All Articles
Hidden Features in Venezuela
October 2003 by Edgar B. Heylmun, PhD
Venezuela is considerably larger than the state of Texas and is located on the north coast of South America. The capital city of Caracas (pop. 4 million) is some 2,135 miles south of New York City. Most of the population is in the northern half of the nation, with paved highways connecting the principal cities and towns. The Orinoco River flows through the southern and central parts of the country, and much of the travel into the interior is along that river and its tributaries.Melman on Gold & Silver
From the point of view of the precious metals, an upside breakout would have clear inflationary implications, which should benefit...
Wall-Rock Alteration
Wall-rock (country rock) alteration is found in all hard-rock mining districts and has been caused by hydrothermal solutions in the past history of the region. The zones of alteration have a bearing on where one might drill for ore bodies. The weekend prospector does not have the tools nor knowledge to block out ore deposits, but he can narrow down his search dramatically by understanding the zones of wall-rock alteration that he sees.
Ask the Experts—Where can I find plans for a home-built suction dredge?
Q: Years ago I had plans for building a home-built suction dredge called the Spartan dredge. I really loved that dredge. I now have a 12-year-old son who wants to start mining. We wanted to build our own at home but I’ve lost the plans.
Reading A River: Finding The Paystreaks—Part I
How to read a river to find gold: The exact point where you choose to dig for gold makes a big difference because the placer gold deposits formed in rivers and streams are anything but uniform—some parts are rich in gold...
Detecting Strategies for Heavily Forested Areas
Looking for nugget laden bedrock in forested mountain regions, you first need to explore the banks of the gold-bearing streams and look for the bedrock that is exposed as this is your starting point.
Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine
There were nice sections of vein material at the end of several drifts, like they just stopped work one day and walked away.
The Business of Mines—Consider Your Tax Deductions Now
Uncle Sam, the not-so-silent partner of every miner, dredger and prospector is willing, using our tax laws, to help reduce out-of-pocket expenditures necessary to acquire business assets and property. In addition to the well-known depreciation deduction, however, the tax laws permit tax write-offs for other, less tangible business assets. The best time to explore and lock-in many of these overlooked and misunderstood deductions is now, well before the end of the tax year.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• A Guide to Overlooked Gold Deposits—Part II
• Brighter Days Ahead Reports Nevada Mining Association
• Waldo Miners File Suit
• Roll-Front Uranium Deposits
• Deadly Storms May Expose Gems in Sri Lanka
• Picks & Pans: Dredging and Detecting in Sierra City
• Dredging for Monazite in Idaho
• Gold in the Philippines
• 2003 California State Gold Panning Championships
• Judge Holds Companies Liable for Some Damage
• The Golden Highway—Tuolumne County
• Looking Back
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices







