Lead Ore With Silver From Pakistan: How Silver-Bearing Lead Ore Is Assayed and Valued

Silver-bearing lead ore is valued on two things at once: the lead grade (Pb %) and the silver content (usually reported in grams per tonne, g/t). Both come off a certified assay, and the price you pay reflects the lead value plus a payable portion of the silver, minus any penalties for impurities. That's the short version. Here's how it actually works when you're buying.

We supply lead ore with silver as crushed ore — not flotation concentrate — crushed to your size range. Each lot is sampled and analysed by SGS Pakistan, and it's sold against that SGS certificate of analysis. So the numbers below aren't us telling you a grade. They're the framework you use to read the certificate and work out what the material is worth.

What's in a lead-silver ore assay and what each line means

An assay certificate for silver-bearing lead ore has a handful of lines that matter. Read them in this order.

• Pb (lead), as a percentage — the main value driver. Lead ore is priced off its contained lead.
• Ag (silver), in g/t — the by-product credit. Silver often carries a large share of the total value in these ores, sometimes more than the lead itself.
• Zn (zinc) — common in galena-hosted ores. Depending on the buyer it's either a credit or ignored, but it's worth knowing it's there.
• Moisture — because ore is weighed wet and paid dry. More on that below.
• Penalty elements — arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and sometimes mercury (Hg) or cadmium (Cd). Smelters penalise these above set thresholds.

The lead mineral in most of these ores is galena (lead sulphide), and silver sits inside the galena lattice. That's why lead and silver travel together. When you see a high Pb number with a healthy Ag g/t, that's a typical silver-bearing galena ore.

Honestly, the single most common mistake I see from first-time buyers is looking only at the Pb % and skimming past the silver line. On a lot of lead-silver ore the silver can be the bigger cheque. Read both.

How silver-bearing lead ore gets valued

Valuation is build-up, not a single number. Smelters and traders price it roughly like this:

1. Lead payable — a percentage of the contained lead (Pb % × tonnes), referenced to the LME lead price. The payable percentage is set by negotiation and sits below 100% because the smelter takes a share for treatment.
2. Silver payable — a percentage of the contained silver (Ag g/t × tonnes), referenced to the LBMA silver price, usually with a minimum deduction (for example, a fixed g/t that isn't paid). Again the exact payable and deduction are negotiated.
3. Treatment charge (TC) — a per-tonne charge the smelter applies to process the ore.
4. Penalties — per-unit charges for arsenic, antimony, bismuth and other impurities above threshold.

I won't quote payable percentages, TCs or penalty rates here, because they move with the market and with each smelter's terms — and anyone publishing a fixed figure is guessing. Confirm them against a current offer from the smelter or trader you're dealing with. The LME (lead) and LBMA (silver) reference prices are public and are the right benchmarks to build from.

The point is: your money is contained metal × payable × reference price, minus TC and penalties. Get the assay right and the rest is arithmetic.

You can see how we present and sell this material on the lead-silver ore page.

Sampling, moisture and why dry weight matters

Assay value is only as good as the sample. Here's the chain:

• The lot is sampled and analysed by SGS Pakistan, and sold against that certificate.
• You may test a sample in your own laboratory before committing.
• You may appoint SGS or your own inspector at loading to sample and weigh.

That covers the three check points most buyers want: pre-purchase, independent lab, and loading supervision.

Moisture is where new buyers lose money without noticing. Ore is weighed wet at loading but paid on dry metric tonnes. So the certificate reports moisture, and the payable weight is wet weight minus that moisture. If you pay on wet weight, you're paying for water. Make sure your contract says dry weight.

A quick checklist before you accept any lead-silver ore assay:

• Is it on SGS (or an inspector you both accept) letterhead, with the lot reference?
• Does it show Pb %, Ag g/t, moisture, and the penalty elements (As, Sb, Bi)?
• Is the silver in g/t, not ppm confusion (they're numerically the same, but check the label)?
• Does the sale contract pay on dry weight?
• Is there a provision for umpire assay if your lab and the seller's disagree?

That umpire clause matters. If your result and ours differ beyond an agreed split limit, a third independent lab settles it. Standard practice in ore trading — ask for it.

HS codes, packing and documents for lead-silver ore

Lead ores and concentrates fall under HS 2607. Your customs broker should confirm the exact national sub-heading for your import country, because the last digits vary by territory. Don't take a forum answer for your tariff line — check it against your own tariff schedule.

Packing depends on your size range and vessel. Crushed ore commonly moves in bulk or in jumbo bags (FIBCs) on pallets. Tell us your preference on enquiry.

Typical export document set:

• Commercial invoice and packing list
• SGS certificate of analysis (the assay the sale is based on)
• Certificate of weight
• Bill of lading
• Certificate of origin

We offer FOB Karachi, with CFR on request. Material is supplied to order, so availability and the shipment window are confirmed when you enquire — I'm not going to pretend there's a warehouse number I can give you off the cuff.

How to place an order

Send your target specs: lead grade range, silver you're expecting, crush size, lot size, destination port, and FOB or CFR. We confirm availability and the shipment window, arrange SGS sampling and analysis, and you get the certificate to value against before anything ships.

Request a quote on the lead-silver ore page, or message WhatsApp +92 300 3644444 with your specs and destination port.