pjbooks Chapter 104: Mine Site Inspection
Chapter 104: Mine Site Inspection
Two cars, two security guards, two photographers, plus Jason and Angell.
There were six people in total, and they set off directly after having breakfast the next morning.
Cars sped along the road, and the scenery along the roadside was always the same.
The passing trucks kicked up a lot of dust, so much so that Jason and his companions didn't even have to open the car windows.
Around noon, Jason arranged for everyone to stop at a service area to rest, take care of personal matters, and have some food.
At this time, Australia was still perceived by outsiders as a picturesque country full of kangaroos.
But the reality is that, apart from tourist attractions, the infrastructure in many places is terrible.
Take this service area in front of us, for example!
Far from the bustling city, the traffic is mostly large trucks. Although the ground is simply paved with gravel, every time a vehicle passes by, it stirs up a lot of dust.
Furthermore, the entire service area is not large, consisting of only five rooms.
The interior is very simple. There is a counter directly in front of the door, the chef's area is behind it, and there is a simple shelf area on the left with some simple snacks.
On the right is the dining area, where many truck drivers are already having their meals.
In one corner of the service area, there are even car repair and refueling services, so it can be said that although it is small, it has all the essentials.
However, the quality of service provided was quite poor. After all, these service areas are usually family-run businesses and don't have many professional staff.
Jason's lunch was simple: a hot dog and an iced cola. It wasn't that he didn't want something better, but that they didn't have it here.
After a short rest, the group drove back to their destination.
It changed from a highway to a small road, and then to a dirt road.
After navigating the bumpy, uneven road, the group finally arrived at the first mine.
It was already past 2 PM, and the temperature was extremely high!
As Jason stepped out of the car, he felt a wave of heat hit him, making it hard to breathe.
It's hot, so hot!
Jason felt the temperature was at least forty degrees Celsius.
Looking around, the air seemed distorted under the scorching sun.
The mine is deserted.
Sparse shrubs grow on the reddish soil, the tallest of which is no more than an adult's calf.
This scene continued endlessly, with no end in sight.
A small stream flows gently through the area; the water is not large, but it is very clear, and the deepest part is only about 30 centimeters deep.
The bushes on both sides are much denser and taller, and birds can be heard chirping among them from time to time.
It added a lot of greenery to this somewhat desolate mine.
A middle-aged man wearing a cowboy hat and whose clothes were still covered in red mud was waving from not far away.
"Hello, I'm Angell. You must be Mr. Matthew," Angell said as he approached to confirm his identity.
Angell introduced, "This is Mr. Jason, the owner who came to inspect the mine."
Hello, Mr. Jason
"Hello, Mr. Matthew"
After a brief introduction, Matthew hesitated, looking at the camera filming him, and asked, "Who are these people?"
Cass stepped forward and explained, "Hello Mr. Matthew, we are from the 'Bering Gold Rush' program, and Mr. Jason is a guest invited by our program."
After a pause, Cass said, "If you feel uncomfortable with our filming, I can avoid having you in the frame during the shoot."
"If we accidentally captured your image, we will blur your face later."
"It will absolutely not infringe upon your portrait rights."
Matthew considered Cass's assurances worthless.
Matthew frowned and questioned, "Are you really going to buy the mine, or is it just for filming a TV show?"
Jason sighed helplessly at this situation.
Jason stepped forward and assured him, "Mr. Matthew, I really want to buy the mine, you can rest assured about that. Besides, I also have my own mine here in Australia, you are welcome to visit me anytime."
There's no way around it; I have to explain it every time I go to another place.
It's tedious, but necessary!
Although his doubts remained, Matthew still declined, saying, "There's no need to appear on camera; I don't like being on television."
Cass looked on with a hint of regret, but it was also within his expectations.
Many people value their privacy highly, and it cannot be forced upon them.
Matthew led the group to the gold mining area, which had been shut down due to the high temperatures.
Within the area, the ore washing equipment stands quietly, next to which is a large water storage tank to ensure the gold is washed.
Not far from it, a large, deep pit dug out during gold mining came into view.
At the bottom, two excavators and a transport truck were parked quietly.
Judging from the traces, the excavation had only recently stopped.
Jason wiped the sweat from his forehead while using his detection abilities to observe.
Detection range: 15 meters (upgradeable: 1 meter for every 100 ounces)
[Detection depth: 23 meters (upgradeable to 100 ounces, or 1 meter higher)]
[Estimated weight: 28.3 ounces]
[Upgradeable gold ounces: 443.35 ounces]
[Note: Gold does not absorb energy; it is only used for upgrading purposes, and its value remains unaffected.]
[Note: Only gold discovered through exploration using one's own methods is of useful value.]
The detection results in his eyes made Jason raise an eyebrow and look at the mine owner Matthew with surprise.
He really didn't expect the gold production here to be so high.
Jason asked curiously, "Mr. Matthew, may I ask how many ounces of gold the mine produces per day?"
Matthew was very open with his information. Since he had already decided to sell the mine, there was no need to hide anything. He said directly, "It's uncertain. Sometimes it yields a dozen ounces a day, and sometimes it's three or four ounces."
"Then why did you sell the mine?" Jason really couldn't understand his logic.
The mine only has two excavators, one transport vehicle, and one ore washing machine. Even if it only produces three or four ounces a day, it's still profitable.
Not to mention when the harvest is plentiful.
With just a few people and a few pieces of equipment, it's a sure-fire way to make money no matter how you look at it. He really couldn't understand why he was selling the mining farm.
Matthew did not directly answer Jason's question, but instead said, "Everyone has their own choices."
Jason didn't press the matter if others didn't mention it, as it would be impolite to ask further.
As a geological consultant, Angel carefully observed the surrounding terrain and the excavated area, then whispered to Jason, "They've found a good spot; this should be an ancient riverbed."
"The soil is relatively easy to excavate, and there isn't much gravel, so construction isn't too difficult."
"Although there is a rainy season here, the impact is not significant; as long as precautions are taken, it will be fine."
"I feel this mine is worth keeping an eye on. If you're interested, you can have a professional exploration company come and investigate."
Angell also offered his own advice, demonstrating his professionalism as a geological consultant.
Jason did not give his own decision on this matter.
After briefly observing the gold mining area, the group, led by Matthew, arrived at Matthew's residence.
It's more accurate to call it a simple campsite consisting of four towed caravans than a place to stay.
Under the shade of the curtain next to the RV, Jason sat down, took the documents that Matthew had prepared from the beginning, and began to look through them.
It covers a considerable area, totaling 3,200 mu.
All the necessary permits and licenses are in order, so no further processing is required for subsequent mining operations.
Jason even saw the exploration company's estimate, predicting reserves of around eight to ten thousand ounces.
There is a water source, although it is not large, but there are conditions to build a water storage tank, and there are not many problems with ore washing.
Although it was tempting, Jason remained cautious and did not make a decision immediately.
Jason put down the documents in his hand and asked, "You don't mind if I take a look around the mine, do you?"
"Of course"
As long as Jason is willing to buy the mine, he has no objection to how many times he visits.
In any mining transaction, regardless of which company makes the purchase, a third-party organization is required to conduct an on-site survey. Matthew had no problem with this.
On the contrary, Matthew saw this as Jason's decision to buy, so of course he wouldn't refuse.
But Jason's next move puzzled him.
Jason floored the accelerator and sped off across the mine, changing direction every now and then without any discernible pattern, occasionally stopping to fill bags with soil.
As for Cass, he wisely didn't get in the car and just stood there filming with the camera on his shoulder.
Matthew frowned: "This is..."
Angel shook his head, looking somewhat bewildered. "I don't know either."
Cass, who was carrying the camera, briefly shared Jason's "twisted" theory with them.
Matthew and Angell looked at each other in bewilderment.
Having worked in the industry for over a decade, they had never heard of such a bizarre, even unreliable, theory.
But the photographer described how Jason, a young man who was still quite naive, had already made a lot of money using this theory, making them wonder if they were out of touch.
I didn't understand, but I didn't refute it.
After all, there are quite a few bizarre theories in the gold mining industry.
In the mine, Jason drove around, using his detection skills to probe every inch of the gold-bearing area.
Three thousand two hundred acres of land is indeed a large area. Even with the car, which was constantly stopping and starting, it still took Jason more than an hour to get there.
After compiling the data recorded on the paper, Jason simply set it on fire.
6513.79 ounces!
This is the data Jason obtained after running through the entire mine.
It's fair to say that this mine does indeed contain a significant amount of gold, although there are considerable discrepancies between the data and the figures in the report. This is understandable, as sampling data is often not very accurate.
But Jason has no intention of buying the mine!
It's simply a matter of price!
On the way here, Angel introduced Matthew's mine to us. It costs three million dollars and has been on the market for about a year without being sold.
Even if negotiations can proceed further, the price is unlikely to decrease significantly.
Six thousand ounces of gold, at the current gold price, would only be worth a little over three million US dollars.
Taking into account all expenses, it seems that this mine has almost no chance of making a profit.
Of course, in the long run, as gold prices continue to rise, buying at the current price is not a bad deal.
But, as I said before, it's a loss right now!
The collected soil was sifted and washed out using a gold pan, revealing only a few scattered grains of gold.
Jason smiled and said, "Mr. Matthew, I'm sorry to bother you. I still need to inspect two other mines, and I will make a decision after considering all factors."
He then added, "If possible, I will have a third-party exploration company conduct a thorough survey, and then we can discuss the details."
"No problem!" Matthew shook hands with Jason and smiled, "Then I'll await Mr. Jason's good news."
Jason smiled and assured him that there would be no problem, but that was just a polite promise. Besides, who could say for sure what would happen next?
After saying goodbye to Matthew, the group drove away from the mine and headed straight for a small hotel in the nearest town.