Small Mining Operations
Cyanide-Free Gold Separation
February 2011 by Chris Ralph
Some ores—mostly those with a high free gold content—are very amenable to gravity concentration. Well oxidized ores containing coarse gold are usually best for non-cyanide processes. Ores with significant sulfide content may require the...
Sixteen to One Gold Mine: Going Underground - Pt II
We descended hunched over, down a long, steep, wooden staircase to the 1,000-level.
A Few Methods for Sampling Hardrock Deposits
With a little homework and a methodical approach to sampling, a prospector can determine if a deposit is worthy of more of an investment...
Evolution Of A Gold Prospect
The adage of, “The harder I work, the luckier I get,” has profound meaning, but it doesn’t always apply to prospecting.
Excavator Testing Wet Placer Ground
The excavator or backhoe has become the tool of choice for testing placer ground. These machines are the best way to explore and sample a placer deposit if the ground is not too wet or frozen and bedrock is not beyond the reach of the machine.
The Highs and Lows of Drywashing
We were met with a plethora of mechanical problems with the dry washer and even a few with the excavator that were at times frustrating, but we were in this for the long haul, so we needed to solve these problems and move forward.
Why Haven't They Mined This Claim?
Improvements in mining equipment and techniques, along with a higher gold price, make many mining properties profitable today that may not have been in the past.
Using Countercurrent Material Flow to Improve Gold Recovery Efficiency
There is a material processing principle widely used in large milling operations to improve recovery that is poorly understood by most of the micro-mining and prospecting community...
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• Rediscovering Placerville, California
• Eastern Arizona: Gold and Base Metal Deposits—Part I
• Over The Divide—Daryl J. Nelson
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