continued importance to the state’s economic well-being.
Beyond its historical significance, Nevada’s mining industry is increasingly vital to the nation’s future. As Hilton emphasized, “Mining isn’t just something we used to do in the past. Mining is a part of Nevada’s story today. And Nevada remains the strategic solution to solving some of the supply chain gaps our country has.” The state’s mineral resources are crucial not only for traditional uses but also for the growing demand for materials needed in green energy technologies, ensuring Nevada’s role in a sustainable future.
Time.news based this report in part on reporting by News 4 & Fox 11 and added independent analysis and context.
