You're right, I don't know what exactly is in the slag. I know in general what is in the slag as far as the majority constituents - things like silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, etc. As for exactly what the gold, silver, copper, and zinc content are - I can't say because I have not found that information. I am sure that Phelps Dodge has that data somewhere, and I'll bet it could be found if someone spent the time to do it. All I know for sure is that the data is not in any report issued by SRCH, because they have not issued any reports.
But, it's a moot point. I can look at production records and I can look at geological reports, and I know what kind of ores were processed by Phelps Dodge at the smelter. The ores had a gold content to be sure and I am sure that Phelps Dodge was pretty happy about it. According to references on my shelf, the majority of the ore had less than 0.05 oz/ton. I don't need to know what all the other stuff in the slag is, to be able to say that it is impossible to end up with a slag with 0.5 oz/ton gold.
The smelter and the orebody are not really that unique. Both the smelter and orebody have unique features but so does any smelter and any orebody. The geology of the orebodies smelted at Clarkdale are a little unusual for Arizona, given that most production in Arizona is from porphyry deposits and this is a Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS). But, there are other VMS deposits in Arizona (Iron King Mine, for example), so it is not unique. There are many, many articles and reports on both the smelter and the orebody - should I post a bibliography? Yes, you are right, it was very rich ore, hence the direct smelt. And there is data available for ore going into the smelter. I think I posted those sources before, would have to go back and see what they were.
Nothing that SRCH says in their PRs is credible without their consultants' report. I can't remember if they claimed to know what the values of silver, copper, zinc, etc. are in the slag. Doesn't matter, I wouldn't believe it without seeing the data, and someone credible presenting it. The gold is the focus, obviously, and their claims are not believable.
And yes, a smart (and lucky) person can make money on SRCH no matter if they are a scam or not, as we have discussed before.
Setting up all that equipment is one of the keys to SRCH's success and longevity. Appearances are important and what's a million bucks worth of equipment if it helps buy them 7 years of scamming success? I know of numerous scams that have expensive, brand-new equipment that they have bought (and never used).
