Need help on lab result - Gold

[Henry10]

Original purpose of this sample(soil) lab test was for the (Fe) contents. However, it has "gold" as well. I am not familiar with gold measurement. I hope someone can tell me whether this is (gold) a good reading for gold or 30 ppm is too low for gold?

Test Description Analysis Result(s)

Iron (Fe) * 23.9 %w/w Titration
Silica (SiO2) * 9.6 %w/w Gravimetric
Sulphur (as S) * 0.01 %w/w C-S Analyzer
Phosphorus (as P2O5) * 0.4 %w/w Colorimetry
Aluminium (Al2O3) * 4.0 %w/w AAS / ICP
Gold * 30.1 ppm AAS / ICP
Copper (Cu) * 18.1 ppm AAS / ICP

 

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[Hoser John]

Way too low for economic viability for recovery as you have a very complex ore there analysis wise-John

 

[Henry10]

John,
Thanks for you information. what is the good reading (gold) for economic viability for recovery?

 

[KevinInColorado]

John, are you sure? The Carlin Trend deposits run really low but are economic. One piece I read said Newmont mining's ore ran 0.042 oz per ton. What is that in ppm?

In this case, once you've removed the iron, additional processing of the tailings might be practical to collect the gold (and maybe you'd get the copper too as a byproduct depending on the method of concentration).

 

[DesertNuggets]

30ppm = 0.003% gold

 

[KevinInColorado]

Yeah low. 30ppm = 0.003% gold

right, so what would 0.042 oz/ton be in ppm for comparison?

 

[DesertNuggets]

right, so what would 0.042 oz/ton be in ppm for comparison?

Its early. Here.

http://goldnerds.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30

30ppm = 0.003% = 30g / per ton

So maybe not so bad. Or maybe I did that wrong..

 

[johnnysau]

I'm coming up with .875 Ounces per ton, very rich on a home made calculator been right on the money on other calculations. Lab result, I would definitely talk to somebody in the KNOW.

.042 Ounce per ton = 1.5 PPM

Hey Henry that would be about 4.2 grains of gold per 20 LB pan of ore, is that what your seeing.

johnnysau

 

[Seden]

Guy's, you don't need to ask somebody else. Hoser John has been a professional Miner for decades and he knows of what he speaks. In other words keep prospecting as you are not there yet. Get yourself a White's GMT to use to detect the amount of Fe3O4 in the soil for starters. You didn't say if this sample was from hard rock or placer. If hard rock borrow a Gamma Scintillator as that will lead you to potential pay areas in a very fast manor. If placer then the GMT comes into play as your Geophysical prospecting equipment. You should get that gold test kit as that makes the job faster if you're too far away from the source of the gold. When your gold test kit shows a nice dark purple stain (purple of cassias test) on the ol' paper towel, then it's worth paying for the analysis. Just my 2 cents worth from my prospecting.

Randy

 

[Mad Machinist]

Interesting. I had on old timer tell me a long time ago to convert ppm to ounces multiply the ppm x .0358 to convert the metric long ton (2200 lbs) and ppm x.032 to convert the Standard American short ton (2000 lbs)

So 30.1 ppm x .032 = 0.96 oz/ton.

I do see where John is coming from though. That many things in the mix could be a nightmare to process.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Its early. Here.

Facts, Figures and Info on Gold - GoldNerds

30ppm = 0.003% = 30g / per ton

So maybe not so bad. Or maybe I did that wrong..

30 grams/ton / 28 g/oz = 1.058 oz/ton

I think we are all in the ball park.

 

[Henry10]

Guy's, you don't need to ask somebody else. Hoser John has been a professional Miner for decades and he knows of what he speaks. In other words keep prospecting as you are not there yet. Get yourself a White's GMT to use to detect the amount of Fe3O4 in the soil for starters. You didn't say if this sample was from hard rock or placer. If hard rock borrow a Gamma Scintillator as that will lead you to potential pay areas in a very fast manor. If placer then the GMT comes into play as your Geophysical prospecting equipment. You should get that gold test kit as that makes the job faster if you're too far away from the source of the gold. When your gold test kit shows a nice dark purple stain (purple of cassias test) on the ol' paper towel, then it's worth paying for the analysis. Just my 2 cents worth from my prospecting.

Randy

Randy,
The sample that i took was not from hard rock. It was a soil direct from the ground. The area is high "Fe". You can tell from the soil's color (red brown - some areas are dark brown)

 

[KevinInColorado]

Well, 1 oz per ton is rich enough to investigate further to see if John's concerns about the chemistry can be economically resolved. Good luck!

 

[highdesertranger]

31.1g to an ounce. troy. highdesertranger

 

[Hoser John]

First -.1=tenths---.01=hundredths---.001=thousandths---.0001=ten thousandths----.00001=one hundred thousandths-----.000001=millionths. There now the math is right. With all the other metals present in forms many 1,000s a times more prevelent and MUCH more complexing any/all recovery efforts that the ungodly miniscule amount of gold is not economically viable to process. Think of seawater as same-jewish and arabic nations who have the absolute best refinery proceses for desalination,largest on the planet also , cannot extract gold as,same as your situation, extraction costs more than you can get for recovery costs as economic viability prohibitive. Thank you Randy for your confidence as I do appreciate a voice of reason when the lynch mobs form. Still lookn' forward to seeya in simi-John

 

[chlsbrns]

Mining companies will and do mine property with a whole lot less then 30ppm. 1 ppm is usually enough and economically viable.

"Gold is generally extracted in open-pit mines at 1 to 2 ppm (parts per million) but in certain cases, 0.75ppm gold is economical" From: Open-pit mining - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Goldrich Mining Company - Little Squaw Unearths More Good Gold Values in Chandalar Trenching (10ppm)

Goldstrike Discovers 5.3 Grams Per Tonne Gold in Outcrop on New 4 km Gold Trend | MINING.com

Note that there are 1,000 grams in a kilogram and 1,000 kilograms in a tonne, so that 1 gram/tonne = 1 ppm. From: Mining Journal - Mining 101

 

[chlsbrns]

1 yard of dirt = (approximately) 1.45 tons of dirt
The above is a function guideline, but it really depends on the type of dirt in question, and how wet that dirt is.

Keene claims that it's 2" backpack dredge is capable of 1.5 yards an hour. That would be over 2 tons an hour. At 30ppm thats just shy of 2 ounces of gold an hour.

If we cut that in half and say it does a ton an hour 30ppm is ever so slightly short of one ounce of gold an hour.

Cut that in half? 1/2 oz gold an hour.

In half again 1/4 oz/hour.

I would question the assay as 30ppm is an awful lot of gold!

 

[Henry10]

First -.1=tenths---.01=hundredths---.001=thousandths---.0001=ten thousandths----.00001=one hundred thousandths-----.000001=millionths. There now the math is right. With all the other metals present in forms many 1,000s a times more prevelent and MUCH more complexing any/all recovery efforts that the ungodly miniscule amount of gold is not economically viable to process. Think of seawater as same-jewish and arabic nations who have the absolute best refinery proceses for desalination,largest on the planet also , cannot extract gold as,same as your situation, extraction costs more than you can get for recovery costs as economic viability prohibitive. Thank you Randy for your confidence as I do appreciate a voice of reason when the lynch mobs form. Still lookn' forward to seeya in simi-John

John, thanks for the input. I am totally new to this (never pan for gold - just do my research few weeks ago and find out this helpful website).

Should i look for the hard rocks in surrounding area (from what i read gold is from hard rock and when it loosen up it goes to the ground)? Or should I do more lab tests (from soil/dirt) on surrounding area?

Is there a basic test(s)/step(s) that i can do if i want to further the investigation?

 

[golden ray]

1 (one) oz. per ton=34.2857 parts per million.
Most people will drop the numbers to the right of the decimal point &
read it as 1 OPT=34 PPM. Which is well worth chasing after.
My suggestion is that the next time you get an assay, request that
the results be given to you in 'oz. per ton' or 'percentages'
This seems to make it easier for most people to understand.
John is correct, you would spend more money extracting the gold then
the value you would receive.

 

[Henry10]

New update: the expert team did a test with cyanite and the result is positive (there was gold in the soil). But they said it was not economically workable without any further explanation. Should I just giving up? Or keep trying?
Some soils in the area are respond to my Garrett pro pinpointer. Any helps or suggestions are welcome.
Hope someone still follow this post.