Mining laboratory specializing in pyroanalysis in Rouyn-Noranda
Proudly Canadian. Family-Owned. Trusted Experts.
Based in Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Expert Laboratories is a 100% Canadian, family-run lab delivering fast, accurate results to exploration projects and operating mines worldwide.
Lab Services
Industry-standard method for determining gold content in core, rock, muck, and chip samples.
Sample Reception
All incoming samples are verified against packing lists and logged into our LIMS system for full traceability, labeling, and workflow automation.
Sample Preparation
Samples are dried, crushed, riffled, and pulverized to industry standards with strict contamination controls.
Gold Fire Assay – Geochem
Used for low-level gold detection (5–10,000 PPB). Includes mixing samples with appropriate flux and silver nitrate, fused in a furnace for approximately 45 minutes, followed by cooling in a conical mold. The slag is broken off and the lead button is recovered and cupelled until the lead is oxidized. Later the doré bead is placed in a test tube and allowed to react in a water bath with nitric and hydrochloric acids. The samples are then removed from the water bath and distilled water is added, samples are thoroughly mixed and allowed to settle and the gold is then determined by atomic absorption.
Gold Fire Assay – Gravimetric
Ideal for high-grade gold samples. The fire assay process is the same as above except for the final process following recuperation of the doré bead which is then flattened with a hammer and placed in a porcelain parting cup. The cup is filled with 1:7 nitric acid and heated to dissolve the silver. When the reaction appears to be finished a drop of concentrated nitric acid is added and the sample is observed to ensure there is no further action. The gold bead is then washed several times with hot distilled water, dried, annealed, cooled and weighed on a balance.
Lower detection limit is 0.03 g/t and there is no upper limit
Metallic Gold
The total sample is dried if necessary, crushed and pulverized, and then sieved through a 100 mesh sieve. The -100 mesh portion is mixed and analyzed in duplicate by gravimetric fire assay, as is the entire +100 mesh portion. All individual analyses are reported along with the final calculated value.
Base & Critical Metals
Analysis of silver, copper, zinc, nickel, lead, cobalt, and more by atomic absorption.
Partial Acid Digestion – Base Metals
0.5g pulp digested with HCl + HNO₃ in a water bath. Ideal for low- to mid-range concentrations. Detection down to 2 PPM except silver which is 0.2 PPM. Values for silver over 100 PPM and copper, zinc, nickel, lead and cobalt values over 10,000 ppm are re-assayed by a total acid procedure.
Total Acid Digestion – Base Metals
Aggressive 4-acid digestion including HF for full element recovery. Results expressed in % concentration for high-grade ores.
Sample Submission Form
Our Company Services Brochure
Prices are on demand and tailored to meet your needs.
Our turn around times range from 2 days on rush samples at no extra cost and from 3 to 7 days on the rest.
Expert insight to enhance your needs.
Provided by Joe Landers, industry expert who has 40+ years experience in fire assay & mining lab design.
We offer tailored consulting for mining companies, exploration teams, and on-site lab setups.
Specialties Include:
Fire Assay Lab Design & Construction
End-to-end guidance on setting up full-scale labs for gold and base metal testing.
Portable & Small-Scale Prep Labs
Efficient mobile or remote-site setups for field operations.
Custom Assay Solutions for Geological Projects
Workflow optimization, method development, and project-specific support.
Need expert input on your next lab build or assay process? We are here!
Proudly Canadian. Family-Owned. TrustedExperts.
Expert Laboratories is a 100% Canadian, family-owned assay laboratory proudly serving the mining and exploration industry since 2001. Located in Rouyn-Noranda, QC, at the heart of Quebec's mining corridor, we are deeply rooted in the communities we serve and the values that drive this industry forward: precision, reliability, and integrity.
About Us
Precision, reliability, and integrity.
Joe Landers
Founder, Owner, Expert.
A heritage of precision, built over 40 years.
Joe Landers has helped shape the standards of analytical and laboratory excellence in Canada for over four decades. His experience spans high-level commercial operations, international laboratory audits, and the establishment of trusted facilities for industry geologists. Today, Expert Laboratories is a living reflection of this legacy: driven by expertise, designed for performance. Joe began his career in the late 1970s as Chief Assayer for the Noranda Group at Agnew Lake and Pamour Porcupine, before heading a successful commercial laboratory in Haileybury, Ontario, known as Bell White Assay Labs.
After leaving Bell White, Joe spent the next two years with the Assayers Group, a name highly respected among geologists for its quality and integrity. He then joined SGS Canada , where he not only helped design and manage the Rouyn-Noranda laboratory, but also built the SGS laboratory there, as well as at the Red Lake, Ontario site. He also conducted international laboratory audits, including projects in Africa.
After ten years at SGS, Joe founded Expert Laboratories with a clear vision: to build a lab that offers top-notch testing, at fair prices, with fast turnaround times supported by a team of highly skilled technicians, many of whom have decades of practical experience.
Today, Expert Laboratories continues to grow as a trusted partner for both exploration companies and operating mines .
Our long-standing customers appreciate our commitment to quality, personalized service, and constant drive to innovate.
We're not just another lab, we're a Canadian-owned legacy built on excellence, experience, and trust.
Management Team
Debi Soucie - Landers
Owner & Customer Service
Mathieu Trudel
Owner/Marketing Eastern Canada
Caroline Trudel
Marketing Western Canada & International
Steve Beaudoin
Production Manager
Get in Touch
Call us for a quote today!
Real people. Real expertise. Real results.
Expert Laboratories Inc
750 Rue Saguenay,
Rouyn-Noranda, QC
J9X 7B5, Canada
+1 819-762-7100