Hi Electra, You are right, in most instances gold forms at...

Hi Electra,

You are right, in most instances gold forms at depths of a kilometre or more where temperatures and pressures maintain its solubility in solution, such is the case with this region. Fortunately for us we don't need to dig that deep because 2 billion years of erosion has done most of the hard work for us.

When the deposit was formed it happened over a very long time, through a very slow process. This means that natural geological actions and changes spread the deposits over wide areas. Even if a single point of entry at depth from a source existed, it could yield multiple columns of gold enriched ore as various routes towards the surface opened and closed over time.

I'm not sure I understand your objection to the word vent. A vent is any restricted transition point between two varying environments, strata, zones etc. All hydrothermal deposits effectively liberate up from deep sources through vents. Hoorah for vents I say.

As for predicting where these deposits are I like to hover a crystal over a map and pray for Amun-Ra to give me a sign. It hasn't work for me yet, but I try every day as I sip my leafy tea. While waiting for my luck to change I'm happy to rely on the field work already done on various target sites. A lot of work has been published on the website, identifying several key sites for further exploration.

Given I'm not writing a university essay I'm not inclined to include references and footnotes. Also, my real name isn't Boringboy, and I'm assuming you name isn't really Electra, so stating my credentials doesn't strike me as adding any credibility whatsoever. I've never personally claimed to have any credentials in any event, and certainly have never encouraged anyone here to do anything whatsoever on the basis of professing to be something I'm not.

So far as your astute observation of the difference in mining durations I might ask why that bothers you and the 40,000 ounce difference in estimates didn't? Personally I'm happy for the mine to be dug faster.