Picks & Pans: Gold Recovery in Placer Mining Operations

August 1999 by Staff

The Birimian Greenstone Belts of West Africa

June 2013
A few years ago I had a tremendous opportunity to visit Australia and hunt for gold there. The geology of the gold deposits there was somewhat different from what I was used to here in the US. I learned a lot about greenstone belt gold deposits while prospecting them in person, and it was an amazing trip.

Prospecting for Diamonds in Kimberlite

January 2014
Kimberlite is very difficult for geologists to find, let alone prospectors and rock hounds. This is because kimberlite is rarely exposed on the surface and few people know how to identify the rock.

Exploring and Mining for Uranium

August 2011
For a time uranium was more popular with prospectors than gold, but this is no longer true, and it has been decades since it was common to see individuals armed with Geiger counters out in the field.

Picks & Pans: Gold Recovery in Placer Mining Operations

August 1999
Two of the major factors affecting the profitability of a placer mining enterprise are the relative efficiency of the mining equipment, and the rate and percentage of recovery obtained while conducting mining operations.

All About Pyrite

January 2015
Most prospectors learn early that pyrite is fool's gold...but the truth is it can be an excellent indicator mineral for gold and in many cases does contain small amounts of gold.

Iron Ores and Iron Mining

September 2015
For more than 40 years, iron ore prices have been decided by private negotiations conducted between the largest of the iron miners and the largest steel producers. These two sides dominate both the spot and contract iron ore markets.

Gold Refining In The Ancient World

March 2015

One thing that stood out for me is that Agricola was very specific about the type of metal or wood in the implements and vessels that were to be used.

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