Les 10 premières mines d'argent au monde

Global minerai d'argent 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.

 

Mine d'argent de Saucito, Mexique. Source : Fresnillo : Fresnillo

2. Escobal

Escobar, la deuxième plus grande mine d'argent au monde, est située dans le sud-est du Guatemala, à environ 40 kilomètres du centre-ville. Sa production d'argent a atteint un record de 21,2 millions d'onces en 2016, soit une augmentation de 4 % par rapport à 2015. Les chances d'Escobar de devenir la plus grande mine d'argent du monde ont été compromises récemment lorsque la Cour suprême du Guatemala a annulé sa licence d'exploitation.

 

Mine d'argent, d'or, de plomb et de zinc d'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.

Mine d'argent de Dukat, Russie.

4. Cannington

La mine Cannington de South32, située dans le sud, au nord-ouest du Queensland, a longtemps été le leader incontesté de la production d'argent, atteignant un record historique de 44 millions d'onces en 2005. Depuis lors, sa production s'est effondrée en raison de la baisse de sa teneur en argent, ce qui l'a empêchée d'atteindre la première place au cours des dernières années et de se classer au premier rang des mines d'argent. 1 ces dernières années et s'est classée au quatrième rang en 2016. Ces dernières années, elle a manqué la première place et s'est classée au quatrième rang en 2016. La production d'argent en 2016 était de 18,24 millions d'onces, en baisse de 18% par rapport à 2015.

 

Mine souterraine d'argent-plomb-zinc de Cannington, Australie.

5. Antamina

Fifth in our ranking, the Antamina mine is a large copper-zinc-molybdène-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.

 

Mine polymétallique d'Antamina, Pérou.

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.

Mine polymétallique de Penasquito, Mexique.

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.

Mine d'argent-plomb-zinc d'Uchucchacua, Pérou.

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.

 

Mine d'argent de Fresnillo, Mexique.

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.

 

Mine d'argent de Pirquitas, Argentine.

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.

 

Mine de Garpenberg, Suède.

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.

Article connexe
Les 10 premières mines d'or du monde 2019

 

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