Mark, if I may, I would like to offer a potential explanation.
Now, this is not an excuse or even an account of specific fact but more a conclusion based on observation of real events.
Let's say that early on, the previous management (heretoafter referred to as PM) had tried to have FL ore tested for .... anything. Whatever was in there. Studies of the area indicated there could be gold, platinum etc. so they sent the stuff off for testing. All they would need is some sporadic results to get the interest level that something really is there, which from some very old SFA testing we know did indeed happen. At some point in time, not long after this phase started, some fringe scientists, who could smell blood, convinced PM to try some "unique" methods to discover the "true value" of the ore.
Well, PM, being non mining experts said "sure, what the heck" and suddenly there were results that went off the chart and instead of PM perfecting and clarifying SFA testing, PM shifted gears to these much higher results, albeit much less acceptable practices. PM not knowing how difficult it would be to gain industry acceptance, said to themselves, " who cares, when we announce ___ opt gold, we will get all the attention we want and SOMEBODY will want the FL ore body".
Well, we know from the parade of "black box" scientists trying and failing with the FL ore that they were open to ANYONE who could come up with these unbelievable numbers with some degree of consistancy. But no one was successful. That is until J/L convinced them that they had the problem licked.
Now let me stand back for a minute and say that all along, I do believe that PM honestly believed there were precious metals at FL but all along they had no real handle on how to PROVE what was in the ground. So I don't believe there was any kind of fraud going on, but bearing in mind that well into this program Bre-X hit the front pages,
I do believe there was poor advice on the part of key people to continue on the path of non conventional testing.
Back to my personal take on the history.
Only after many, many, many attempts at repeating the results with mixed or poor results did it even become a consideration to abandon the multiple opt dream and settle back into the industry accepted SFA with > ounce results.
And only after the removal of PM did it become possible to aggressively pursue corrective action on renewing the path of perfecting the process of SFA to the satisfaction of industry experts.
OK. Here is why I think it makes sense.
If you had no idea what the level of resistance was in the industry to special testing, why wouldn't you pursue what you were being shown as SPECTACULAR results? Why not risk another year of testing to prove what would be the gold supply for the next 100 years instead of messing around with simply the world largest deposit? For someone NOT from the industry, it's a pretty simple decision to take the gamble since that was what it started as anyway.
Now that Mr. Norton has had the chance to work with the FL ore, and having experience with breaking down complex mineral content into a workable ore, it is possible to get good results only because it is the first time a real industry EXPERT EVEN TRIED to get good, standard, NOT spectacular results. This is NOT a sudden occurance so much as it is a NATURAL occurance when an expert goes to work on a specific challenge.
There you have it. Not mystery to me at all. Naxos had some SFA results years ago, they played with everything BUT SFA while Rome was burning and now the fire is out, and here we are back with SFA results, but now, with an expert at the helm, consistant results.
Go ahead everyone, take your best shots!
P.S. I'm not doing any copy check on this one. Out of time.
Regards,
Tom F. |
