High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Pidgeon process is one of the methods of magnesium metal production, via a silicothermic reduction. Practical production requires roughly 35-40 MWh/ton of metal produced, which is on par with the molten salt electrolytic methods of production, though above the 7 MWh/ton theoretical minimum.The basic chemical equations of this process are: Si(s) + MgO(s) SiO2(s) + Mg(g) (high temperature, distillation boiling zone) Mg(g) Mg(liq, s) (low temperature, distillation condensing zone).