Vietnam’s Largest Gold Mine Is in Da Nang; 40 Gold Mines Identified in the Northwest
Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment identifies Bồng Miêu as the country’s largest gold mine by reserves. Approved mineral exploration results from 2015 to 2020 put Vietnam’s primary gold reserves at about 25.08 tonnes. A separate geological survey identified 40 gold mines in the northwest, with more than 29.8 tonnes of measured Category 333 gold resources.
According to mineral exploration results approved by Vietnam’s National Mineral Reserves Assessment Council from 2015 to 2020, the country has about 25,084 kilograms of primary gold reserves. Statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment identify Bồng Miêu as the gold mine with the largest reserves nationwide. Bồng Miêu and Phước Sơn are in the former Quảng Nam province, now part of Da Nang, and the two gold mines have reserves of about 20 tonnes; the Đăk Sa mining area in Phước Sơn has reserves exceeding 7 tonnes.
Illustrative image of a gold mine.（VietVance）
Research listed in the national information system of Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology shows that the Bồng Miêu mining area contains several mineralized zones, with gold-rich skarn mineralization predominant in the Hố Ráy area. Information provided by Vietnam’s National Archives Center shows that some ore-bearing rock layers at the mine dip 10 to 20 degrees toward the northeast and are about 40 centimeters to 2 meters thick.
A mineral potential assessment project in the central part of Central Vietnam has produced assessments for 26 of 45 mining areas, providing a basis for transferring them for auctions of exploration and mining rights. Liên đoàn Địa chất Trung Trung Bộ said researchers surveyed 32 gold-mineralized areas and conducted preliminary assessments of 12 mining areas, forecasting reserves of more than 10 tonnes of gold and more than 16 tonnes of silver.
A geological survey project in the northwest, approved by Vietnam’s prime minister in 2017, identified and assessed 110 mineral deposits covering 25 types of minerals. Of these, 40 are gold mines with more than 29.8 tonnes of identified Category 333 gold resources; associated gold was also found at a copper mine in Lào Cai province, with more than 420 kilograms of identified Category 333 gold resources. These figures come from different projects and use different resource measures.
Source: VietVance
