Australian sampling method attracts industry support

From the outback of Western Australia comes a new sampling technique that allows exploration companies to pinpoint mineral deposits more accurately.

The Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) process involves the testing of soil samples for trace amounts of metallic ions that have traveled upwards to the surface.

Developed at MMI Technology by Australian geochemists Russell Birrell and Alan Mann, the process allows for a more accurate delineation of a deposit on first pass; this results in more focused drilling and fewer exploration expenditures.

“The MMI process enables explorers to see mineralization with considerable accuracy at great depths beneath the surface,” says Birrell.

MMI recently granted a licence to Toronto-based laboratory XRAL to provide analytical services for the technique in North America.

The process has received the support of 11 major mining companies, including Normandy Poseidon, Placer Dome and BHP.