Application of geometric probability to design exploration grid of mineral deposits, case study: porphyry copper index located in the south-west of Kerman

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Dept. of Mining, Arak University of Technology

10.29252/anm.8.15.39

Abstract

Summary
In present research, theoretical and applied concepts of geometric probability have been studied and the relationships of geometric probability have been presented to determine the probability of intersection of various geometric shapes with diverse types of grids. In this regard mineral deposits based on defining the shape ratio parameter as ratio of breadth to length of the deposit ( ) were classified to 3 types of linear, circular and elliptical shape. The detection of mineral deposit is possible under condition that the deposit is intersected at least once by the lines of exploration grid.
 
Introduction
Arrangement of accurate and optimum location of exploration works entitled designing of exploration grid is one of the essential requirements in all stages of mineral deposits exploration. Designing the optimum exploration grid is the most important as well as critical stage for exploration of mineral deposits. That is carried out on the basis of geological conditions and characteristics of deposit and the amount and type of available exploratory information. The type, shape, and dimensions of cells and orientation of the grid with respect to the estimated direction of the deposit, perform the geometry of exploration grid. Since the geometric parameters of mineral deposits are stochastic, exploration of mineral deposits is also stochastic and is always associated with uncertainty and some risk. As a result from this view point the exploration problem is similar to the geometric probability problems.
 
Methodology and Approaches
According to conventional exploration methods of mineral deposits by various exploration grids as well as similarity of mineral deposits with the usual geometric shapes, designing the optimum exploration grid for each type of deposit was presented based on existing relationships in geometric probability. In this context as a case study, designing the optimum exploration grid for two copper indices detected by remote sensing operation located in the south-west of Kerman, one with approximately linear structure (with a shape ratio of 0.14) and the other one with approximately circular shape, was carried out using the geometric probability.
 
Results and Conclusions
Due to the similarity of exploration of mineral deposits to geometric probability problems in this research, existing relationships in geometric probabilities were used to determine the probability of detection by the various exploration grids. By employing the mentioned approach, the size of optimum exploration grid was calculated for each index considering minimum exploration probability, 0.5 and favorite exploration probability, 0.95 for both randomly oriented and oriented situations.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Analytical and Numerical Methods in Mining Engineering
Volume 8, Issue 15
May 2018
Pages 39-54

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 July 2016
  • Revise Date: 06 June 2018
  • Accept Date: 08 May 2018

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