Biggest Open Cast Mine

Like any other statistics given here, this list is incomplete. And like all others, the "biggest" depends on which criteria is used. Concerning modern mines Bingham Canyon Mine, Chuquicamata Copper Mine, and Morenci Mine are the three biggest. Actually it is hard to compare them, as one is the deepest, another the one covering the biggest area, and the third is the most productive.

It is rather common to distinguish between man made (aka hand dug) holes and huge modern open casts created with heavy machinery. The biggest of the hand made holes is Jagersfontain, slightly deeper than the Big Hole in Kimberly.

Largest Open Cast Mines

Rank	Mine	Location	Length	Width	Depth	Comment
1	Hull Rust Mine	Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S.A.	8,000m	3,200m	180m	Iron Mine
2	El Cerrejón Coal Mine	Hato Nuevo, Columbia	7,200m	1,900m	300m	Coal mine
3	Xilutian Mine	Fushun, Liaoning province, China	6,600m	2,200m	420m	Coal mine
4	Morenci Mine	Arizona, U.S.A.	5,200m	4,800m	400m	Copper mine
5	Chuquicamata Copper Mine	Calama, Chile	4,500m	3,540m	825m	Copper mine
6	Bingham Canyon Mine	Utah, U.S.A.	4,000m	4,000m	1,200m	Copper mine
7	Haizhou Mine	Fuxin, Liaoning province, China	4,000m	2,000m	700m	Coal mine
8	Korkinsk Coal Mine	Korkino, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia	3,000m	3,000m	600m	Coal mine
9	Sibaysky Open Pit	Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia	1,370m	1,190m	578m	Copper mine
10	Mir Diamond Mine	Mirna, Siberia, Russia	1,250m	1,250m	525m	Diamond mine

Deepest Open Cast Mines

Rank	Mine	Location	Length	Width	Depth	Comment
1	Bingham Canyon Mine	Utah, U.S.A.	4,000m	4,000m	1,200m	Copper mine
2	Chuquicamata Copper Mine	Calama, Chile	4,500m	3,540m	825m	Copper mine
3	Korkinsk Coal Mine	Korkino, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia	3,000m	3,000m	600m	Coal mine
4	Sibaysky Open Pit	Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia	1,370m	1,190m	578m	Copper mine
5	Mir Diamond Mine	Mirna, Siberia, Russia	1,250m	1,250m	525m	Diamond mine

Biggest Hand Dug Open Cast Mines

Rank	Mine	Location	Length	Width	Depth	Comment
1	Jagersfontein Mine	Jagersfontein, South Africa	540m	450m	213m	Diamond mine
2	Kimberley Mine - Big Hole	Kimberley, South Africa	463m	463m	175 m (210 m)	Diamond mine