Block Modelling and Resource Estimation Basics

Description

Description

The block model is created using geostatistics and the geological data gathered through drilling of the prospective ore zone. The block model is essentially a set of specifically sized “blocks” in the shape of the mineralized orebody and it’s the standard in mining engineering for resource estimation and reporting.

This course is for resource geologists, geoscientists, and mining engineers who want to get the basics of resource estimation and block modeling. The course starts with the creation of a geological database using the drillhole data and how to create custom legends to visualize them in 3D. We look at some drillhole compositing basics, creating a blank block model and setting it up for estimation. Since this course will cover only the basics, the classical interpolation method will be used, which is inverse distance estimation to showcase the resource estimation process in an easy-to-follow way. This course will also explore a basic method of categorizing and reporting volumes and tonnages for resources.

The software used in this course is Maptek Vulcan one of the top software used in the mining industry. Students are expected to have some basic mining engineering or geology knowledge. Questions related to the course subject are welcome and will be all answered.