24 MARET 2015

Pemodelan & Analisa Cadangan

Hendra Harisman, ST., M.Eng.Sc.

MINING SYSTEM

RESOURCE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY

Hendra Harisman, ST., M.Eng.Sc.

Introduction
A resource estimate is based on:

- prediction of the physical characteristics of a mineral

deposit
through:
- collection of data
- analysis of the data
- modelling:
size
shape
grade of the deposit

Introduction
Important physical characteristics of the ore body:
the size, shape, and continuity of ore zones
the frequency distribution of mineral grade
the spatial variability of mineral grade

never completely known

inferred

Introduction
The sample data consist of:
1. Physical samples
2. Quantity of mineral in the samples
3. Direct observations

Methods :
Methods used to develop the resource model:
1. Compilation of the geologic and assay data into maps, reports,
and computer databases.
2. Delineation of the physical limits of the deposit based on
geologic interpretation of the mineralization controls at a
reasonable range of mining cutoff grades.
3. Compositing of samples into larger units such as mining bench
height, seam thickness, or minable vein width.
4. Modeling of the grade distribution based on histograms and
cumulative frequency plots of grades.
5. Evaluation of the spatial variability of grade using experimental
variograms.
6. Selection of a resource estimation method and estimation of
quantity and grade of the mineral resource.

important factors
The most important mining factors for consideration:
1. The range of likely cut off grades.
2. The degree of selectivity and the size of the selective
mining unit for likely mining methods.
3. Variations in the deposit that affect the ability to mine
and/or process the ore.

DATA COLLECTION
Data for the resource estimate:
1. Reliable assays from an adequate number of representative
samples.
2. Coordinate locations for the sample data.
3. Consistently recorded geologic data that describe the
mineralization controls.
4. Cross sections or plan maps with the geologic interpretation of
the mineralization controls
5. Tonnage factors or specific gravities for the various ore and
waste rock categories
6. Surface topographic map, especially for deposits to be surface
mined

DATA COLLECTION
Minimum information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Drillhole number or other identification.

Hole length, collar coordinates, and down-hole surveys.
Sample intervals and assay data.
Geologic data such as lithology, alteration, oxidation, etc.
Geotechnical data such as RQD (rock quality designation).

DATA COLLECTION
Some procedures that may be used to ensure that the
data have been entered correctly are:
1. Verification of the data using independent entry by two persons. This
is a standard procedure at many commercial data-entry shops that
may dramatically reduce data-entry errors.
2. Manual comparison of a random sample of the original data sheets to
a print-out of the database.
3. Scanning the data for outlier values. For example: drill locations
outside the project limits, high and low assays, and sample intervals
that overlap or are not continuous.
4. Comparison of computer-plotted data with manually plotted maps of
the same data

GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION
The sample database represents a large three-dimensional array of
point locations in a deposit
interpretation resulting from the geologists assimilation of the large
quantity of geologic data
The interpretations is to provide an interpretative geologic model
Failure to develop an appropriate geologic ore body model is the most
common reason for large errors in the resource estimates

GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION
Examples of geologic features that are often modelled:
1. Receptive vs. non-receptive host rocks.
2. Alteration types that accompany mineralization or create problems in
beneficiation.
3. Faulting, folding, and other structural modifications.
4. Multiple phases of mineralization.
5. Post-mineral features such as oxidation and leaching.

GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION
Changes in lithology :
1. important variables in resource estimation.
2. mineralization can vary due to physical or chemical attributes of the
rocks.
3. The differences may be distinct.
4. The differences may be gradational.
unmineralized materials that are contained within the mineralized zone.

GEOLOGIC INTERPRETATION
effects of fault:
1. faulting occurred before or after the mineralization.
2. to what processes accompanied the faulting.
effects of fold:
1. folding occurred before or after ore deposition.
2. on the tendency of the ore zoning to follow the stratigraphy.
3. the mineralization follows the contours of the folds or is independent
of the fold geometry

COMPOSITING
sample assay data are combined by computing a weighted
average over longer intervals to provide a smaller number of
data with greater length for use in developing the resource
estimate
usually a length-weighted average
If density is extremely variable compositing must be weighted
by length times density (or specific gravity).

COMPOSITING
Some of the reasons for and benefits of compositing:
1. Irregular length assay samples must be composited to provide
equal-sized data for geostatistical analysis.
2. Compositing reduces the number of data and may significantly
reduce computational time, which is often proportional to the
square of the number of data
3. Compositing incorporates dilution such as that from mining
constant height benches in an open-pit mine or from mining a
minimum height/width in an underground mine
4. Compositing reduces erratic variation due to a high nugget effect
caused by erratic high-grade values

COMPOSITING
Common methods for compositing:
1. bench compositing.
2. constant length compositing
3. ore zone compositing

COMPOSITING
Bench compositing:
1. used for resource modeling for open pit mining.
2. most useful for large, uniform deposits
3. ore zone compositing
Advantages:
1. constant elevation data
2. simple to plot and interpret
3. the dilution from mining a constant-height, constantelevation bench is approximated by the bench composite

COMPOSITING
Down-hole composites:
1. computed using constant length intervals.
2. used when the holes are drilled at oblique angles (45 or
less) to the mining benches
3. excessively long
4. should be used when the length of the sample interval is
greater than one-third the length of the composite interval

COMPOSITING
Ore-zone compositing:
1. used to prevent dilution of the composite.
2. computed by compositing ore zone individually:
- the length of the ore zone is divided by the desired length of the composite
- this ratio is rounded up and down to determine the number of composites that
provide a length nearest the desired length when divided into the length of the
ore zone
- the ore zone is composited using length composites starting at the beginning of
the ore zone and length as determined in the previous step