RE:Gold miningToday, likely even more so in the future, the handling of the waste generated is a very important consideration. No longer can mines just build mounds of rock that they have excavated.
This might turn out to be a consideration. Once all the economic ore has been removed then the waste can be dumped there. A major consideration is that the gold is such a small portion of what is wanted that leaves a huge quantity of rock needing a place of disposal.
For this reason alone they will not be able to economically exaction all the gold by open pit.