Mining Magazine August 2015 | Page 25

LARGEST OPEN PIT MINES IN THE WORLD

02 ) Mir Diamond Mine

The Mir Diamond Mine in Eastern Siberia , Russia is a former open-pit mining operation that took place from 1957 until 2001 . Popularly known as the “ Mirny Mine ,” the site produced 10 million carats of diamonds annually during its peak years of operations . Now closed , the mine is still the largest excavated hole in the world — stretching 1,200 meters in diameter and reaching depths of 525 meters .
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