A way to Analyze Ore Samples in the Field

If you ever wanted instant analysis of a sample or ore while prospecting or exploring in a remote area the portable X-ray Fluorescence Meter is just what you want.  They are pretty pricey, but can be rented from various sources for around $500 per day.

A hand held portable x-ray fluorescence meter made in China

There are a number of companies manufacturing portable x-ray fluorescence meters used for identifying different elements in the field whether prospecting or any of a variety of other ways where specific analyses of any chemical element is required.  With one of these meters you can determine the composition of any mineral right in the field without having to take samples home that are later sent to a lab for analysis.

The meter also has many applications in the environmental field among them are identifying lead based paint and other contaminants in the field.  The device will identify all the heavy metals as well as other contaminants.  The EPA and other government bodies use the technology for protecting the public from dangerous substances because of its fast, nondestructive, fast and is capable of being hand-held. 

It is regularly used in the mining industry for field sampling in mineral exploration work in active mining to effectively trace ore shoots.  With this device it is possible to know what you are dealing with eliminating the need to send samples to an outside lab thereby saving time and costs.    

Different XRF meters by Niton being used to analyze copper wire in the field for its gold content.

The best thing about these devices is they are all hand held about the size of an electric drill.  One of these units can be carried in a holster like a pistol, and in fact are pistol shaped.  The whole instrument ready to use only weighs around 11 pounds (5.5 kg).  They are capable of identifying up to 25 elements at a time that are displayed on a screen at the back of the device.  Not only does the device tell you what elements are present, but also indicates how abundant they are.

The Difference between Mining, Quarrying & Prospecting

Mining, Quarrying & Prospecting are one of man’s oldest endeavors from the time he picked up the first rock from the surface of the earth.  That simple action, a form of surface mining started the whole practice of mining that has come down thru time to the present.  Mining over the years since the first man picked up that first rock has divided into a many faceted industry.  What used to be as simple as bending over and picking up a pebble has burgeoned into the monstrous endeavor of today with their great mining machines.  Some of these machines are so big they will boggle your mind.  Today’s mining industry has come along way since its simple beginnings.  Now we have the vast pits from surface mining, other mines are deep underground sometimes miles into the earth.  Most of these mines are developed to produce minerals of value either metal ores or industrial minerals.

Quarrying no doubt is the senior practice of extracting materials from the earth unlike a mine the quarry operator is more intent on extracting earth materials whether they be stone, sand & gravel, or clay.  These earth materials require little or no work to prepare them for the market and their ultimate use.  Many of these materials are used in the construction industry where they are often termed building materials.  As a rule they are sold as-is straight from the quarry in what is called crushed stone where the rock is crushed into small fragments or as dimension stone where the stone stays as it is from the quarry although some of this stone is “dressed” for its final use.  Some quarries are called cement quarries where the product is crushed then put through a rotary kiln to produce Portland cement.  Producing sand & gravel production is another form quarrying where the earth materials are already reduced to fragments by natural action requiring nothing more then to be screened and washed, loaded and put on a truck.  Clay is another product of quarrying where the clay is used for brick making or ceramics.

Neither of these operations would exist if it were not for the prospector.  He is often pictured by the public as a bearded old cuss leading a donkey through the desert with a load of tools and supplies on the donkey with a gold pan in his other hand looking for the next strike.  This picture of a prospector is a far cry from this popular picture.  The prospector is someone that goes out into often unexplored territory searching for gold or some other mineral.  In the past he used his eyes examining every outcrop or tested the gravel deposits carefully in every stream looking for paydirt.  Today’s prospector often goes by the name of “exploration geologist with a whole plethora of electronic instruments to aid him in his search, but the two most valuable tools are his eyes, a pick and shovel and a gold pan.