Laboratory History

The Wheal Jane mine operated from the late 1960s until 1991 when it closed due to adverse economic factors.

Throughout this period the Wheal Jane Laboratory formed part of the technical support functions of the business, monitoring the concentrator process at Wheal Jane and providing analytical services to other RTZ (the owners at the time) operations in Cornwall.

The polymetallic processing plant at Wheal Jane was the subject of huge investment in the 1980s, creating a state-of-the-art facility which was successfully recovering not only tin but copper and zinc too, and also processing ore mined at the other remaining Cornish mine, South Crofty.

After the closure of South Crofty in 1998, the plant at Wheal Jane fell redundant. Through a management buyout the lab was retained, re-equipped and has continued to operate since then on a commercial basis. The laboratory is now an integral part of the Wheal Jane Group.

Whilst offering analysis of water and soils locally, the mainstay of the lab’s business is serving mining and minerals clients worldwide as well as here in Cornwall.

Wheal Jane Laboratory is a UKAS accredited testing laboratory. Environmental and management control systems meet as a minimum ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 17025 requirements.