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GEOSTATISTICS COURSE

CLASSICAL ORE RESERVES


ESTIMATION METHODS

Dr. Arifudin Idrus


Department of Geological Engineering
Gadjah Mada University
E-mail: arifidrus@ugm.ac.id

Definition of terms
 Global reserves
refers to the mean grade of the reserves to
be mined over the life time of the mine.
 Local reserves
refers to the mean grade of reserves to be
mined over short time increaments eg. year
by year.
Local ore reserves are used to produce the
mining schedule.

Definition of terms
 Resources
usually based on geological interpretation
only. Mining parameters have not (or only
partly) applied.
 Reserves
incorporate all aspect of the impact of
mining on the geological interpretation,
especially ore loss and dilution.

Requirements of an ore reserve


method
On the philosophical side
 they must be consistent with the nature of the
orebody being evaluated. i.e., they must be
geologycally controlled and must follow on form the
geological interpretation. They must not dictate the
geology. Computational methods are not geological
predictors.
 they should be simple in that most people associated
with the project should be sufficiently comfortable
with the methodology.

On the philosophical side

 They should be robust. The method should yield the


correct answer over a wide renge of data and should
not be such that small changes in the data can yield
large changes in the result.
 They should be understandable. If the method cannot
understand what is happening then this can create
uneasiness with the method and result in uncertainly.
 They should de defendable when confronted by peers.
Or reserve calculation must be defendable with
conviction.

On the philosophical side


 They should be consistent with the data density. If
only limited data is available the method should
reflect this.
 They must reflect themining method realistically.
It is only in comics and films that superman mines
orebodies
Most orebodies are mined by mortals.
 The assumptions used shouldbe clearly stated.

On the practical side the computations should be:


1. Rapid
2. Reliable
3. Easily checked
The reliability of reserve computations depends on:




The accuracy and completeness of our knowledge of


the orebody under study.
The data density and reliability of the base data.
The assumptions for interpreting the variables under
study.
The relevance of the mathematical methodology
used.

Selecting an Ore Reserve Method


depends on:




The
The
The
The

geology of the mineral deposit.


density of data.
purpose of computations.
degree of accuracy required.

At the mine design stage


More complete calculations are required.
(Global Estimates)
At the mine design stage
More complete calculations are required.
(Local Estimates)

Types of Ore Reserve Method


 Classical method.
 Geostatistical method.

CLASSICAL ORE RESERVE METHODS


In carrying out classical ore reserve calculations
we work from the highest data density to the
least data density.
Consider an orebody drilled on section. The
sectional data is densest. The interpretation
should be carried out on section first.
All methods are based on computing solids with
their bases in the plane.

For sectional data


(and vertical longitudinal sections)
 Interpret data in the plane of the section.
 Measure the area in the plane.
 Use a horizontal distance for extending to
a volume.

For plan data


1. Interpret data in he plane of the plan.
2. Measure are in plan.
3. Use a vertical distance for extendig to a
volume.
Often the vertical distance is the bench height.
Often ore reserves are calculated by generating
longitudinal sections in the plane of the dip of
the mineral body.

For inclined longitudinal sections


 interpret data in the plane of the sections.
 use true thickness for he inclined plane.
Generally in reserve calculations the true strike and true
dip of the deposit are determined first of all.
If data in not presented with true dip and strike it needs
to be corrected to allow for this. This is achieved by
carrying out geometrical corrections.
All ore reserve methods involve.
1. Weighting data (ie. Weighting assay data).
2. Extending data to obtain volume.

VOLUME CALCULATONS

1. Trapezoidal rules
The trapezoidal rule assumes the
area consists of a sequence of
trapezoids
Area =

(a1 + a2 )h + (a2 + a3 )h +
2

Where the area of a simple trapezoid is

(
a + b )h
S=
2

a1
a2
a3
a4
a5
a6
a7
a8
a9
a10

2. Simpsons rule
Assumes the boundaries of each strip are best
represented by parabolas passing through
consecutive points.
Area =

1
h a1 + 2odd + 4even + an
3

Volume calculations
Volume = Area x thickness.

Tonnage Calculations
Tonnes = area x thickness x tonnage factors.
Specific Gravity
This is an improtant factor in the calculation
of tonnage.

WEIGHTING OF DATA
This is done by various methods
including: Simple arithmetic methods.
 Weighting by width or thickness, length,
area, specific gravity.

Some weighting examples


to calculate the mean grade.
1.

Simple Arithmetic Methods


mean =

g1 + g 2 + g 3 + g n
n

Assumption all blocks are equal.


2. Thickness weighted
All blocks are equal in area and have the same SG.
mean = t g + t g + t g + ...t g
1 1

t1 + t 2 + t3 + ...t n

3. Area weighted
All blocks have constant thickness and weight factor
but different area.
mean =

A1 g1 + A2 g 2 + A3 g 3 + ... An g n
A1 + A2 + A3 + ... An

4. Volume weighted
The assumption here is that all blocks have SG.
mean =

V1 g1 + V2 g 2 + V3 g 3 + ...V n g n
V1 + V2 + V3 + Vn

5. Tonnage weighted
the assumption is that the tonnage and
grade of blocks are different.
mean =

T1 g1 + T2 g 2 + T3 g 3 + ...T n g n
T1 + T2 + T3 + Tn

CASE 1A
An averaging method (simplest case)
Consider a plan view of 14 drillholes
1
4

5
9

13

10

7
11

12

14

Each drillholes has a thickness ti and a grade gi

Drillhole
1
2
3
4
.
.
.
14

Thickness
t1
t2
t3
t4
.
.
.
t14

Grade
g1
g2
g3
g4
.
.
.
g14

t=

G=

14

Measure the area A


Then tonnes = t A SG
grade = G
This method is accurate
in uniform deposits, where
there is a very small
difference in thickness.

14

In this calculation thickness is not considered important

CASE 1B


Consider the
Drillhole
previous example of
1
the 14 drillholes. In
2
the folowing
3
calculation it is
assumed thet
4
thickness varies from
point to point.
.
An average method
(thickness
weighting).

Thickness

Grade

Product

t1

g1

t1g1

t2

g2

t2g2

t3

g3

t3g3

t4

g4

t4 g

14

t14

g14

t14g14

ti

tigi

Average grade

tg

G=
t
i

Tonnes are calculated by using local thickness.


If the blocks are all the same area, and only the
thickness changes, then

Tonnes = A [t1 + t2 + t14] SG


Example p 9-10

A PLAN METHOD USING POLYGONS

Area of influence
polygon boundary
Drillhole
Ore zone limit
Line segment between
drillholes (construction aid)

If the polygons have different tonnages.


Then use a tonnage weighted method.

CROSS SECTIONAL METHODS


The orebody is devided into geological
section along the lines of drilling.
Two methods are used.
 A gradual change method.
 A step change.
In plan
a. Gradual change

b. Step change
The calculation of volumes may
use the following formulae.
(1) End Area Formula

A + A2
V = 1
L
2

A1 + A2
V =
L
2
For several sections

L
V = A1 + 2 A2 + 2 A3 + ... An

2
(2) Wedge Formula where
one end tapers to a line.

V=

A
L
2

(3) Cone formula where


where one and tapers
to a cone

A
V= L
3

(4) The frustum formula

Note
The frustum formula is
inaccurate in wedge
like orebodies

L
V = A1 + A2 + A1 A2
3

A1

A2

(5) The prismoidal formula

L
V = ( A1 + 4 Am + A2 )
6
This is better for ore bodies which pinch and swell.
Am = mean area between section i.e., auxiliary.
Sections need to be constructed.

COUNTOURING METHODS
(Isoline methods)
Contours are curved lines which join all
points of equal value.
Data is used to construct contours by
interpolation between point of known
values. Various techniques of interpolating
data may be used. (Specific techniques of
interpolation are discussed later).

Contouring method
As an example of the
interpolation technique consider
the method of finding the
volume of the following:-

Section

The volume is calculated by


measuring each area within the
contour interval and using
volume calculation procedures
previously discussed.
The average ore grade can be
computed by constructing
contour maps and by weighting
each area by its contour grade.

plan

Contouring method
To achieve this use

g0 +
g=

A
2
A
2
A
...
A
+
+
+
0
1
2
n
2

A0

where go is the minimum grade of the ore


g is the constant grade interval between contours
*
*
Ao is the area of the body with grade go plus g and
higher
A1 area of orebody with grade go plus g and higher
*
A2 area of the orebody with grade go plus 2g and higher
*
etc

Contouring method
The method reqiures data which has
1. A sufficient number of dat.
2. Appropriate data density
3. Appropriate distribution of data.
When data is unvenly distributed there can be
problems. (These problems will be discussed
later).
The map produced shows the areas of rich and
poor ore.

Contouring method
As an example
consider the
data

G=

g 0 a0 +

g
( A0 + 2 A1 + 2( A21 + A22 ) + ( A31 + A32 ))
2
A0

g3
A3

A2
1

A3

A2

g3
2

g2

g1
A0
g0

Contouring method
The method of contouring should be used only in
deposits of orderly changing thickness and grade.
It is not useful in very complex, discontinous
orebodies.
It is partucularly useful in orebodies where
thickness and grade decrease from the centre to
the periphery

THE METHOD OF POLYGONS


In this method all factors determined for a
certain point of a minerals body extend half way
to the adjoining and surrounding points forming
an area of influence.
Example
1. For regular drillholes

THE METHOD OF POLYGONS


2. Stagged drillholes (face centered)

A note on the use of the FRUSTUM FORMULA


A1 = area M1 = metal = grade x area
A2 = area M2 = metal = grade x area
The volume is
For the prismoidal method
L
V = A1 + A2 + A1 A2
3

The metal
M=

1
M 1 + M 2 + M 1M 2
3

Then

G=

m
v

L
V = ( A1 + 4 A2 + A3 )
6
1
M = (M 1 + M 2 + M 3 )
6
G=

M
V

Note: the formula are only approximate

EXAMPLE OF POLYGONAL ORE RESERVES

The area of influence method of calculating ore reserves is as


following:
1.

Difine for each drillhole, a boundary enclosing the area closest


to that drillhole. This is done by constructing lines which are
mind-way between neighbouring drillholes and perpendicular
to the line segment between the two drillhole location points.

2.

Each area so defined is treated as a polygon of constant grade


and thickness, ie. The grade and thickness of the single
drillhole inside the polygon.

3.

The reserves are determined simply by adding the tonnes and


metal derived for each polygon.

This method is ussualy applied on a plan basis as shown below:

Area of influence
Polygon boundary
Drillhole
Ore zone limit
Line segment between
Drillholes (construction aid)

EXAMPLE OF POLYGONAL ORE RESERVE

In some instances, the same method may be apllied on a cross


Sectional basis. Each polygon is assigned the average grade
Of samples inside the polygon. The polygon thickness is the
Cross-section width (ie. Mid-way to adjoining section).

Ore zona limit

Area of influence
Polygon boundary
Drillhole

INVERSE DISTANCED METHODS


Consider the problem of estimating the grade of a block
from the surrounding data.
Eg.
Data

INVERSE DISTANCED METHODS


Ore method of solving this problem is to use a
method based on the distance of the samples
from the block.
The most common distance weighted methods
are:1.Inverse distance.
2.Inverse distance squared.
3.Inverse distance cubed.
The following examples show the application of
these techniques.

The general formulae


Inverse Distance
1
1
1
g1 + g 2 + ... g n
d
d2
dn
G= 1
1 1
1
+ + ...
d1 d 2
dn

Inverse Distance cubed


1
1
1
g
+
g
+
gn
...
1
2
d13
d 23
d n3
G=
1
1
1
+
+
...
d13 d 23
d n3

Inverse Distance Squared


1
1
1
...
g
+
g
+
gn
2
2
2
2 1
d
d2
dn
G= 1
1
1
1
...
+
+
d12 d 22
d n2

INVERSE DISTANCED METHODS

Estimation of block grade:

*
(V )

= Z ( xi )i
n =1

i= 1
i= 1

Where:

i=

r
di
n
r
di
i= 1

Example-Inverse distanced square (IDS)

0,64%
0,48%

d3=66m
d4=78m

0,69%
d2=52m
d1=32m

d5=92m
0,43%

d6=64m
0,75%

0,53%

Thank you

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