“More companies are testing innovative technologies to recover value from material once considered waste, and some of the approaches are reportedly yielding interesting results.”
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What is Skyline’s history and who are your clients?
Skyline’s original name was Hawley & Hawley & Assayers. It was founded in the 1880s to work with the Copper Queen mine in Arizona. Around 30 years ago, the name transitioned to Skyline Assayers & Laboratories. We are proud to be the longest continuously operating geochemistry lab in North America. We provide our assay services and other related to services to virtually all the major and junior mining operators in the US Southwest, Northern Mexico & beyond.
Can you share an example of why fast turnaround times matter in exploration?
For example, Nevada is a current hotspot for gold exploration, which means drill rigs are in high demand and expensive, coming in around US$125,000 per rig. With faster fire assay results, the client can more quickly redirect the rig to a more appropriate site. It’s about making the money already being invested in drilling more productive. However, what most folks don’t understand is that the turn-around time frame is always impacted by the volume of samples received and the frequency. No lab has an infinite supply of personnel & equipment, so eventually the pipeline is full and timelines begin to lengthen out.
The best thing a client mine can do to ensure reliable and prompt assay results is to send regular shipments of regular volumes of samples. This allows the assay lab the opportunity to pre-plan their deployment of equipment and labor to get the samples received, double-check the sample submittals and Chain of Custody for accuracy, and then get samples into Sample Prep.
What is the Enzyme Leach method and who can benefit the most from it?
Enzyme Leach® IV is a proprietary methodology for mapping subsurface geology and locating blind mineralization. Developed by Dr. J. Robert Clark and continuously improved over 30 years, it detects mineral deposits at depths ranging from a few meters to more than 1,000 meters. Samples are taken by hand, from the surface of the site. The results provide an effective road map for more cost-effective deployment of drill rigs for taking core samples.
Where do you see photon assays being most useful in the mining industry?
Photon assays are emerging as a promising tool for making quicker evaluations. They can provide quick checks and a general sense of what you are looking at. However, mining is a conservative business, so I expect a natural wait and see approach. I think most companies will want to see the technology more widely deployed and their effectiveness evaluated over time before they commit. Traditional fire assay will still be the mainstay for exploration.
What is your assessment of the current state of mining in the US and its opportunities?
The industry is more optimistic in general. The big issue still remaining is the time it takes to get approvals on the myriad studies. And once you get them, how long before an outside group jumps in with legal challenges. Look at the Resolution project in Arizona. In March, an Executive Order cleared it to proceed. Then, in August, another appeals court blocked it again. Regardless, we are still seeing pretty robust exploration, especially those sites with possible recoverable gold coming along with the Copper. At the same time, interest is continuing to build around reworking old waste piles. More companies are testing innovative technologies to recover value from material once considered waste, and some of the approaches are reportedly yielding interesting results.
What is Skyline’s history and who are your clients?
Skyline’s original name was Hawley & Hawley & Assayers. It was founded in the 1880s to work with the Copper Queen mine in Arizona. Around 30 years ago, the name transitioned to Skyline Assayers & Laboratories. We are proud to be the longest continuously operating geochemistry lab in North America. We provide our assay services and other related to services to virtually all the major and junior mining operators in the US Southwest, Northern Mexico & beyond.
Can you share an example of why fast turnaround times matter in exploration?
For example, Nevada is a current hotspot for gold exploration, which means drill rigs are in high demand and expensive, coming in around US$125,000 per rig. With faster fire assay results, the client can more quickly redirect the rig to a more appropriate site. It’s about making the money already being invested in drilling more productive. However, what most folks don’t understand is that the turn-around time frame is always impacted by the volume of samples received and the frequency. No lab has an infinite supply of personnel & equipment, so eventually the pipeline is full and timelines begin to lengthen out.
The best thing a client mine can do to ensure reliable and prompt assay results is to send regular shipments of regular volumes of samples. This allows the assay lab the opportunity to pre-plan their deployment of equipment and labor to get the samples received, double-check the sample submittals and Chain of Custody for accuracy, and then get samples into Sample Prep.
What is the Enzyme Leach method and who can benefit the most from it?
Enzyme Leach® IV is a proprietary methodology for mapping subsurface geology and locating blind mineralization. Developed by Dr. J. Robert Clark and continuously improved over 30 years, it detects mineral deposits at depths ranging from a few meters to more than 1,000 meters. Samples are taken by hand, from the surface of the site. The results provide an effective road map for more cost-effective deployment of drill rigs for taking core samples.
Where do you see photon assays being most useful in the mining industry?
Photon assays are emerging as a promising tool for making quicker evaluations. They can provide quick checks and a general sense of what you are looking at. However, mining is a conservative business, so I expect a natural wait and see approach. I think most companies will want to see the technology more widely deployed and their effectiveness evaluated over time before they commit. Traditional fire assay will still be the mainstay for exploration.
What is your assessment of the current state of mining in the US and its opportunities?
The industry is more optimistic in general. The big issue still remaining is the time it takes to get approvals on the myriad studies. And once you get them, how long before an outside group jumps in with legal challenges. Look at the Resolution project in Arizona. In March, an Executive Order cleared it to proceed. Then, in August, another appeals court blocked it again. Regardless, we are still seeing pretty robust exploration, especially those sites with possible recoverable gold coming along with the Copper. At the same time, interest is continuing to build around reworking old waste piles. More companies are testing innovative technologies to recover value from material once considered waste, and some of the approaches are reportedly yielding interesting results.
