Reference no: EM132910498

ENGIN 5507 Ore Reserve Estimation

Assignment 1

1. What is the purpose of ore reserve and resource estimation?
2. With regard to the gravity survey answer the following. What parameters does the technique measure? What are the steps in using this method? Typically, at what stage of an exploration program would this technique be used?
3. One of the key aspects within the JORC code is transparency, what does this mean? What are the other key elements within JORC?
4. What is meant by the following terms?
• Range
• Variance
• Standard deviation
• Kurtosis
• Skewness
5. In ore reserve estimation what does the term support mean?

Assignment 2
1. What are the rules regarding the reporting of resources and reserves within the JORC code?
2. Describe three classical estimation techniques used in mining. Are these techniques accurate? When would it be appropriate to use such techniques? (2 marks)
3. Why are kriging techniques preferable to other estimation methods?
4. Explain what a "competent" person means in the JORC. What qualifications do competent persons require? Can competent people undertake reserve estimates for more than one type of mineralisation?
5. Determine the mean, the variance and the standard deviation for the grade data set in the following table.
6. What is meant by:
• The lag
• The geostatistical variance
• The semi-variance
• The semi-variogram
• The sill
• The Nugget effect
• The range
7. What type of information concerning the deposit is provided by a variogram?

8. The Table provides information on the collar locations and average grade of Copper in an area of a deposit

The point to be estimated is hole X and has the coordinates 600mE, 1300mN. Estimate the grade of hole X assuming that the grades vary according to the inverse distance weight of the distance from the sampled holes.

9. Estimate the grade of hole X assuming the assuming that the grades vary according to the inverse distance squared of weight of the distance from the sampled holes.

10. Using the data from Table 2 and figure 1 you will undertake a Kriging exercise to determine the grade of hole X

Assignment 3 - Project
Answer the following questions using the attached data.

1. What is the average grade for the deposit?

2. What is the standard deviation and variance of the grades for the deposit?

3. For the North-South direction for lag distances of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000m determine the numbers of pairs that would be used for computing the North-South variogram.

4. Repeat question 3 for the East-West direction.

5. Calculate gamma(h) for h = 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000m in the North-South direction

6. Plot your experimental variogram for the North-South direction

7. Determine a function to describe the variogram in the North-South direction and what is the range, nugget effect and sill for this function?

8. Calculate gamma(h) for h = 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000m in the East-West direction

9. Plot your experimental variogram for the East-West direction

10. Determine a function to describe the variogram in the East-West direction and what is the range, nugget effect and sill for this function?

11. Are the North-South and East -West variograms very different?

Attachment:- Ore Reserve Estimation.rar