I will do some informed speculating here on the question: "What was wrong" with the small MC. I think it was just a matter or priorities - the rain was a problem for dilution of the leachate in the pregnant pond and running the small MC with the low concentration of gold wasn't worthwhile compared to the two higher priority jobs of clearing sediment from the ponds and assembling the larger MC. Sediment running thru the small or large MC would gunk up the filters and complicate metal recovery.

One or two days running of the large MC will make up for the small amount of gold that would be recovered in the small MC in two weeks. . It'll be about one day versus two weeks ratio of production between h two plants.

The crew is not large enough to do three things at once and I like the idea of doing exactly what's needed to get the larger plant in operation ASAP. That should be in about a week with some additional time to rebuild concentration in the pregnant pond. To me this delay is understandable and works toward a greater good.