RE: RE: RE: RE: Limestone host rock- Cobalt additi
Each ore body is unique. But the one ore body I cited of the nickel sulphide, would not be remotely minable if it did not respond to DMS. More than 95% or the host rock is separated. DMS doesn't really concentrate up the sulphide or oxide ore as much as it simply separates it from the host rock and leaves only the more valuable ore with its metal content.
Another gold resource that I know of would be perfect if the DMS worked, but the host rock density was too close to the ore body density and DMS would not work. 0 X.
It depends on how the % metal is reported too. If the %age of metal in the core includes the limestone portion(dilutant), and that is removed by DMS a much higher X could be expected. The X would be in a proportional ratio to the host rock removed. If the metal is a % of the mineralized sulphide/oxide etc. , excluding the limestone in the core length portion, (selective core sample), then DMS may only slightly separate some of it......... if any (not generally worth the effort, but you never know without the test).
But it does not factor up a "resource estimate" at all, as per your question. The estimate remains constant as contained in the 43-101, but what it could do, is remove the valuable portion of the resource, leaving the barren host rock behind. The term concentration is really an expression of convenience (perceived), while separation is a more true reference. The greater efficiency in separation the better!
A project I worked on in the NWT had 3 oz/ton elemental gold. A ton has 29,170 ozs. of material. When the 3 oz. of gold were recovered via a vortex seperator (a type of DMS) you can see the the X factor is very high although the total amount of gold does not change. So this is a good example of which is easier and cheaper to ship and refine....3 ozs. or 1 ton.
In any case, we will have to wait until the lab verifies if DMS can even be used in this case......as stated before....each ore body has its own "personality" with its quirks and unknowns. We (or I) didn't even know there was Cobalt present till today?
Enough of DMS
Solver