OTTAWA, Sept. 19 — In an unusual approach to research and development, Barrick Gold offered a $10 million prize on Wednesday to any scientist, researcher or inventor who can increase the amount of silver the company recovers from a mine in Argentina.

Gold and silver extraction, which generally involves trickling diluted cyanide over crushed rock, has sometimes caused serious environmental problems. But Barrick’s decision to stake a prize for a new process comes from its frustration at recovering only 6.7 percent of the silver in its Veladero mine, compared to an 80 percent rate for its gold.

After several alternative techniques for removing the silver proved either unsuccessful or financially unfeasible, Gregory C. Wilkins, Barrick’s chief executive and president, said the company thought it needed a broader approach.

“This is a way to go out to the global scientific community to focus that intellectual horsepower,” Mr. Wilkins said from the company’s head office in Toronto. “Rather than limit the problem to a very small R.& D. staff, we have turned our R.& D. group into managers of research.”