Remote Prospecting

[geowizard]

Hi Guys and gals, fellow prospectors,

Gold prices are at history setting high levels! Now is the time to get out and get going! Right?

Get going where, Geowizard?

There are thousands of NEW GOLD discoveries that have been revealed over the recent past several decades in Alaska! The State of Alaska has been surveying every mining district with an airborne metal detector known as DIGHEM. Search the Forum for DIGHEM to get more details. I have been involved for twelve years seeking NEW Gold and Silver deposits that have never been discovered. They are in many cases REMOTE. Having never been discovered, there was no reason to build a road! There are many challenges for a Remote Prospector!

I would like to open discussion on the topic!

- Geowizard

 

[k0bgalan]

I suspect the old-time prospectors died young, due to the extreme labor required. Don't you feel lucky you had those skidders?

 

[geowizard]

Moving pieces are a blessing and a curse;

In my remote mining venture as in any venture needing seed money, I was fortunate through running an ad campaign to be contacted by an investor. The investor was from a culture where financial gain comes most often from swindling others.

I was operating a remote gold mining property in Alaska without sufficient funding. I had previously been developing a lead-zinc-silver mine, the largest privately owned underground mine in Arizona. That mine had an investor that needed "a story". The silver mine was unknowing to me, the "vehicle" for an investment opportunity for seniors to invest in Silver. The investor sold more silver than he had. The feds busted him. He went to a well known grey bar hotel in Kansas. I had owned "the vehicle" but was not the driver. I had sold the vehicle to the investor prior to his ultimate arrest. I helped the feds sell the mine/vehicle to satisfy the otherwise potentially fleeced seniors.

Back to part two:

In Alaska, a second investor enters. I offer to sell 50 percent interest in a gold mine for $1M. The investor throws down $.1M and asks for 50 percent in "good faith" so that he may get additional investment from his investors. I agreed. We signed an agreement. I granted 50 percent membership in the mining company (an LLC) to the investor. No further investment was made as per the terms of the agreement.

I cut the investor to 10 percent membership in the LLC. Then to zero percent. He sued. I contacted my attorney, one of the two most famous attorneys in Alaska. The investor quietly went away and never returned.

An exercise in logistics:

I had one Bobcat skid-steer in AZ. I bought a Dodge 3500 4x4 and a trailer and hauled the Bobcat to Seattle. The Bobcat was shipped with a second Bobcat by barge to Anchorage. Both were flown by '737 air freighter to an interior village, barged down the river to a landing and "roaded" 40 miles over snow drifted roads to the mine.

That was the "blessing part".

- Geowizard

 

[geowizard]

The curse;

Equipment comes at a cost. The greatest cost is not monetary, it's in the nickel and dime parts that are "show stoppers".

Hence, TWO Skid-steers. I originally planned for three! A second machine provides backup. The real lessons learned by our predecessors includes the need for spares. "Spares" in this case includes a list of spare parts that represent the root causes of the most common failure modes in the specific pieces of equipment in our operation.

Think rubber...

Drive belts, accessory belts
Hydraulic seals/o-rings
Hydraulic hoses
fuel hoses
Radiator hoses
Tires

Petroleum products on the short list:
Grease
Oils
lubricants
Antifreeze

All show stoppers!

- Geowizard

 

[geowizard]

Everything runs on batteries!

Load up on spares! Or... wait and shut down. Then... spend a day of lost production going to get replacements! I'm talking having your own battery store of everything from watch batteries to the best 12V or 24V batteries you can lay your hands on!

Battery chargers deserve their own thread on the TN forum!

- Geowizard

 

[Mine Shaft]

General costs for remote work in Alaska?

You asked a good question Assembler! I too would like to know or say get a quote. I don't think he gave you a ball park $$$ what it would cost to fly into the back country and use this High Tech Equipment to locate hidden Gold/Silver etc, I was in business for 40 years and when a customer asked me for a Quote I would gladly give them one free of charge. I generated a quote from ether a blueprint/prototype or sketch.

 

[geowizard]

You must be kidding. Nobody gives quotes on a public forum! It's not even a realistic question to ask.
Every quote has to be based on a specification made by a potential customer.
You aren't a potential customer. Too many variables. The very question qualifies as a disingenuous inquiry. You can't be taken serious.

Nobody gives quotes on an unknown pie in the sky query, with an unknown objective and unknown agenda. You are dismissed!

- Geowizard

 

[Mine Shaft]

Oh wait your not a C.M. otherwise you could Buy & Sale on that page. My bad lol.

 

[Assembler]

You asked a good question Assembler! I too would like to know or say get a quote. I don't think he gave you a ball park $$$ what it would cost to fly into the back country and use this High Tech Equipment to locate hidden Gold/Silver etc, I was in business for 40 years and when a customer asked me for a Quote I would gladly give them one free of charge. I generated a quote from ether a blueprint/prototype or sketch.

The cost of extracting values in very remote places is got to be way higher. Some ballpark example figures should reflect this.

 

[Mine Shaft]

I wonder if I can read some reviews about his service ?

 

[geowizard]

Bad actors;

With all due respect, nothing in the recent posts made a contribution to the content of this thread. Although within the bounds of acceptable free speech on the TN forum, bad actors may be dealt with accordingly.

In my content, I respect appropriate contributions made by others and reply in a respectable manner. I only expect the same in return.

Ed. Note: Removed actors names to protect the innocent!

- Geowizard

 

[Assembler]

Bad actors;

With all due respect, nothing in the recent posts by Mine Shaft and Assembler made a contribution to the content of this thread. Although within the bounds of acceptable free speech on the TN forum, bad actors will be dealt with accordingly.

In my content, I respect appropriate contributions made by others and reply in a respectable manner. I expect the same in return.

- Geowizard

A simple example of doubling the costs or more in the lower 48 States of mining would be a realistic example for anyone considering remote activities in Alaska.
What equipment is unable to work without sinking deep in the permafrost is a very big issue would be a great example to consider.
What kind of cost to one's life if simple factors are not taken seriously?

 

[Mine Shaft]

I'm not putting you down sorry if I came across that way. I have been prospecting for only 7 years on my own Claim and have found a decent amount of Gold, its fun and it gets me out of the house. I have reached out to members to join me on my claim and said what they find they keep in return maybe gain a little knowledge and insight into metal detecting and there thoughts about where to look and prospect. The fun in prospecting is finding Gold not paying someone to tell me where its at. Good luck on your ventures.

 

[Assembler]

I'm not putting you down sorry if I came across that way. I have been prospecting for only 7 years on my own Claim and have found a decent amount of Gold, its fun and it gets me out of the house. I have reached out to members to join me on my claim and said what they find they keep in return maybe gain a little knowledge and insight into metal detecting and there thoughts about where to look and prospect. The fun in prospecting is finding Gold not paying someone to tell me where its at. Good luck on your ventures.

Thank you for your sharing and input.

 

[geowizard]

Questions and queries abound on the subject of Remote Prospecting;

That's the reason I started the thread!

I spent years and contributed thousands of posts on another Forum on this and related topics. Remote Prospecting has so many challenges and things to consider! So many in fact, that wannabe prospectors scratch it off of their bucket lists!

My objective is sharing the experience and helping others cross the bridge!

- Geowizard

 

[Assembler]

Questions and queries abound on the subject of Remote Prospecting;

That's the reason I started the thread!

I spent years and contributed thousands of posts on another Forum on this and related topics. Remote Prospecting has so many challenges and things to consider! So many in fact, that wannabe prospectors scratch it off of their bucket lists!

My objective is sharing the experience and helping others cross the bridge!

- Geowizard

Even in the lower 48 States one may now have to work fairly remotely if trying to extract values.

 

[Mine Shaft]

I just wish I could move some of these 3-4-6 ton boulders to see what's under them lol ⛏️

 

[Assembler]

I just wish I could move some of these 3-4-6 ton boulders to see what's under them lol ⛏️

Well, the more remote the boulders are the less options you likely have.
Old fashion levers could be the ticket?
Explosives are likely out of the equation?

Drilling and cracking up the boulders are a solution for removal.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Yep Drilling and Cracking and 20-30 years younger lol.

 

[Assembler]

Yep Drilling and Cracking and 20-30 years younger lol.

Well, the saying goes 'No guts, no glory'..........LOL.

You should be able to probe under the boulders for test samples.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Good idea Assembler maybe dig a good 1-3 feet under it that sucker ain't going no where lol. I guess now is a good time seance the Water is not flowing in the River just got to stock pile it on the bank and wait for winter storms to come.