Hi Andy, Splitting an individual sample for separate assay is a...

Hi Andy,

Splitting an individual sample for separate assay is a different check procedure. I was talking about the sample procedure for ascertaining the distribution of the gold (and other metals) down the length of the hole, which is essential for defining a mineral resource. In fact it's impossible to properly define a minable resource without doing this as you can't determine the deposits ore boundaries without knowing how the gold is distributed and hence you can't make a mine plan. (ie differentiate the waste from the ore which is what determines the geometry of your pit shell for open pit mining and your stope locations and stoping method for underground mining). Anyone telling you any different to this simply doesn't know anything about mineral resource definition and mining.

Assaying material from a split of a drill interval or re-assaying the same sample from a drill interval are checks that you do to determine how reproducible your measurements are and are routinely done in all resource definition work. If it is not possible to reproduce an assay to within a certain limit then that can either indicate that your assay technique is at fault or there is a certain property of the sample (ore) that is unusual. If it is a property of the sample (ore) that is responsible for the variability in your measurement then you need to investigate/change different procedures in your assay preparation and or analysis technique to try and understand where the irreproducibility is originating from.Esh