Portable PPB co-founder Simon Bolster says the company expanded into Armenia, Indonesia, Fiji and Uruguay in the September quarter and has now shipped its detectORE site sample analyses equipment to 36 countries. The period also saw delivery of a prototype containerised lab developed with newly acquired Block 10.
“The modified container features a custom layout designed to support the full detectORE workflow and Rokbot automation, enabling integrated screening, crushing, splitting, drying and robotic analysis,” Portable PPB said.
Bolster said the mobile lab was equipped to process hundreds of gold assays a day with PPPB’s automated pXRF reading system, RokBot.
He said this year had been a transformative period for Portable PPB with its geographic expansion, acquisition and technology development.
“Our mission to revolutionise gold exploration and mining through fit-for-purpose on site gold analyses and other pragmatic solutions continues to gain momentum,” he said.
“As demand for detectORE grade and process control applications continues to grow, Block 10’s mine-site experience, particularly in installing equipment in rugged, high-throughput environments will be invaluable.”
Block 10 founder Steve Russell has joined PPPB as chief engineer. “The acquisition supports our growth and will underpin the accelerated implementation of new specialised laboratory and automation equipment,” he said.
Bolster said the surge in gold prices and public company equity funding inflows was driving increased exploration activity, which would inevitably place pressure on laboratory turnaround times.
Instead of waiting weeks for lab results companies could take the lab to the field with detectORE.
That meant “assays pending” should “only apply to samples requiring full gold analysis for JORC-compliant resource estimates and not for routine exploration samples”.
