Gold Pouring and Casting
Credit: Musée minéralogique de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
The ore to be refined starts off as a greyish mud received from the mill. It is placed in a pot and heated to more than 3000 degrees Fahrenheit (1650 degrees Celsius). Various chemicals are added to the sludge in order to facilitate gold extraction. This mixture is heated with an oil burner for 5 to 6 hours until the sludge becomes liquid. When poured, the liquid gold is green!
Pouring gold is a process carried out discreetly at night or early in the morning and supervised by armed guards.