Mining Companies in Nevada: Who Operates What

The mining companies in Nevada that matter most are Barrick Mining Corporation, which operates the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, and Newmont, which owns the other 38.5% of it. Around them sit gold and silver producers such as Coeur Mining, copper operators such as KGHM and the restart team at Pumpkin Hollow, and the lithium developers at Silver Peak, Thacker Pass and Rhyolite Ridge. The state produced about 64% of US gold in 2025, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, so most of the names below are gold companies.

This page lists the operators by commodity, says what each one holds in Nevada, and shows the numbers behind the list: production by commodity, the Nevada Gold Mines output by complex, the state’s mining taxes and a small tax calculator. It is a reference list, not a ranking of which company is “best”. No company list for a state this size can be complete, and the Nevada Division of Minerals says the same about its own overview, which does not cover every company.

Which mining companies operate in Nevada?

The table groups the main operators and developers by what they mine. It is built from company filings and results (Barrick, Newmont, Coeur, Centerra, Lithium Americas), a 2026 local news report on Pumpkin Hollow, and the Nevada Division of Minerals’ May 2026 state overview. Status is as of the dated source in each row.

The Division of Minerals also lists other gold exploration and development names for 2026: AngloGold Ashanti (Arthur project), Orla Mining (South Railroad), I-80 Gold (Lone Tree autoclave and other projects), Solidus Resources (Spring Valley), Pathfinder (Tonopah) and a group of Headwater Gold, Newmont and Hecla in the Aurora district. For copper it adds Hudbay (Mason) and Lion Copper with Rio Tinto (Yerington). These are “projects to watch”, not producing mines, and the Division says it does not recommend any company over another.

How we chose

We included a company when a filing, results release or state agency document that we opened names a Nevada asset and says what stage it is at. We left out companies where we could not find a current primary source. The list is grouped by commodity and is not ranked, because production for most of these assets is reported on different bases (attributable share, full project, or not at all).

How much does Nevada mining produce?

Nevada produced 3,479,748 troy ounces of gold in 2024, worth about US$8.29 billion, according to the Nevada Division of Minerals state overview of May 2026. That was 13.7% less ounces than the year before, but a higher dollar value because of the gold price. The same overview puts total 2024 mineral production in the state at about US$10.07 billion, and notes that the USGS estimates 2025 non-fuel mineral production at US$12.6 billion. It says Nevada produced about 70% of US gold in 2024, while USGS puts the 2025 share at about 64%, so the state’s share has been in the mid-60s to 70% range in recent years rather than the “nearly 80%” found in some older sources.

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Gold is most of Nevada’s mining value

Value of 2024 production, US$ million

Gold is far ahead of everything else. Copper came second among metals, then silver, with geothermal power and aggregates also worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Lithium is small in dollar terms today: 7.68 million pounds of lithium compounds shipped in 2024 worth US$47.3 million, down 72.5% in value on the previous year.

The mining industry employed more than 14,000 people in 2024 at an average yearly pay of US$121,000, per the same overview. The Fraser Institute’s annual survey of mining jurisdictions ranked Nevada first in 2025 (it was second in 2024 and 2023).

Nevada Gold Mines: the Barrick and Newmont joint venture

Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) was formed on 1 July 2019 when Barrick and Newmont combined their Nevada operations. Newmont’s 2025 annual report says Barrick holds 61.5% and operates the venture, while Newmont holds 38.5%. The land package is 180,921 acres (73,217 hectares) across Cortez, Carlin, Turquoise Ridge, Phoenix and Long Canyon. All sites have open pits, and Cortez, Carlin and Turquoise Ridge also have underground mines. Long Canyon went to care and maintenance at the end of 2023.

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Barrick’s share of NGM gold has eased

Gold produced, thousand oz, 61.5% basis

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Carlin leads Nevada Gold Mines output

Gold, thousand oz, Barrick 61.5% share

Barrick’s Annual Report 2025 gives its 61.5% share of output: 1.591 million ounces of gold in 2025, down from 1.650 million in 2024 and 1.865 million in 2023. Processed grade was 2.76 grams per tonne (g/t) in 2025. Grade in g/t is the grams of gold in each tonne of ore, and it drives how much metal a plant recovers from the same tonnage. All-in sustaining cost (AISC), the company’s measure of what it costs to produce and sustain each ounce, rose from US$1,366 per ounce in 2023 to US$1,620 in 2025.

By complex, Carlin was the largest in 2025 at 687,000 ounces on Barrick’s share, followed by Cortez at 454,000, Turquoise Ridge at 341,000 and Phoenix at 109,000. Barrick’s 2026 guidance for NGM is 1.42 to 1.58 million ounces. At 100%, NGM’s 2025 output works out to about 2.59 million ounces (our arithmetic: 1.591 million divided by 0.615).

The ownership picture changed in 2026. In its second quarter 2026 results of 10 August 2026, Barrick said it had agreed with Newmont to expand the joint venture by moving in the properties that had been excluded from it: Fourmile from Barrick, and Mike and Fiberline from Newmont. The two companies describe the result as a nearly 100-million-ounce gold complex. Newmont agreed to pay Barrick a US$1.95 billion cash top-up within thirty days, and the agreement settles all outstanding disputes about NGM. Ownership stays at 61.5% Barrick and 38.5% Newmont. Barrick also plans an initial public offering of a minority stake in a new company that would hold its North American gold assets, targeted by the end of 2026, subject to market conditions and approvals. Newmont’s own 10-K had earlier said that on 26 January 2026 it raised allegations of mismanagement at NGM, which is the dispute that this agreement resolves.

Fourmile is the growth project. In its second quarter report (10 August 2026) Barrick said it expected to begin decline development in the third quarter of 2026, had 20 drill rigs on site and targets a pre-feasibility study in 2028; the third quarter has now ended, so check Barrick’s latest update for progress. Goldrush, the underground mine at Cortez, is ramping up and Barrick reports record underground tonnes at Cortez in the second quarter of 2026.

▶ How gold is mined and refined, from rock to ring, in a short claymation. · 5:27

Other gold and silver companies in Nevada

Outside NGM, the picture is a mix of mid-size producers and developers. Coeur Mining, a US-based precious metals producer, describes Rochester as a wholly owned silver-gold mine in Nevada, and Rochester’s exploration in the second quarter of 2026 targeted infill drilling at the Wedge target and expansion of the northeast Rochester target. Nevada’s silver comes largely as a co-product of gold: the state shipped about 5.70 million ounces of silver in 2024 worth US$157.8 million, and the Division of Minerals estimates 2025 silver output about 15% higher.

Centerra Gold owns the Goldfield Project through its subsidiary Gemfield Resources. In its Q4 2025 report Centerra reversed an earlier non-cash impairment on Goldfield after the project economics improved, and it targets first production by the end of 2028. That is a development project, not a producing mine.

For anyone building a longer list of explorers, the state’s 2026 overview also names Pathfinder at Tonopah, AngloGold Ashanti at Arthur, Orla Mining at South Railroad and Solidus at Spring Valley. We list them here only as named projects, because the overview gives no resource or production figures for them.

Copper mining companies in Nevada

Nevada is a small copper producer next to Arizona, which makes about 70% of US copper according to the USGS 2026 copper summary. In 2024 the state’s copper mines produced about 144.9 million pounds worth US$673 million, a 31.9% rise in volume, and the Division of Minerals estimates 2025 output about 9% lower.

Two of them are the Robinson mine near Ely, operated by KGHM, and the Phoenix mine, part of NGM. Newmont describes Phoenix as a skarn-hosted polymetallic massive sulfide replacement deposit (a copper and gold deposit formed where hot fluids replaced limestone), with a mill that makes both a gravity gold concentrate and a copper-gold flotation concentrate. Barrick reports 109,000 ounces of gold from Phoenix on its share in 2025.

The restart to watch is Pumpkin Hollow. The Nevada Appeal reported in June 2026 that Nevada Copper filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2024, and that Kinterra Capital bought the mine site and infrastructure in October 2024 for US$128 million. Kinterra’s subsidiary Southwest Critical Minerals is working on an underground restart, and the company says it expects initial mining to produce about 228 million pounds of copper a year. The report adds that an EXIM Bank letter of interest covers up to US$200 million of debt financing, and that a feasibility study for the open pit is under way. These are company plans, not production.

▶ The seven environmental impacts of mining, explained in plain words. · 2:31

Lithium mining companies in Nevada

All US lithium production today comes from one place. The USGS says commercial-scale lithium production in the country is from a continental brine operation in Nevada, and withholds the tonnage to protect company data. That is Silver Peak in Clayton Valley, owned by Albemarle (Investing News Network, 2026). In February 2026 the Bureau of Land Management approved an expansion of the mine in Esmeralda County, which is now authorized to operate on 8,058 acres, including 1,601 public acres.

The big new project is Thacker Pass in Humboldt County, owned by Lithium Americas. In its second quarter 2026 results the company reported more than 1,600 workers on site and mechanical completion of the Phase 1 processing plant targeted for late 2027. A US Department of Energy loan had advanced US$1.209 billion in total by 30 June 2026, and the company had capitalised US$1.8 billion of construction and project costs. Investing News Network reports that the US government took a 5% stake in Lithium Americas through warrants in October 2025. In August 2026 Lithium Americas said it was targeting a new capital estimate by the end of the third quarter of 2026, which has now passed, so check its latest release for the updated cost.

Other lithium names on the Division of Minerals’ 2026 list are ioneer (Rhyolite Ridge), Nevada Lithium (Bonnie Claire), 3PL (Railroad Valley), ABTC (Tonopah Flats) and Surge Battery Metals (Nevada North). Spodumene, hard-rock lithium, is not what Nevada is known for: its lithium sits in clay and in brine, which are processed in different ways, and the economics are still being proven for the clay projects.

What do mining companies pay in Nevada?

Nevada’s mining taxes are unusual, and they are part of why companies report different margins here from elsewhere. Two taxes apply only to mining. The first is the Net Proceeds of Minerals tax, on gross proceeds less allowable deductions, on a sliding scale between 2% and 5%. In 2024, gross proceeds were US$9.7 billion and the tax paid was US$191 million, per the state overview. The second is a gold and silver excise tax introduced in 2021 on gross revenue of gold and silver projects: 0.75% on taxable revenue between US$20 million and US$150 million, and 1.1% above US$150 million. It raised US$36.9 million in 2022, US$68.3 million in 2023 and US$83.5 million in 2024. The Division of Minerals estimates total major taxes paid by the mining industry in 2024 at US$488.3 million, including sales and use tax of US$119.4 million and property tax of US$75.1 million.

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Cost per ounce at NGM has risen

All-in sustaining cost, US$ per oz

The calculator below applies the two excise rates to an operation of your size. It is a simplified reading of the rate bands on the state slide, so check the Nevada Department of Taxation’s rules before you rely on it.

How do you find out who owns a mining claim or project in Nevada?

For claims and notices, start with the Division of Minerals data portal (NDOMDATA), which the Division says holds mining claims, active and historic notices and plans, and production statistics, downloadable by the public. Federal claim status comes from the Bureau of Land Management’s mineral records system, and the Division’s overview shows a Western States case recordation viewer for it. Ownership of a project is easier: public companies file technical reports and annual reports that name the operator and the interests.

The rules that shape what can be built are also changing. The Greater Sage-Grouse land-use plan for Nevada and north-east California was approved on 22 December 2025 and guides about 16.2 million acres of BLM land. The federal FAST-41 permitting dashboard lists 56 mining projects, nine of them in Nevada. A bill in Congress, H.R. 7458, would raise the exploration disturbance limit for notice-level work from 5 to 25 acres; at the time of the Division’s May 2026 overview it had only been introduced. If you hold or plan to buy a claim, confirm the current rules with the regulator.

How satellites help screen ground in Nevada

Nevada’s gold sits in well-known belts such as the Carlin Trend, where altered rock leaves traces on the surface that satellites can map: clay and iron-oxide minerals, silica, and faults. Satellite data does not find gold directly. It helps a geologist decide where to send a field crew first, and the result is an exploration target, not a resource estimate. Farmonaut applies satellite data and AI to early-stage mineral exploration, and can screen a claim block from a KML, KMZ or polygon boundary in days rather than months; see our overview of mining technology trends.

Operators also track their sites with carbon footprint monitoring, fleet management and product traceability tools, and you can see the wider platform at farmonaut.com. For more on the state, read our guides to Walker Lane gold in Nevada and satellite gold exploration in the United States.

▶ How satellites help find gold by mapping the rock around it. · 4:25

If this topic matters to you, read Albemarle Joint Ventures: Who Owns Which Lithium Mine next.

Related reading on this site: Uranium Royalty Companies: Who Holds Uranium Royalties.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest mining company in Nevada?

By gold output it is the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, operated by Barrick with Newmont as 38.5% partner. Barrick’s 61.5% share alone produced 1.591 million ounces in 2025 (Barrick Annual Report 2025), which is about 2.59 million ounces at 100% by our arithmetic.

Who owns Nevada Gold Mines?

Barrick Mining Corporation owns 61.5% and operates it. Newmont owns 38.5%. In August 2026 the two agreed to expand the joint venture with Fourmile, Mike and Fiberline, with a US$1.95 billion top-up payment from Newmont to Barrick.

How much of US gold comes from Nevada?

The USGS says about 64% of US gold mine production in 2025. The Nevada Division of Minerals says about 70% for 2024.

Which mining companies in Nevada produce copper?

Nevada’s 2024 copper output came from several mines, including KGHM’s Robinson mine and NGM’s Phoenix mine. Pumpkin Hollow is a restart project, not a producer.

Which company produces lithium in Nevada?

Albemarle, from the Silver Peak brine operation in Clayton Valley. Thacker Pass, owned by Lithium Americas, is still under construction.

When will Thacker Pass start producing lithium?

Lithium Americas targets mechanical completion of the Phase 1 plant in late 2027. Mechanical completion means the plant is built, which comes before commissioning and the first product.

Is Nevada a good state for mining?

The Fraser Institute’s survey ranked Nevada first among mining jurisdictions in 2025, and the state describes its permitting as stable. That is one survey of company managers’ opinions, not a guarantee of any project’s approval.

How many people work in Nevada mining?

More than 14,000 in 2024, at an average yearly pay of US$121,000, per the Nevada Division of Minerals.

What taxes do Nevada mines pay?

Mines pay the Net Proceeds of Minerals tax (2% to 5% of net proceeds), the usual sales, property and business taxes. Gold and silver mines with more than US$20 million of revenue also pay the excise tax (0.75% and 1.1% bands). Together these came to about US$488 million in 2024.

Where can I check Nevada mining claims?

The Division of Minerals’ NDOMDATA portal for state data and the Bureau of Land Management’s mineral records system for federal claims. Confirm any claim’s status with the agency before you act on it.

Are there lithium mines in Nevada besides Silver Peak?

Not in production as of the 2026 sources we reviewed. Thacker Pass is in construction. Rhyolite Ridge and the other projects on the Division of Minerals’ 2026 list are not producing mines.