Laboratory Proficiency Testing - Round Robin

The widely renowned Geostats Round Robin of Laboratories continues to provide valuable information to both Mining Houses and the Analytical Industry. These surveys commenced in 1992 and have grown to be an important benchmark for both these industries.

The Mining Houses are given information on the availability of services with an overview of laboratory capabilities, while the analysts are able to assess their situation in relation to other facilities. Many laboratories use the report as an integral part of their ongoing quality control strategy.

The survey is performed twice yearly, in April and October and at present involves over one hundred laboratories from all parts of the world.

Depending on their capabilities the laboratories receive all or some of the following prepared samples for analyses:

  • Ten, 60 gram samples for gold determination by fire assay.
  • Ten, 40 gram samples for gold determination by aqua regia.
  • Five, 60 gram samples for low level gold analyses (<100 ppb levels).
  • Three, 10 gram barren carbons for gold/silver assay.
  • Three, 10 gram loaded carbons for gold/silver assay.
  • Ten, 20 gram samples for base metal (geochemical levels) and silver analyses including:
      Copper, Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Arsenic, Cobalt and Silver.
  • Six, 20 gram samples for base metal (ore grade levels) analyses including:
      Copper, Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Silver and Sulphur.
  • Ten, 10 gram samples for sulphur and carbon analyses.

Neutron Activation (gold +32 elements) results for all samples used in the survey are presented in the report. These are performed at Becquerel Laboratories in Canada.

The results of these surveys are compiled and charted showing overall error and overall bias. This is done by standardising the individual analyses and averaging performance on each element. Outlier assays are identified using population statistics and removed from final averages and standard deviations.

The resulting reports are a good window on performance and capabilities at the various facilities. A promotional copy of the report can be found here.