From America’s First Gold Mine to Modern Scanning: OKM at Reed Gold Mine

Ağustos 25, 2025

When Mark Harris, Managing Director of OKM Americas, recently visited the Reed Gold Mine in North Carolina, he didn’t go merely as a tourist - he went as an explorer. There, deep inside the historic mine and across its former workings, he used the OKM Rover C4 to perform a Mineral Scan, successfully detecting naturally occurring gold deposits beneath the ground. This fusion of modern geophysics and rich mining history illustrates how OKM is pushing the boundaries of non-invasive exploration, even at sites more than two centuries old.

The Legacy of Reed Gold Mine

The Reed Gold Mine in North Carolina is considered the birthplace of America’s gold industry. In 1799, young Conrad Reed discovered a 17-pound gold nugget in Little Meadow Creek, sparking the nation’s first gold rush. By 1803, organized mining began on the property, starting with simple panning before expanding into underground vein mining by the 1840s.

For more than a century, Reed and nearby mines played a vital role in the local economy before operations ceased in the early 20th century. Today, the site is preserved as a state historic landmark, offering visitors a glimpse into America’s earliest gold mining heritage.

Entrance of the Reed Gold Mine

The Mineral Scan in Historical Ground: Mark Harris’s Mission

Mark Harris brought the OKM Rover C4 to Reed Gold Mine to see how modern technology would perform in a site rich in history. Using Mineral Scan mode, Mark detected strong signals consistent with naturally occurring gold deposits. These results echoed historical records of the area and demonstrated that, even after more than a century of inactivity, residual gold can be identified underground. The successful scan confirmed the sensitivity of OKM’s detectors and showed how non-invasive methods can reveal new insights in places once thought to be fully mined out.

Reed Gold Mine scan
Potential gold deposits at the Reed Gold Mine have been visualized using the Mineral Scan results from the OKM Rover C4.
Inside the Gold Mine.
Gold-bearing rock formations inside Reed Gold Mine.

Why Non-Invasive Exploration Matters (and What the Whitepaper Shows)

The results at Reed Gold Mine underline why reliable data is essential in modern gold exploration. Blind digging belongs to the past - today, efficiency and sustainability depend on scanning methods that reveal where true potential lies. This is exactly where our WhitePaper, “Advanced Mineral Scanning with OKM Detectors,” becomes valuable.

In it, OKM experts Frank Casser and Enrico Guenther share field-tested insights from projects in Guyana, the USA, and Brazil, showing how Mineral Scan technology identifies gold veins in complex terrains. The paper explains how detectors support all stages of the mining cycle - from the first exploration steps to long-term monitoring - and even illustrates what a genuine gold signal pattern looks like.

For anyone interested in turning raw scan results into actionable knowledge, the WhitePaper is a practical guide that connects real-world case studies with hands-on applications. It’s the perfect next step for readers inspired by the Reed Mine scans who want to understand the broader potential of OKM’s technology.

WhitePaper – free download

Mark Harris performing Mineral Scan

From History to Innovation

Mark Harris’s visit to the Reed Gold Mine shows how modern geophysics can bring new insights to historic sites. With the OKM Rover C4, OKM demonstrates that even long-closed mines may still reveal hidden potential. For deeper insights, explore our WhitePaper “Advanced Mineral Scanning with OKM Detectors” - a practical guide with case studies and tips on interpreting Mineral Scan results.



Natural Gold Vein Detected with Rover C4 in Brazil
Mayıs 08, 2024

Brezilya'da altın damarı keşfedildi OKM Rover C4

OKM ile Brezilya'nın gizli altın rezervlerini keşfederken bize katılın Rover C4. Brezilya'nın doğal altın arayışındaki merkezi rolünden zengin altın madenciliği ...

Guyana Gold Discoveries: Successful Prospecting after OKM Detector Training
Ağustos 10, 2024

Guyana Altın Keşifleri: OKM Dedektör Eğitiminden Sonra Başarılı Maden Arama Çalışmaları

OKM uzmanı Frank, altın aramaya yönelik OKM dedektörleri konusunda eğitim vermek üzere Guyana'ya gitti. Zengin doğal altın yataklarıyla bilinen bölge, ...

1st OKM Dealer Summit in Charlotte, NC (USA)
Temmuz 20, 2023

Charlotte, ABD'de 1. OKM Bayi Zirvesi

OKM Detectors'ün dönüm noktası, Kuzey ve Latin Amerika'da genişlemenin önünü açıyor.

Mükemmel OKM dedektörünüzü bulun