Working with Technology

Our mineralogy facility is equipped with “state-of-the-art” mineral analysis equipment that includes an automated Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with both the Tescan Integrated Mineral Analyser system (TIMA) and the Oxford Semi-Quantitative Elemental Analysis system. These two systems can provide accurate mineral identification and liberation/association information as well as quantitative mineral chemistry of the major elements in the mineral. These systems are supported with additional resources such as optical microscopy, Optical Image Analysis, mineral database software, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Our laboratory is also equipped with capabilities to prepare and upgrade samples by size, gravity, and flotation for the purpose of increasing precious metal content and base metal sulphides.

Our analyses include:

• Precious metal mineral deportment characterization (Au, Ag, PGM)

• Rapid Ore Characterisation (ROC)

• Size by size mineral liberation analysis

• Deleterious mineral/element content

• Performance Improvement Technology (PIT)

• Instrumentation census

• Instrumentation optimization

• Ore characterization benchmarking

• Grind size analysis and prediction

• Flotation or leach census

• Bottleneck determination

• Losses to tailings identification by TIMA

• Concentrate dilution identification by TIMA

• Lab work (as needed)

• Recovery optimization by integrated mineralogical characterisation

• Monthly Mineralogical Audit Analysis (MMAA)

• Porosity/permeability and solution ingress for heap leach characterisation

• Tailings and waste rock ARD analysis

• Petrographic Ore Mineral descriptions

• Petrogenetic analysis

Results include: Higher Tonnage – Cleaner Concentrate – Better Recovery