Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.
"They think it is all over..........it is now!"
Red faces for the cheerleaders (yes, I was one) and a hollow victory for detractors.
A successful mine would have been a good outcome for all stakeholders and that is what this prospective project should (IMO) have resulted in, but it seems has been trashed by bad company decisions.
As Andrew said, this BB now has little future or use. So time to wish all who remain here and all those past with whom I have responded a happy future, Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Time to open my last bottle of Tyndrum Gold!
Farewell to all, R.
"It’s been too long for any announcements, makes me wonder what’s going on."
We once thought that from the St. Andrews Day gold 'pour' (button) until January with only a Twitter Xmas card to find out that the process plant was not working!!!
At least we agree then that a prospective project (at whatever scale) trashed!
"NLR needed guys like me, baz, blakeney on the board, to ask them what the fike they're thinking at periodic intervals." Out of the frying pan, into the fire, ha,ha?
A good w/e to all, R.
Who is going to bring/fund an enquiry? No-one I can think of.
Shares are a device to transfer money from those of modest means to those of greater means or their projects. The only investors that make money out of them are those that box clever or get lucky.
Baz is right that no-one left at SG will care as they will be too busy looking after themselves. I disagree that Cononish did not add up as for me the geology was sound and the BFS stated what was needed to sustaimably mine for P1 production. It was never achieved except in short bursts with short cuts. The tortoise and the hare spring to mind!
Regards, R.
Wishful thinking to pass the time. More likely nothing will come out and the silence will only be broken when the deed (whatever it turns out to be) is done and dusted. Might as well join Yayay on Mars for amusement!
Another lesson might be to never trust ANY share and hold it, but be prepared to trade it. I learned that lesson in the privatizations of the 1980s. Love the music, but not the instrument!
Don't worry about the recent prose. It's how you get after 13 years!
Could the future be NLR Ltd or even a UFO?
Even Mr. Rocket has given up hope of bringing a wheezing steam monster to the district. The only benefit was a trinket for Mrs. Rocket. What future for the canal folk now?
Is it also possible that the ground is being laid for an opportunist company to purchase the company or key assets for a song? That might benefit some director/s or significant investor/s? SXX springs to mind!
Happy Halloween to all still here. Good fortune has enabled me to reach my 77th birthday. Sadly, Scotgold has not (yet?) been blessed with good fortune and all we are left with is pumpkins! Employees and shareholders of SG and the community of Tyndrum deserved better. I hope that something will come up for them all.
GLA, R.
Indeed Andrew, Scotgold and NLR had ambitions that were fine, but those in charge could not deliver them.
Shychap, almost all of the vein was exposed in the main adit, except at the western end which was still open, though not expected to go much further and east end splays were of dubious worth. I agree that PD's initial and promising reorganization appears to have been diverted by short term production gain in CAF1 & 2 stopes whilst not providing timely development for preparation of LHS1. It would have been better (IMO) to have sought more funding when the SP was higher to provide development for orderly progress straight to LHS as originally planned.
A lifeline needed by Halloween or only pumpkins will be left!
ATB, R.
'...many hurdles...'? Sadly the last hurdle or last ditch!
Just for info.
Beinn Udlaidh was no 'deception' as it has the geological potential to be as good or possibly better than Cononish. That from historical sampling and limited drilling, doctoral research thesis, plus the ion leach surveying by geos Charlie and George a couple of years ago:
https://www.scotgoldresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Exploration-and-Production-Update-29.01.21-WEBSITE-PDF-VERSION.pdf
As no recent drilling was done by SG, it remains a 'pipe dream'.
It also showed the evidence for further veins nearby Cononish, first identified by a previous owner and the topic of more recent controversy on this board about PD's reference to another vein. There are a number, of which a couple were drilled, though none has been proved to have mining potential.
Ironically this RNS also contained the first admissions of the abortive production start-up after the St. Andrew's Day gold button and papered over by SG's Twitter Xmas card!
However, as Andrew has previously posted, all the potential is for nowt if you fail to get it mined and processed.
Perhaps a miracle needed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIN36NweL6I
They do happen. I got married that year! LoL!
GLA, R.
Thanks for your response, Shychap. You're right, I don't much do Twitter as I put little reliance on what is posted and so was not aware of your source.
I take your point on mining experience as I'm sure you do mine on management in the last few years. Let's hope someone can salvage this project.
Have a good weekend, R.
Shychap, who alleges shortcomings of the workforce? If so, it would come down to inadequate training.
Surely this pales beside management/executive failings? The St Andrews day gold button followed by silence papered over by the Twitter Xmas card was the start. Ripping the 'eye teeth' out of the richest parts of the mine with CAF1 and 2 while not pushing on with development and LSH preparation prompted my withdrawal before the winter floundering. Then the damage was done and even the revival of production by LSH1 and 2 this summer to nearly P1 level came too late.
Oh well, perhaps a predator will pop up like AAL did with SXX Woodsmith mine and as they previously did with the now ICL Boulby mine back in the 1970s when ICI no longer wanted to put in any more money. If so, it might benefit employees, but not shareholders.
Anyone want to buy a gold mine for a song? Sugar daddies preferred!
GLA, R.
Bismark, things have doubtless changed since my time in South Africa.
Baz, I wouldn't do mining for that pay either.
Andrew, ta for the Parkswatch link. I must agree that as time goes on, the more that comes to light, the more desperate it all became. Your postulated scenario of a micro-mine is the only idea in response to my ask, but then the process plant will likely be an oversized expense. I only hope that something comes up for employees and remaining shareholders, though I am not hopeful.
But where there's life there's hope and I have this week become a great grandfather for the third time!
Regards to all, R.
Quite possibly, given the now better gold price, if they achieved the number of development and stope faces required in the 2015 BFS, and did not make the mistakes of Scotgold. I doubt they will return to a rescue! Anyone any ideas on who might, or is it seemingly too late?
ATB, R.
I have no expectation any comfortable response from you, Andrew. It does not seem to be in your nature. It is easy to look back and criticize, especially since the abortive process plant start-up, but before that, the enthusiasm and commitment of the then small team at Cononish was encouraging and much was achieved IMO. Since then, errors were made and even compounded in my view.
" there's millions of tons of gold in space, does that make it geologically good too?" No, that's just being silly.
"as for south african veins, i don't think they were as contorted as this connonish vein" They are not veins, but sedimentary layers ('reefs') originally sub-horizontal, but later often tilted, some up to 60 degrees and frequently faulted over the following 2.8 billion years. As for labour and costs, yes, much cheaper when paying peanuts to exploited migrant labour.
You and I just see things differently,
Regards, R.
I and 'cohorts' here had had hope and faith, even though mine waned earlier. It is not comfortable to stomach someone else to come along and try to demolish that, even if they in time prove correct.
Thanks for the promise of profits, but I'm not greedy as I've already had mine. I wish all here luck in getting back their money by whatever means, but hold little hope of that.
For those that remain invested or employed, it will take rather more than hope or faith. I would still like to think that Cononish will have the chance to survive and revive fortunes as I still regard it as a geologically good prospect. Despite your misgivings about 'narrow veins,' even the South African 'reefs' (sub-horizontal seams) where I once worked, were only ~0.5 to 1.5m thick.
A good weekend to all, R.
'Odds of rockhead admitting I was right about it heading for administration 150/1.'
Yes, Andrew, you called that one right. Odds revision needed?
Andrew giving up his fixation with TB, 200/1?
Andrew giving up his OCD on this board, 500/1?
Halloween is my 77th birthday. Odds on me making it till then, LoL?
GLA, R.