IS THIS A GRAB, OR "GAB" SAMPLE?

Far too often a prospective mineral property investor is oversold on the merits of a deposit by sampling reports that are meaningless. Unless the sampling method is known, figures on paper can lead to confusion, frustration, or charges of fraud, when in fact the information presented was accurate and truthful in what it represented.

Samples should be thought of as either a pathfinder on the search for additional quantities of similar mineralization, or as a mini-representation of a mineral occurrence.

If the returns are to be used for property evaluation, samples should be of sufficient size and numbers so that an estimate can be made of the dimensions, tenor (grade) and economic tonnage of the deposit.

If the assay of gold in a single grab sample happens to return a value in the thousands of dollars per ton range, this does not mean that an operator can mine all the material surrounding similar "hot spots" and still make a profit. Such an assay suggests that this particular prospect has potential, and that further explorations is definitely warranted. Be happy that the truth is better than fiction.

The standard sample collection procedures are: