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Conference Proceedings

11th International Mining Geology Conference 2019

Conference Proceedings

11th International Mining Geology Conference 2019

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Application of Pluri-Gaussian simulations and conditional simulation for geological modelling and estimation of a nickel deposit in New Caledonia

The purpose of the study is to assess the risk associated with Nickel grades and geological facies, which is performed using simulations. In New Caledonia, the ophiolites were hydrated during the obduction. This hydration, associated with a metamorphism, led to a serpentinization of the ophiolites. The peridotites have been weathered under the tropical climate, which enriched the nickel along the weathering profile, especially the saprolites. In some parts of New Caledonia, the weathering is only partial, and in the saprolite horizon, the coarse saprolite alternates with the fine saprolite, the laterite and the bedrock. In this deposit, the description of the saprolites is made in one-meter intervals. Each lithology (laterite, fine saprolite, coarse saprolite and bedrock) is represented by a proportion of occurrence within the meter, without giving the exact location of the lithology inside the meter. From here, an explicit geological modelling is difficult to achieve. Moreover, the proportion of each rock type is zero in more than 40% of the samples, making conditional simulations difficult a Gaussian anamorphosis is needed prior to running the simulations, and this function must be bijective. A pluri-Gaussian approach is more appropriate with a preliminary 10cm discretization of the samples: a unique lithology is assigned to each 10cm sample. Then, the results of the pluri-Gaussian simulations are transferred to a 1m support and the rock proportions are calculated for each meter. The risk associated with the geological modelling is assessed from these pluri-Gaussian simulations. The density is not constant in this orebody and depends on the lithology. Nickel accumulations are calculated by multiplying the density with the nickel grade. A co-simulation of nickel accumulation and density is run for each pluri-Gaussian simulation. A risk is assessed at this stage and enables two levels of uncertainties: on grades and on geological modelling. These uncertainties can change the decisions regarding pit limits and production schedule and, consequently, impact financial outcomes. CITATION: Febvey, M C, Desassis, N, Le Guen, M and Isatelle, F, 2019. Application of Pluri-Gaussian simulations and conditional simulation for geological modelling and estimation of a nickel deposit in New Caledonia, in Proceedings Mining Geology 2019, pp 135149 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
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  • Application of Pluri-Gaussian simulations and conditional simulation for geological modelling and estimation of a nickel deposit in New Caledonia
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  • Published: 2018
  • PDF Size: 0.657 Mb.
  • Unique ID: P201908018

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