Kupol Gold Mine, Bilibinsky District, Chukotka, Siberia, Russia

Sixty percent of the gold, which is mined for doré bars, is mined underground. Workers in the deepest parts of the mine operate machinery via remote control to reduce the chance of being trapped by rock falls.
Between January and April, the only land access to Kupol is via a 360-kilometre (220 mi) winter road from the port of Pevek. Kinross rebuilds this road each year between November and January, with construction requiring a temperature of −25 °C (−13 °F) or less. Equipment, supplies, and fuel which will be needed during the winter months must be ordered two years in advance and shipped to Pevek, which is open only during the summer for three months. In 2008, the winter road accommodated 1,944 truck trips for the delivery of 3,000 container units, 60,000 tonnes of supplies, and 25,000 tonnes of diesel fuel. At all other times of year, Kupol is accessible only via helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.