ELECTRUM + ( LEAD GALENA ) ( pay close attention ) Electrum:
gold, mercury, copper, silver, iron, lead, tin
Galena:
Lead, Sulpur ( sulphide )
Wellgreen ore characterization:
3.5% Raw Tonnage = Galena ( lead )
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53197043368_081a8903e4_c.jpg
Platinum group minerals = strongly associated = 4 main minerals
- Lead
- Tellerium
- Tin
- Antimony
Lead, Tellurium, Antimony
These 3 main mineral constituents only dissolve in,
= Nitric acid
They go unaffected in, HCl.
AQUA REGIA
4 PART ACID DIGESTION - aqua regia
A four-acid digestion utilises a combination of nitric, perchloric,
and hydrofluoric acids with a final dissolution stage using hydrochloric acid.
Based on 4 part acid ratio
Would this not mean 75% of aqua regia is comprised of, 3 chloric acids ?
Hello.
Leaving 25% nitric to ( dissolve ) Lead, Tellurium, Tin, Antimony
Right where the most platinum groups reside.
Thus creating a 25% dissolution rate vs 100%
Throw in former studies = partial digestions
= headshaker
Would easily explain away the different lab assay grades
between each junior over the years.
3.5% of mass ores ( first link above )
= Galena Leads ( where the platinum group hangs out.
Wellgreen is an exceptionally rare deposit.
There are very few deposits world wide that contain all
6 platinum groups.
Rehenium and Rubidium are also ( present ) in Wellgreen.
THE FIX ?
Just use Nitric Acid.
Full digestion.
= Actual platinum group grades.
Pull a few cores NCP with galena sulphides
Preferrablt newr the footwall
Retest only using Nitric.
Hunch...?
Higher platinum group grades.
Game changer.
WELLGREEN's ORE ( characterization )
Spot each - Pb, Sb, Sn, Te
Notice the platinum group correlation
NICKEL C REEK PLATINUM C ORP .
NI -C U -PGM PROJECT, YUKON CANADA
2018 NI 43-101 RESOURCE UPDATE
P a g e | 7-14 w11/09/2018
7.6 Minerals
Table 7-2, Table 7-3, and Table 7-4 after Cabri et al. (1993) list the opaque minerals and PGM-
bearing minerals found in the deposit. The elevated presence of rhodium, iridium, osmium,rhenium, and ruthenium within the mineral suite provide an opportunity for additional potential economic contributions from these metals.
Rhodium is present on the Project in highly anomalous concentrations as compared to the concentrations found in Noril’sk ores in Russia and other significant ultramafic systems globally (Hulbert 1997).
Table 7-2: Opaque Minerals Observed in the Wellgreen Deposit
Major Minerals*
Pyrrhotite Fe1-XS
Pentlandite (Fe, Ni)9S8
Chalcopyrite CuFeS2
Magnetite Fe3O4
Ilmenite FeTiO3
Less Common to Rare Minerals *
Violarite FeNi2S4
Sphalerite (Zn,Fe)S
Chromite FeCr 2O 4
Cobaltite** CoAs-S/NiAs -- S
Arsenopyrite FeAs -- S
Ullmannite NiSbS
Siegenite Argentopentlandite (Ni, Ag)(Fe, Ni)8S 8
Gold/Electrum (Au/Ag)
Melonite NiTe2
Bismuth Tellurides Bi-Te (?)
Galena PbS
Altaite PbTe
Kickline NiAs
Covellite CuS
Breuithauptite NiSb
Barite BaSO 4
Titanite Hessite CaTiSiO 2Ag2 Te
Matildite AgBiS 2
Undefined Cu-Fe-Ba-S**
Source: Cabri et al., 1993
Notes: *Ideal Formula
Unidentified mineral of the cobalt-gersdorffite series
NICKEL C REEK PLATINUM C ORP . NI -C U -PGM PROJECT, YUKON CANADA
2018 NI 43-101 RESOURCE UPDATE
P a g e | 7-15 11/09/2018
Table 7-3: Primary PGM-Bearing Minerals
Mineral Formula
Sperrylite PtAs2
Sudburyite PdSb
Testibiopalladite PdSbTe
Merenskyite PdTe2
Moncheite PtTe2
Michernerite PdBiTe
Stibiojaiadinite Pd5Sb2
Mertielte II Pd8Sb3
Geversite PtSb2
Hollingworthite RhAs -- S
Froodite PdBi2
Unidentified (Pd,Ni)2(Te,Sb)3
Unidentified (Pd,Ni)3(Te,Sb)4
Unidentified Pd(Bi,Te)
Unidentified Pd3Ni(Sb,Te,Bi)5
Laurite RuS2
Kotuiskite PdTe2
Pt-Fe alloy(s) Pt3Fe or PtFe(?)
Unidentified Re>Ir>Os>Ru alloy
Unidentified Pd-Hg
Iridium Ir
Unidentified Re sulphide (?)
Source: Cabri et al., 1993
Table 7-4: Additional PGM-Bearing Minerals
Mineral Formula Metal Content
Melonite (Ni,Pd,Pt)Te2 Up to 15.1%Pd; up to 9.37% Pt
Unidentified (Ni,Pd)2(Te,Sb)3 Up to 22.8% Pd
Unidentified (Ni,Pd)3(Te,Sb)4 Up to 15.9% Pd
Breuithauptite (Ni,Pd)Sb Up to 18.9% Pd
Hextestibio-panickelite (Ni,Pd)2SbTe Up to 15.9% Pd
Ullmannite (Ni,Pd)SbS Up to 0.09% Pd
Cobaltite (Co,Rh)As--S Up to 2.7% Rh, in zones
Pentlandite (Pt,Rh,Ru)* Up to 34 Pd, 12 Rh, 13 Ru (ppm)
Chalcopyrite (Ru,Rh,Pd)* Up to 10 Ru, 10 Rh, 9 Pd (ppm)
Pyrrhotite (Pd)* Up to 5.6 Pd (ppm)
Source: Cabri et al., 1993
Note: *Trace levels as determined by proton microprobe
Nitric Acid should be exclusively used for testing Platinum Groups
Nitric dissolving the - lead, tellurium, antimony, tin
- Platinum Group goes unaffected
Versus 4 part aqua regia
only 25% nitrics = 25% platinum dissolved
Rest of pulp ores discarded or furnace melt = undetected
25% nitric acid goes off to spectrometry
= 25% platinum ( values )
versus
= 100% platinum values using all nitric
Shudder the thought -
reading, former assaying = partial digestions.
Cheers...