Wharf Mine reports highest gold production in 8 years

The Wharf Mine, South Dakota’s only large-scale gold mine near Lead in the Black Hills, owned by Coeur Mining, reached its highest gold production in eight years in 2024, yielding 98,042 ounces, up nearly 5,000 ounces from 2023. Silver production, a byproduct, dropped to 232,013 ounces from 2023’s high. The mine processed 5 million tons of ore after removing 12.9 million tons of earth. In 2021, state regulators flagged selenium pollution in False Bottom Creek, prompting the construction of a new water treatment plant, set to be operational by October. Employing 255 people, the mine contributed $12.5 million in state severance taxes and $800,000 in sales taxes, with $234 million in gold and silver sales, a 25% increase from 2023. Coeur Mining donated $220,000 to 55 Black Hills organizations.