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Gold/Mining/Energy : BRE-X, Indonesia, Ashanti Goldfields, Strong Companies.
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To: alan holman who wrote (25318)6/7/1997 8:54:00 AM
From: Aurum   of 28369
 
Alan, sorry that I have not replied to your questions. I did write several pages but I got so worked up I hit a wrong key and lost the lot. I will post a reply in a day or so - I will also be posting something on Lew Greens article and on the dispute between ole 49r and Bill. I agree with Bill but Ole 49r is worth listening to when she doesn't get carried away and start nit picking. For example, her reference to the terminology "Minus 80 mesh" is correct - But in the assaying industry (at least in Australia) "grind to 80 mesh" means exactly the same thing. Ole 49r's complaint that grinding ore samples to "minus 80 mesh" is difficult or exceptional, is just not true. In Australia it is no big deal to get an assaying company to completely grind a sample to "minus 80 mesh". I have had many 5 kilogram samples treated this way for "screen fire assays". However, before Ole 49r gets her hair in a knot I would hasten to explain that a small percentage of the sample will still be retained on the 80 mesh screen. It is often nearly impossible to grind an ore sample so that all of it passes a certain mesh size (It can be done but it is very tedious). In my 5 kg ore samples the 20-30 grams of material that resists normal efforts to grind it smaller is recovered, all of it is placed in an assay crucible (pot) and a fire assay is carried out on this material. Thus, any gold that is retained on the 80 mesh screen is totally assayed. The minus 80 mesh material is the properly mixed and sampled, and duplicate fire assays are done on this material. To get the final assay the total amount of gold in the sample is calculated from these three fire assays.

Regarding Ole 49r's difficulty with grinding ore to minus 80 mesh - I suggest that she check up on the standard procedure used to treat the Rand (South Africa) gold ores. They introduced the "all sliming process" before 1920 I seem to remember. In this process the gold ore (quartz, sediments, quartz, containing pyrite and gold) is ground down so that all of it passes a 200 mesh screen (minus 200 mesh). They have recovered about 100,000 tons of gold this way so they would appear to know what they are doing.

PS there is little point in arguing (although I will) about possible theoretical flaws in Stratcona's assays - there is a mountain of other data to demonstrate that there is no significant (payable) orebody at Busang. The geologists have gone quiet haven't they? Trying to keep under cover and divert peoples attention from more serious issues. Many scams that have happened in Australia have had the same ingredient - an attempt was made to cast doubt on the assay labs.

My definition of some geologists (not all, I would hasten to add) is somebody who thinks they can pick up one rock, put it in a bag, give it to an assay company with vague instructions, and expect to get some sort of meaningful result. Many geologists check up on the assaying (so they think) by putting two rocks from the same general locality in two separate bags, and think the assay labs are crooked when they get two diffent results. I talked to one of these smart alecks a couple of years ago - I have since noticed that his company his company got into trouble with a "disappearing" orebody and has since gone tits up.

Regarding ole 49r - she mentioned a "Dutch Uncle" in one of her recent posts. As ole 49r doesn't appear much procifiency in the English language I wondered if she might not be Felderhofs mother? She appears to be finding all sorts of excuses for him.

Till next time - and remember I'm ten hours ahead of you - permanently.
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