SOUTH DAKOTA: A Mining Centre in the Geographic Heart of North America

Continuous gold mining since 1876, including the historic Homestake Mine and Coeur Mining current Wharf Mine.

The core disciplines of geological, metallurgical and mining engineering remain an integral part of South Dakota’s economy

South Dakota Is Business Friendly

The state of South Dakota is a Tier-1 jurisdiction in the United States with a long history of gold mining that has operated continuously for 145 years.

The state of South Dakota is a Tier-1 jurisdiction in the United States with a long history of gold mining that has operated continuously for 145 years from 1876 to the current day. At present Coeur Mining operates the Wharf mine, an open pit heap leach operation 26 km north of MMV’s Rochford Project, producing 93,056 ounces of gold in 2020.

The former Homestake Mine near Lead, SD was North America’s largest and deepest gold mine prior to its acquisition and closure by Barrick in 2002. During its 125-yr mine life, Homestake produced >42 million ounces of gold with a further 20 million ounces in resources written off at the time of mine closure. The Homestake remains the second-largest producing district in the United States after the Carlin Trend in Nevada and rivals the Carlin Trend in richness for number of gold ounces contained per square kilometer.

The core disciplines of geological, metallurgical and mining engineering remain an integral part of South Dakota’s economy.

  • Mining contributes to 5,472 jobs in the state with a direct labor income of USD$283 million and an annual impact of USD$2.5 billion (National Mining Association, 2020)
  • The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, located in Rapid City at the foot of the Black Hills, was founded in 1885 and has evolved into a leading science and engineering university with an outstanding relationship with local operating mines such as Coeur’s Wharf Mine. SDSM&T is consistently ranked as the best engineering school investment in the country (Forbes, 2019)

South Dakota is

Business Friendly

  • Stable state government and legislation supportive of mining
  • Superior tax climate
  • Experienced local workforce with a reputation for having a high rate of talent participation
  • Access to top quality ongoing geological, metallurgical and mining engineering education and training
  • Established mining infrastructure

Compared to All Fifty US States

  • #1 For Business Costs
  • #1 Business Climate For Entrepreneurs
  • #1 Lowest Number of State Regulatory Restrictions
  • #2 Business Friendliness
  • #2 Lowest Cost of Doing Business
  • #2 State Business Tax Climate
  • #3 Hardest Working Workforce