Business[edit]

Small operations[edit]

Woman panning for gold in Guinea

Old bellows on abandoned gold mine in western N.S.W., Australia

While most of the gold is produced by major corporations, tens of thousands of
people work independently in smaller, artisan operations, in some cases illegally.
In Ghana, for instance, the galamseys are estimated to number 20,000 to 50,000.[16]
In neighboring francophone countries, such workers are called orpailleurs. In
Brazil, such workers are called garimpeiros.
The high risk of such ventures was seen in the collapse of an illegal mine at
Dompoase, Ashanti Region, Ghana, on 12 November 2009, when 18 workers were killed,
including 13 women. Many women work at such mines as porters. It was the worst
mining disaster in Ghanaian history.[16]
In order to maximize gold extraction, mercury is often used to amalgamate with the
metal. The gold is produced by boiling away the mercury from the amalgam. Mercury
is effective in extracting very small gold particles, but the process is hazardous
due to the toxicity of mercury vapour.
Especially after the Minamata Convention has been ratified, there are initiatives
to replace or reduce the use and emissions of mercury in the extraction of gold.
[17]
Large companies[edit]
Main article: Largest gold companies
Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, Newmont Mining Corporation, Newcrest Mining, and AngloGold
Ashanti are the world's five largest gold mining companies by market capitalisation
in 2008.