The U.S. Bureau of Land Management released a Mineral
Report in January 2003 entitled
Results of Analyses of Standard and Blank Samples Tested at
Selected Assay Laboratories in North America.
The BLM's Washington Office assigned the National Training Center in
Phoenix to develop and implement the survey because of Public Land
administration problems caused by inaccurate or nonreproducible
precious metal assays. Geologists Matthew W. Shumaker and Burrett
W. Clay administered the survey. In the survey, standards and blanks
for gold, silver, platinum and palladium were sent to North American
laboratories that perform assays for the general public for money. In
all, 65 laboratories were tested. The survey lists the name and location
of each laboratory tested, with results of the tests.
The assay lab survey report was intended for the use of Bureau of Land
Management personnel in evaluating laboratory results submitted to them.
While other uses are beyond the original scope and objectives of the
project, the report may be useful to persons who would like to inquire
into the accuracy of work provided by a laboratory.
