BLEG

METHOD
Satriya Besari -
1011867610
Outline Presentation

• What is BLEG?
• Why using BLEG Method?
• How does BLEG Method
works?

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What is BLEG?
It is a fundamental assumption that a large proportion of gold hosted by porphyry, skarn and epithermal
mineralisation is reported in the micron and submicron size range. In the tropical weathering environment
liberated micron sized gold particles are readily absorbed onto clays, or form colloids and easily floating on
water.
Sampling methods are designed to collect the fine size fraction of active sediment retaining as much of the
clay fraction as possible. Analytical methods such as passive leach BLEG also extract fine gold absorbed
onto clays in preference to coarser gold.
Internal memorandum Newmont Horas Nauli, B. Sutopo,
2004

Newcrest Indonesia Exploration Method,

1997 2
2
BLEG, what is it?
• Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG)

• Alternative name Bulk Cyanide Leach (BCL)

• Developed in early 1980s as response to industry concerns over

poor repeatability applying SS to Au

• Always aimed to be low density

• Deliberate partial extraction aimed at fine grained AuIn simplest

terms, take relatively large (several kg) sample of stream sediment,
(or soil)

• Leach WHOLE sample in cyanide

• Analyse CN for Au, Ag, Cu (?plus others) to sub ppb detection

limits

• Adaptation of simple metallurgy into mineral exploration

B. Sutopo Presentation
Objective Statement.

First pass commercial mineral exploration

demands application of a DEFINITIVE,
RAPID and hence COST EFFECTIVE method
of screening large areas for GOLD.

Aim to sample at lowest density possible to isolate

enhanced catchments for follow up.

Aim to reduce area of interest to 5 to 20%

 What are the options we might use?
-80# type small samples (continuation of base metals approach)
fine gold present but diluted

Panned concentrates (same as 100 years ago)

no fine gold, it floats off

fine fraction sieved out, (eg -75 microns)

fine gold present

BLEG (Bulk Leach Extractable Gold)

fine gold present but diluted

Coarse fractions (eg -500 +200µm)

no fine gold present
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Why using BLEG Method?

Radford,
7
2014
7
 Fine grained gold is the key:
 It is ubiquitous in major hard rock gold deposits
 In some types it is predominant, eg epithermals,
porphyries, Carlin style. Recent discoveries.
 Platey habit, therefore it does not behave like a heavy
mineral, but floats more like clays (flour gold) (see later
for evidence)
 Therefore it disperses further and more homogeneously
than coarse gold
 Hence longer dispersion trains
 This minimizes “nugget effect”
 Panning will “re-discover” known deposits
B. Sutopo Presentation
Why using BLEG Method?
Consider a river catchment of 10 km2 which undergoes
1 mm erosion in a year.
Volume eroded in 1 year = 104 m3
Weight of rock eroded per year  30,000 t (say)
One million ounce orebody extending to 200 m depth
is
3 x 107 grams Au over 200 m vertical
Equivalent to 150 g Au per millimetre depth.
Therefore gold grade of erosion products at 10 km2 is:
150 ÷ 30,000g/t (ppm)
= 5 x 10-3 ppm
= 5 ppb

Therefore in an idealised catchment which includes a 1

million ounce orebody, uniform erosion over 10 km2
generates gold content in stream sediment of 5 ppb.

B. Sutopo
Presentation
Why using BLEG Method?
Let’s say that the gold is present in the stream sediment
as flakes 20 µm diameter by 5 µm thickness.
Volume of flake = (20/2 x 10-6)2 x 5 x 10-6 x π
 1.6 x 10-15 m3
If SG of gold  18 t per m3
Weight of gold flake  0.03 µg or 30 ng.
If we collect a 2 kg field sample which we know should
grade 5 ppb Au, it must contain 10,000ng (5ppb x 2000g)

Therefore 2 kg sample at 5 ppb Au contains (10,000/30),

ie 333 flakes each 20 x 5 µm.

B. Sutopo
Presentation
Why using BLEG Method?

In theory, this limits the use of small portions of even

very fine grained samples.

Our experience is that -80# (-200µm) samples at the sort

of low concentrations we see at regional scale, are not
generally reliable or repeatable.

SOME EXAMPLES:-

B. Sutopo
Karatokat project, Eurogold, Turkey.
1.0 1.0

LS vein 2.13
17.0 -80# samples do not
10.0 4.60 define the anomalous
PCD 2.0 drainages.
3.0
-80# is fine for follow
87.0 up sampling

32.0
120.0

<1.0 <1.0

2.0
BLEG sample
2.78 6.8
9 Follow up
<1.0
-80#

0
km
2

B. Sutopo
Presentation
Reconnaissance and follow up sampling,
Aisasjur prospect, Irian Jaya

Reconn sample
49.4 0.10
15.10 Follow up samples

BLEG Au in ppb.
9.55
18.8
0.05 0.95
0.65 0.05
1.10
0.10
0.15
0.10

0 k 2
m

Note duplication of discovery site and

very low background. Catchment at
discovery site 20 km2.
B. Sutopo
Presentation
Comparison of BLEG samples from adjacent catchments,
Obano, Irian Jaya.

Sample Catchment Au BLEG Au -80# Cu BLEG Ag BLEG

No. Km2 ppb ppb ppm ppb

341011 65.3 0.52 3.0 0.06 13.4

341012 93.0 7.27 4.0 0.98 69.4

Minus 80# does NOT define the enhanced catchment,

BLEG sampling does.
B. Sutopo
Presentation
Sample No. Catchment Au BLEG Au -80# Cu BLEG Ag BLEG
Km2 ppb ppb ppm ppb

341011 65.3 0.52 3.0 0.06 13.4

341012 93.0 7.27 4.0 0.98 69.4

Batu Hijau Au Cu porphyry deposit,
Sumbawa Island, Indonesia, Newmont
Indon.
196.0 ppb
15.3 ppb

7.0 ppb
Data are BLEG Au
Batu Hijau
in ppb
Au Cu porphyry
1.9 ppb 8.7 ppb
From Maula
and Levet (1996)

7.4 ppb

0 km 3
Indian Ocean

B. Sutopo
Presentation
Batu Hijau Au Cu porphyry deposit, Indonesia.
Quotes from Maula and Levet (1996).

“... the (BLEG) anomaly decay down stream from the main deposit
can be clearly seen with values up to 196 ppb gold reported near
the deposit, diluting to 7 ppb Au at the coast.... GOLD IN
THE
<80 MESH SILT SAMPLES WAS NOT DETECTABLE
GREATER THAN 1.5 KM FROM THE SOURCE, and
was only effective for anomaly definition within 1 to 2 km from a
gold source.”
“THE BLEG TECHNIQUE....IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD
OF DETECTING THESE DEPOSITS IN PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY DRAINAGES UP TO 15 KM FROM
MINERALISED OUTCROP. Analysis of <80# silts, for both Au
and Cu, proved to be most effective....within 1 to 2 km of...
mineralisation”
B. Sutopo
Presentation
Summary, so far:
Low ppb gold values (<10ppb) are highly significant at regional
scale

Fine grained gold is what we want and it doesn't behave like a

heavy mineral, but like clay and silt

Small gold flakes (sub 75 µm, even sub 20 µm) cause nugget
effect at low levels. Simply fine screening before conventional
analysis is not necessarily enough. Multiple analysis of whole of
fine screened fraction is OK. Dry screening to completion difficult
at fine grain size

Complete analysis of large samples essential for reproducible

data

BIG IS BEAUTIFUL!

B. Sutopo
Presentation
0 km 5
Normandy
0.28
9.80 (13km2) discovery site BLEG
studies in
44.0
6.80 Doluk Pinapan
PCD
(20km2)
Sumatra.
4.80
4.20 1.75
(43km2) Post discovery orientation
5.60
2.15
BLEG Au in ppb
0.19 Active
sediment Raw
1.20 data
Purple > 10.0
0.22
Red > 5.0 < 10.0
Yellow > 2.5 < 5.0
Blue > 1.0 < 2.5
Gray < 1.0
1.50 (160km2)

0.54

B. Sutopo
Presentation
BLEG, the practicalities:
Collection of large sample (> 2 kg)
Aim for clay-silt material where fine flakes of Au will be,
Grain size collected in field often -500µm, or -200µm. This is
a compromise, not ideal, finer = better
Target multiple clay-silt accumulation sites
2 kg digested in NaCN
Minimal agitation during digestion, deliberate partial
digestion of < 20 µm gold.
Analysis for Au (0.01 ppb), Cu (0.01 ppm), Ag (0.5
ppb),
sometimes other elements.
Separate split for “path-finder elements”

B. Sutopo Presentation
Why using BLEG Method?

Radford,
Radford,
2014
2014
Why using BLEG Method?

Radford,
 Is it reproducible?
BLEG data repeatable and robust.

3.5
Duplicate field samples
3.0
2.5 BLEG analysis.
2.0 Values in ppb Au
A 1.5 Red Indonesia
u 1.0 Yellow Greece
Blue Bulgaria
2 0.5

0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Au1

B. Sutopo
Presentation
 Field Duplicates
BLEG - Northern Nevada Rift
10 Survey

9
+/-
8 20%
Au (ppb) in duplicate

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10
6

Au (ppb) in original
Good repeatability for BLEG gold
B. Sutopo
Presentation
 Northern Nevada Rift Survey
Field Duplicates - Coarse Fraction
12 -
11
10 +/- 20%
9
Au (ppb) in duplicate

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Au (ppb) in original

Poor repeatability for coarse fraction gold

B. Sutopo
Presentation
 Northern Nevada Rift Survey
As (coarse fraction) field duplicates
50

45

40
As (ppm) in duplicate

35
+/- 20%
30

25

20

15

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 50
45
As (ppm) in original
Good
is validrepeatability for As onbut
for some elements, coarse fraction, so
inappropriate forcoarse
Au fraction
B. Sutopo
Presentation
Why using BLEG Method?

Radford,
2014
28
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What sort of gold are we looking for?

We are looking for fine grained gold.

How does this behave in streams?

It does NOT behave like a heavy

mineral

B. Sutopo
Why using BLEG Method?

Radford,
2014 30
30
Cyanide Leaches

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How does BLEG Method works?
Pre-Field Work

1.Firstly the sample site chosen should be marked in the topography map, such a way
as to be readily identifiable to follow-up crews.

2.Prepare all gear relating to drainage sampling program, such as Magnafloc, calico
bag, weighing, bucket, sieve, flagging tape, aluminium, etc. (see separated page on how
to prepare and use of Magnafloc).

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Select the sample site

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Select the sample site

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How does BLEG Method works?

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How does BLEG Method works?

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Collect the sample

Must collect fine

grained sediment

BLEG Sampling not gravel or sand

Process the sample

Put all the sediment into a large

plastic bin and add enough water
to cover it.

Work the sample with hands to

break up clay balls and to
disaggregate all the clay and silt.

This will get the clay into

suspension.
Decant the muddy water (1)

Swirl the sample quickly so all the

sand lifts off the bottom of the bin.

Count to 10 to let the sand settle,

whilst the clay remains in
suspension.

Then slowly pour the muddy water

through the sieve into an empty
container below.
Decant the muddy water (2)

A lot of floating organic material

will be caught on the sieve.

This will slow down the flow of

muddy water through the sieve.
Work the wet material round with
your fingers.

Don’t press too hard. Clean the

sieve in water from time to time.
Decant the muddy water (3)

A lot of floating organic material

will be caught on the sieve.

This will slow down the flow of

muddy water through the sieve.
Work the wet material round with
your fingers.

Don’t press too hard. Clean the

sieve in water from time to time.
Decant the muddy water (4)

When the first lot of

water has all gone
through, wash the
sample a second time
and decant more
clay.

This time there is much

less organic material
and the muddy water
will run through quite
easily.

You can do this two or

three times.
The muddy water

Underneath the sieve we

now have a container
full of muddy water.

If we leave it to settle,
the fine grained clay in
suspension will settle,
but it will take hours.

Note the pale brown

colour of the
muddy water.
Flocculation (1)

Add a little diluted

MAGNAFLOC.
Don’t add too much at
once.

Better to add a little at a

time.

If you add too much, the

sample, when dry, will
set hard like a brick.

Then you have to break

it up again before
sending to the lab.
Flocculation (2)

Swirl the water

vigorously after adding
Magnafloc.

Magnafloc is a sticky
(viscous) liquid which
needs to be swirled
to mix it with the
water.
Flocculation (3)

Check to see if flocs

have formed. In this
case they have not.

There are no lumps of

clay in the water, still
just a muddy
suspension.

Also the water is still the

same pale brown
colour.

So add a little more

Magnafloc and swirl
vigorously again.

You may have to add

magnafloc several times
before flocs form.
Flocculation (4)

Now flocs (lumps of

clay) have formed.

Note change in colour of

water.

It has gone darker.

Also you can now see

the lumps of clay.

You can see “trails” in

the water showing
the suspension is
now a series of
discrete particles.
Flocculation (5)

You can now see the

lumps of clay. Note the
“speckled” appearance
of the water and the
lumps of flocked clay on
the fingers.
Flocculation (6)

Leave the bucket to

settle for 2 minutes (or
more) so the flocs of
clay settle to the bottom
and the clear water sits
on top.

You can see the

interface between clay
and clean water down
the side of the container.
Recover the sample (1)

Now pour (decant) the

clean water through the
calico sample bag.

This reduces the water

content of the sample.

The calico collects any

clay still in suspension,
and the flocculent
lines the cloth.
Recover the sample (2)

Decant the clean water

s everal times.

This helps reduce the

w ater content of the
final sample.
Recover the sample (3)

Finally pour the mud

into the bag.

Use your fingers to

scoop the last of the
mud into the bag.
Dry the sample

When all the mud is in

the bag, hold the top
tightly and squeeze the
ag to dry it out.
b
ote the water coming
N ut of the bag is clear,
o ot muddy.

n
Once the sample is
artly dewatered, weigh
. Less than 1kg wet
pweight, collect
some
it ore.

mcoop small amount

to separate sample
Sag for trace element
innalysis at ITS.
The flocculent effect (1)

This sample is just mud

with no flocculent.

Noti ce the mud in the

wat er.

The calico is not acting

as sieve, the clay is
a fine grained until it
too been flocculated.
has
The flocculent effect (2)

With flocculated sample

the water coming
through the calico mesh
is ear, not muddy.
cl
Collect field data

Fill in the sample card

Make sure you know where

you are.
How does BLEG Method works?

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Sampling Pointers

Hindari pemukiman

Penggunaan asesoris logam

Pengambilan sample pake

logam di larang

Tidak mengambil di
outcrop

Be a geologist!
How does BLEG Method works?

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How does BLEG Method works?

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How BLEG Method works?

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TERIMA
KASIH