In the latest episode of Gold Rush, titled Parker’s Three Plant Blitz, Parker Schnabel intensifies his pursuit of gold at Dominion Creek.
He has resorted to running three wash plants simultaneously for the first time in his mining career.
The move is a desperate one for the Gold Rush star as he continues to spend big at Dominion Creek but is struggling to get a tangible return.
Facing a $2.5 million deficit after nine weeks and having secured just over $1 million in gold, Schnabel is determined to turn the tide.
His ambitious goal for the season is to extract 10,000 ounces of gold, and he is far from achieving this feat.
If anyone can manage to turn things around, it’s Parker, thanks to his wealth of mining experience dating back to his early childhood.
Parker Schnabel’s third washplant runs into trouble
To boost production, Schnabel deploys a third wash plant, known as “Bob,” to the Ken and Stuart cuts.
This strategic move aims to yield 900 ounces of gold over three weeks. Tyson Lee leads the challenging 12-mile transport of Bob through treacherous terrain, successfully delivering it to the site where Damien Browne awaits to commence operations.
However, upon arrival, the crew discovers a significant setback: a tear in Bob’s conveyor belt.
This issue halts operations as the team races against time to repair the belt and get the plant running.
Once all three wash plants—Big Red at Bridge Cut, Roxanne at Long Cut, and Bob at the new site are operational, the team eagerly anticipates the results.
At the weigh-in, Big Red produced 58.85 ounces of gold worth approximately $147,000, Roxanne delivered 185.65 ounces valued at $464,000, and Bob contributed just 58.45 ounces worth around $146,000.
This brings the season’s total to 1,107 ounces, still far from Schnabel’s 10,000-ounce target.
Parker Schnabel is frustrated but remains optimistic about his mining ambition
Despite the underwhelming returns, Schnabel remains optimistic about Dominion Creek’s potential but acknowledges the tough journey ahead.
The high operational costs and mounting pressure leave little room for error as the season progresses.
As Schnabel continues to innovate and push the boundaries of his mining operations, viewers are left on edge, wondering if his bold strategies will pay off or lead to further challenges in the unforgiving gold mining industry.
In next week’s episode, Schnabel has some issues with his crew as Chris Doumitt threatens to walk out.
Gold Rush Season 15 airs Fridays at 8/7c on Discovery Channel.