Gold

The Gold Series: The Most Sought After Metal on Earth (Part 1 of 5)

Published

9 years ago

February 24, 2014

Jeff Desjardins

Gold Series Part 1 infographic

The Gold Series Part 1: The Most Sought After Metal on Earth

This infographic, part one in our 2014 Gold Series, introduces the yellow metal and tells the story of how it became the most sought after metal on earth.

Gold was one of the first metals discovered by ancient peoples and eventually gold grew to symbolize both wealth, royalty, and immortality. Gold began to be used as money by many cultures, but the Romans were the first to use it widespread. The rarity, malleability, durability, ease to identify, and intrinsic value of gold made it perfect for money.

While many civilizations throughout the world used gold for money, eventually its role would change with the coming of the gold standard system. In modern history, gold was shaped by events such as Roosevelt’s confiscation order in 1933 and President Nixon ending the direct convertibility of gold to US dollars in 1971. Although gold is no longer the basis of the modern monetary system, there is more gold demand today than ever before.

Check out Part 2 of The 2014 Gold Series on gold supply, geology, and mining.

Presented by: Goldcorp

Also made possible by: Midway Gold, Banks Island Gold, Balmoral Resources, GoldSilver.com, Comstock Mining, and CrushTheStreet.com

Related Topics:history gold gold standard gold facts VC exclusive

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Mining

Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining

This infographic highlights the need for new gold mining projects and shows the next generation of America’s gold deposits.

Written By

Govind Bhutada

Graphics & Design

Athul Alexander

Published January 25, 2023 • Updated January 25, 2023 •

Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining

Between 2011 and 2020, the number of major gold discoveries fell by 70% relative to 2001-2010.

The lack of discoveries, alongside stagnating gold production, has cast a shadow of doubt on the future of gold supply.

This infographic sponsored by Novagold highlights the need for new gold mining projects with a focus on the company’s Donlin Gold project in Alaska.

The Current State of Gold Production

Between 2010 and 2021, gold production increased steadily until 2018, before leveling and falling.

Year	Gold Production, tonnes	YoY % Change
2010	2,560	-
2011	2,660	3.9%
2012	2,690	1.1%
2013	2,800	4.1%
2014	2,990	6.8%
2015	3,100	3.7%
2016	3,110	0.3%
2017	3,230	3.9%
2018	3,300	2.2%
2019	3,300	0.0%
2020	3,030	-8.2%
2021	3,000	-1.0%

Along with a small decrease in gold production from 2020 levels, there were no new major gold discoveries in 2021. Meanwhile, annual demand for the yellow metal increased by 10%, up from 3,651 tonnes to 4,020 tonnes.

The fall in production and long-term lack of gold discoveries point towards a possible imbalance in gold supply and demand. This calls for the introduction of new gold development projects that can fill the supply-demand gap in the future.

Sustaining Supply: Gold For the Future

Jurisdictions play an important role when looking for projects that could sustain gold production well into the future.

From political stability to trustworthy legal systems, the characteristics of a jurisdiction can make or break mining projects. Amid ongoing market uncertainty, political turmoil, and resource nationalism, projects in safe jurisdictions offer a better investment opportunity for investors and mining companies.

As of 2021, seven of the top 10 mining jurisdictions for investment were located in North America, according to the Fraser Institute. Here’s a look at the top five gold-focused development projects in the region, based on measured and indicated (M&I) gold resources:

Project	M&I Gold Resource, million ounces*	Grade (grams/tonne)	Location
KSM	88.4Moz	0.51g/t	British Columbia 🇨🇦
Donlin Gold**	39.0Moz	2.24g/t	Alaska 🇺🇸
Livengood	13.6Moz	0.60g/t	Alaska 🇺🇸
Côté Gold	13.6Moz	0.96g/t	Ontario 🇨🇦
Blackwater	11.7Moz	0.61g/t	British Columbia 🇨🇦

*Inclusive of mineral reserves. **See cautionary statement regarding Donlin Gold’s mineral reserves and resources.

Located in Alaska, one of the world’s safest mining jurisdictions, Novagold’s Donlin Gold project has the highest average grade of gold among these major projects. For every tonne of ore, Donlin Gold offers 2.24 grams of gold, which is more than twice the global average grade of 1.03g/t.

Additionally, Donlin Gold is the second-largest gold-focused development project in the Americas, with over 39 million ounces of gold in M&I resources inclusive of reserves.

Novagold is focused on the Donlin Gold project in equal partnership with Barrick Gold. Click here to learn more now.

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