Sampling in the South African minerals industry.

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dc.citation.epage81en_ZA
dc.citation.issue1en_ZA
dc.citation.spage63en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMinnitt, R.C.A.
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-03T10:48:14Z
dc.date.available2016-11-03T10:48:14Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.descriptionThis paper was first presented at the, Sampling and analysis: Best-practice in African mining Conference, 4–6 June 2013, Misty Hills Country Hotel and Conference Centre, Cradle of Humankind, Muldersdrift, South Africa.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAlthough not fully accepted in South Africa, the Theory of Sampling originally proposed by Pierre Gy is fast becoming the cornerstone of sampling practice throughout the world. The growing acceptance of Gy's Theory of Sampling in South Africa can be attributed to a number of factors, chief amongst them being the development of a tradable mineral asset market, the promulgation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), the growing number of commercial and academic courses that are offered on sampling, and the regulation of the industry through internationally acceptable guidelines and rules for reporting and trading in mineral assets. The size of the South African minerals industry and the dependence of our economy on mineral production have also meant that correct sampling is of key importance to mineral trade. ISO standards have been the principal guides for producers of mineral bulk commodities who produce to customers' specifications, whereas Gy's insights have been most readily accepted by precious and base metals producers whose product is sold into metal markets. Understanding of small-scale variability is essential in the precious and base-metal industries, but detailed studies of the effects of heterogeneity have not been as productive in the bulk commodities. Sampling practices at different stages of mineral development from exploration, face sampling and grade control, ore processing and handling, metallurgical sub-sampling, point of sale sampling, and sampling in the laboratory are considered in the gold, platinum, ferrous metal, and coal industries. A summary of the impact of poor sampling in these industries is presented. Generally it appears that poor sampling practice is most likely to erode mineral asset value at the early stages of mineral development. The benefits of good sampling are considered, especially with regard to the financial implications of bias and error on large and consistent consignments of bulk commodities.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianMvdH2016en_ZA
dc.description.urlhttp://www.saimm.co.za/publications/journal-papersen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMinnitt, R.C.A. 2014. Sampling in the South African minerals industry. The Journal of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 114(1), pp. 63-81. <http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0038-223X2014000100013&lng=en&nrm=iso>en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn2225-6253
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21374
dc.journal.titleJournal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.en_ZA
dc.journal.volume114en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherThe Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.en_ZA
dc.rightsThis Journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.en_ZA
dc.subjectCoal industryen_ZA
dc.subjectMetallurgyen_ZA
dc.subjectMineral explorationen_ZA
dc.subjectMineral resourcesen_ZA
dc.subjectMineralsen_ZA
dc.subjectPetroleum depositsen_ZA
dc.subjectMineral productionen_ZA
dc.subjectMinerals industryen_ZA
dc.subjectPetroleum resourcesen_ZA
dc.subjectSampling errorsen_ZA
dc.subjectISO standardsen_ZA
dc.subjectTheory of samplingen_ZA
dc.titleSampling in the South African minerals industry.en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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