Gold production is on the rise at South Dakota’s only large, active gold mine.
Wharf Resources shared its 2019 production data Thursday with the state Board of Minerals and Environment. Wharf said its mine near Lead produced 84,172 ounces of gold. The mine produced 63,483 ounces of silver. Both numbers are higher than 2018.
Recent annual production at the Wharf Mine
| Year | Gold (ounces) | Silver (ounces) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 84,172 | 63,483 |
| 2018 | 76,840 | 50,575 |
| 2017 | 95,372 | 63,535 |
| 2016 | 109,175 | 105,144 |
Wharf paid $2.7 million in mineral severance taxes in 2019 to the state of South Dakota. The company also paid additional sales and use taxes, raising its total tax payments within the state to $3.5 million.
Wharf’s parent company is Coeur Mining in Chicago. The company sold $125 million worth of gold from the Wharf Mine last year. The company sold $1.3 million worth of silver from the mine.
The Wharf Mine employs about 225 people and had a total 2019 payroll of $21.2 million. The mine gave $150,00 to local groups and charities in 2019.
The price of gold has been rising for several years. Multiple companies are conducting or pursuing drilling projects to find more gold in the Black Hills.
-Seth Tupper is SDPB's business and economic development reporter