The typical application of a Goldscan 1500 analyser is in a deposit where the gold occurs in very low concentrations as fine particles in the gold bearing (reef) rock.

In these deposits, the gold bearing ore has a slightly higher natural background radiation than surrounding rock, due to the presence of fine uranium-bearing minerals. The Goldscan 1500 analyser has been successfully used to detect gold rich ore on a moving belt conveyor by detecting this low level natural radiation.

In one application, the Goldscan was initially installed on the conveyor receiving waste (barren) rock hoisted from underground workings. The primary objective was to provide YES/NO detection of reef that was accidentally being dumped as waste. This objective was easily achieved. A later development resulted in the Goldscan being used to monitor the ore grade and to provide a warning if the grade exceeded a preset limit.

In the meantime the mine economists saw the Goldscan as an important ore accounting tool. In simple terms the mining operational managers estimate the quantity of gold that should be recovered by the beneficiation plant based on the tonnes fed in and the estimated grade. Usually less gold than estimated was actually produced, leading management to question whether the gold was actually present, or if it was present and not recovered in their beneficiation processes. To improve the accuracy of the gold accounting, a second Goldscan was subsequently installed on the reef conveyor to determine the actual gold content of ore fed into the beneficiation plant. This Goldscan has operated successfully in this application.