Las 10 mayores minas de plata del mundo

Global mineral de plata reserves are abundant and widely distributed, concentrated primarily in regions such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. As the table below shows(2019), the world’s major silver-producing nations include Peru, Poland, Chile, Australia, China, Mexico, the United States, Bolivia, and Canada. The combined silver ore reserves of these nine countries account for more than 90% of the global total.

 

 

Silver mining plays a crucial role in the global industry. Below, we explore the top 10 silver mines globally, detailing their production, challenges, and unique characteristics.

 

World’s Top 10 Silver Mines in 2019

1. Saucito

Saucito silver mine is the world’s largest silver mine, but silver production declined slightly throughout the year.

 

Mina de plata de Saucito, México. Fuente: Fresnillo

2. Escobal

Escobar, la segunda mina de plata más grande del mundo, está situada en el sureste de Guatemala, a unos 40 kilómetros del centro de Guatemala. Su producción de plata alcanzó la cifra récord de 21,2 millones de onzas en 2016, un 4% más que en 2015. Las posibilidades de Escobar de convertirse en la mayor mina de plata del mundo se pusieron en peligro recientemente cuando el Tribunal Supremo de Guatemala canceló su licencia de explotación.

 

Mina de plata-oro-plomo-zinc de Escobal, Guatemala.

3. Dukat

The Dukat silver mine is the first original asset of the Polymetal company. It is the largest producer of native silver in Russia and the most representative institution of Polymetal.

Mina de plata de Dukat, Rusia.

4. Cannington

La mina Cannington de South32, situada en el sur, al noroeste de Queensland, ha sido durante mucho tiempo el líder indiscutible en producción de plata, alcanzando un máximo histórico de 44 millones de onzas en 2005. Desde entonces, su producción ha caído en picado a medida que disminuía su ley de plata. 1 en los últimos años y ocupó el n.º 4 en 2016. 4 en 2016. La producción de plata en 2016 fue de 18,24 millones de onzas, 18% menos que en 2015.

 

Mina subterránea de plata-plomo-zinc de Cannington, Australia.

5. Antamina

Fifth in our ranking, the Antamina mine is a large copper-zinc-molibdeno-silver-lead operation, located in the Andes mountains 270 kilometers north of Lima, Peru. The deposit is located at an average elevation of 4,200 metres. The owners are BHP Billiton plc (33.75%), Glencore plc (33.75%), Teck (22.5%), and Mitsubishi Corporation (10%). The mine is an open-pit, truck/shovel operation. A 302-kilometer slurry concentrate pipeline transports copper and zinc concentrate to the port for shipment to smelters and refineries worldwide. Silver production rose 17% in 2016, and this is the largest year-on-year gain among the top 10 silver operations.

 

Mina polimetálica Antamina, Perú.

6. Penasquito

Goldcorp’s Penasquito polymetallic mine is Mexico’s largest gold producer, consisting of two open pits – Peñasco and Chile Colorado – containing gold, silver, lead & zinc. Penasquito is an open-pit mine that employs flotation-and-grinding processing, in two 50,000-tonne/day sulphide processing lines and a 30,000-tonne/day high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR) circuit. Due to operational challenges, lower grade and recovery, silver production at Penasquito dropped a whopping 31% in 2016 compared to 2015. As a result, Penasquito lost its status as the biggest silver operation and settled for sixth in 2016.

Mina polimetálica Penasquito, México.

7. Uchucchacua

Buenaventura’s Uchucchacua silver-zinc-lead underground mine is located in the province of Oyón, approximately 265 kilometres northeast of Lima, Peru, at an altitude of between 4,000 and 5,000 metres above sea level. It is the seventh biggest and highest-grade silver mine in the top 10 list.

Mina de plata-plomo-zinc de Uchucchacua, Perú.

8. Fresnillo

Fresnillo’s eponymous mine is the eighth largest silver producer and one of the world’s oldest continuously operating mines. Remarkably, mining operations have been recorded at the site as far back as 1554. 2016 full-year silver production increased slightly as a result of access to higher-grade veins at the San Carlos and San Alberto areas.

 

Mina de plata de Fresnillo, México.

9. Pirquitas

Ninth in our ranking, Silver Standard’s Pirquitas mine is located in the Province of Jujuy, northern Argentina. It is positioned at an elevation of 4,100 metres above sea level and is accessible by all-weather roads. It is an open-pit mine utilizing a fleet of 100-tonne trucks and three loading units. Ore is crushed and treated in a gravity pre-concentrator before processing in a conventional mineral flotation plant. The silver concentrate produced from the plant is shipped to third-party smelters.

 

Mina de plata de Pirquitas, Argentina.

10. Garpenberg

Boliden’s Garpenberg mine, located in Hedemora municipality, Sweden, is tenth in our ranking. It is Sweden’s oldest mine still in operation. Recent industry-leading technological developments have enabled an expansion of the Garpenberg mine, from 1.4 million tonnes per year to 2.5 million tonnes. This revamping has made Garpenberg one of the world’s most cost-effective and modern mines.

 

Mina Garpenberg, Suecia.

The top ten global silver mines mentioned above are based on the 2019 rankings. It is important to note that rankings can shift annually due to changes in production, discoveries, and market conditions. The global silver mining industry has seen several standout performers in recent years, with production figures highlighting key players and regional dominance.

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World’s Top Silver Mines in Recent Years

2020 and Earlier

• Gümüşköy (Turkey): Peaked at 48.6 Moz, maintaining strong output.
• Penasquito (Mexico): Historically significant, delivering 27.8 Moz in 2020.
• Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland): Was the world’s largest silver mine (39.2 Moz) in 2020.
• Notable Historical Performers:
  Cannington (Australia): A major producer in past years.
  Penasquito (Mexico): Consistently held vast reserves since at least 2013.

2023 Dominance

• Gümüşköy Mine (Turkey): The clear leader with 45.7 Moz, far outpacing others.
• Penasquito (Mexico): Produced 20.7 Moz, followed by Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland) in the top ranks.
• Mexico’s Strength: Hosted five of the top ten silver mines, solidifying its position as a major producer. 

2024

• Juanicipio (Mexico): Led production with 18.6 million ounces (Moz).
• Saucito (Mexico): Close behind at 15.5 Moz.
• Dukat (Russia): Produced 14.6 Moz, reinforcing Russia’s presence in global supply.

2026

Mine (Country)	Annual Production (Moz)	Ownership
Penasquito (México)	45+	Newmont
Fresnillo (México)	N/A	Fresnillo Plc
San Julián (México)	N/A	Fresnillo Plc
Antamina (Peru)	N/A	BHP, Glencore, Teck
Shahuindo (Peru)	N/A	Pan American Silver
Polymetal Dukat (Russia)	N/A	Polymetal
Saucito (Mexico)	15.5 (2024 data)	Fresnillo Plc
Cannington (Australia)	N/A	South32
Pirquitas (Argentina)	N/A	SSR Mining
Pitarilla Project (Mexico)	N/A	Endeavour Silver