Jeffrey; Normally the professionalism of the geologist is at the crux of this situation, along with that of the drillers, assayers, freight service et al. If the drillers try to salt the core the geologist should be there at all times(or his trusted rep) so they cannot, the assay labs are kept in line by numbering strategies(including blank samples, and simple numbers to a look up table so the assay lab cannot get hole location data from the sample #) (By the way, any assay lab ever caught salting is finished in the industry, it is rare in the extreme) The geological team is expected to keep all in the sample custody chain in line so that the company has trustable data. Normally you can learn what parts of the core have gold and what do not, and then avoid assaying th barren parts as the program continues. Occasional assays of barren looking rock are done to be on the safe side. To salt a deposit so that a logical 3D view is built up over time is difficult, but not impossible. The salter would have to make sure he kept some sort of reserve shape consistent with the various rocks brought up(so Barren lavas are not suddenly gold full) Joe Blow driller would not have the smarts to do it and keep it consistent. The freight company and assay labs would also have great problems doing it. It must be a person at the heart of it all, whom I call the gatekeeper of the samples. There is no way to discredit DeGuzman or anyone else at this time. All there are are suspicions, and good logic like"they could not have done all those thousands of sample", which is no logic at all, like saying the Egyptians could not have built the pyramids. The sampling assaying, and POSSIBLE salting are a large number of small steps, each of which is simple to do, and as long as there was a plan easily doable.
There is no way in logic that you can answer this question absolutely right now. The DD now being done will go a long way towards explaining this. There are 6 holes, 2 twins of BRE-X holes, and 2 twins of Freeport holes and 2 in the deposit that should confirm as infill holes. The entire drilled core has been taken to Perth Australia , and will be measured, sampled and assayed in triplicate by three independent labs, very closely watched. Right now itis a gamble, read whose post you like and place your bets. Downside risk is around $2 US and upside potential is around $10-12 US(it could be more if they ever get to 200Million ounces)
Bill Jackson |
