Abstract
Abstract The mineral exploration activity consists of a set of successive stages that are interdependent on each other, in which the main goal is to discover and subsequently evaluate a mineral deposit for the feasibility of its extraction. This process involves setting the shape, dimensions and grades for eventual production. Geological modeling determines the orebody's possible format in subsoil, which can be done by two approaches: vertical sections (deterministic methods) or geostatistical methods. The latter approach is currently being preferred, as it is a more accurate alternative and therefore, more reliable for establishing the physical format of orebodies, especially in instances where geologic boundaries are soft and/or with widely spaced sample information. This study uses the concept of indicator kriging (IK) to model the geologic boundaries of a limestone deposit located at Indiara city, Goias State, Brazil. In general, the results indicated a good adherence in relation to samples. However, there are reasonable differences, particularly in lithological domains with a small number of samples in relation to the total amount sampled. Therefore, the results showed that there is a need for additional sampling to better delineate the geological contacts, especially between carbonate and non-carbonate rocks. Uncertainty maps confirmed this necessity and also indicated potential sites for future sampling; information that would not be obtained by usage of deterministic methods.
Highlights
AbstractThe mineral exploration activity consists of a set of successive stages that are interdependent on each other, in which the main goal is to discover and subsequently evaluate a mineral deposit for the feasibility of its extraction
The sampled data were first submitted to validation and similarity analyses, comparing analytical results with their geological descriptions; the latter being primordial in supporting the classification of lithological domains
In the geological model generated by indicator kriging, the geometry of the calcareous bodies is compatible with the geometry of the local geology of the limestone lenses
Summary
AbstractThe mineral exploration activity consists of a set of successive stages that are interdependent on each other, in which the main goal is to discover and subsequently evaluate a mineral deposit for the feasibility of its extraction. Geological modeling determines the orebody’s possible format in subsoil, which can be done by two approaches: vertical sections (deterministic methods) or geostatistical methods The latter approach is currently being preferred, as it is a more accurate alternative and more reliable for establishing the physical format of orebodies, especially in instances where geologic boundaries are soft and/or with widely spaced sample information. The results showed that there is a need for additional sampling to better delineate the geological contacts, especially between carbonate and non-carbonate rocks. Uncertainty maps confirmed this necessity and indicated potential sites for future sampling; information that would not be obtained by usage of deterministic methods
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