the number one priority ...., page-3

Siameseparrot, have you ever commissioned a mill?

And more importantly has Chris Cairns ever commissioned a mill?

Just an observation but when I see exploration geos they are usually running around the bush bashing in pegs for drill rigs to park on.

I hope for your sakes that commissioning is as easy as posting on hotcopper "we have to get this right"!

Another question you may be able to answer, if you plot a timeline and put the milestones of building a mill on it, at what point did Integra hire their Mill Manager? I know the answer cause he left Saracen to join IGR. How much water had passed under the bridge before this point. Who made the decisions up to this point?

It is not just IGR, every junior mining company does the same, even the darling of the juniors, Silver Lake Resources. Silver Lake survived and went on to better things. A1 is at the tipping point. Have a look at Focus. How are they doing post commissioning?

Why does this happen?

Because juniors are dominated by Geos and Mining engineers who don't take any interest in metallurgy until they advance their career to the point where they have to run a mill. And what do they think of metallurgists? Do they think they are all the same and you just need to hire one to run your mill? I know geos who have stated this exact opinion to me. Now, I am not saying CC said that, because he didn't, it was one of his kind though (yeah I know, how big a brush do I want to use to tar them all). And mining engineers, well I deal with them all the time and what they know about milling you can fit on a postage stamp.

Am I ranting, yes, will I be proven right come Sept? Depends. I suggest all IGR shareholders ask the Co to invite them to a site tour on the week following commissioning. Then you will be able to see the gold bars flying out of the back of the mill!

Disclaimer: This post is definetly for my own entertainment and also to vent my frustration at geos and mining engineers, both of which are entirely necessary to run a successful mining operation....unfortunately.