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Drill Results: Apparent Versus True Thickness Iridium

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 Posted by: Staff @ Geology for Investors  in Drilling, Drilling and Drill Results, Geology Basics, The Basics
x=$)
It seems the farther we get in life the more we realize that we can’t escape those lessons we learned in Iron Ore
elementary school. Sometimes a refresher is required and this is most often the case when it comes to (https://www.dailymetalprice.com/metalpricescurr.php?
math. This simple bit of geometry may help you determine whether a company has actually found x=$)
something of value or is simply trying to hide poor results in technical jargon. At the very least it will help
you determine the current level of confidence in project drill results. Lead
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When it comes to drill results, difference between apparent and true thickness can be the difference x=$)
between a serious prospect and a lot of arm waving. It should be noted that thickness is also often
reported as “width”. These are the same thing. Molybdenum
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Let’s begin with a brief explanation and then follow that up with some real life examples. The ultimate goal x=$)
of a drill program is to intersect mineral resources below the Earth’s surface. Drill holes are not always
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drilled vertically. In actuality they are often drilled at angles to best intersect their target. Combine this with
that fact that mineral deposits come in all shapes, sizes and orientations and you have a recipe for skewed RECENT CONTENT
drill results.
Aerial Drones in Mineral Exploration
In the diagram to the right there are two
 December 12, 2018
diamond drill holes that intersect the same
feature below the Earth’s surface. The feature
can be anything, a coal seam, a gold vein or any Adapting Petroleum Geophysics for
number of things, because for our purposes it Mineral Exploration
doesn’t matter. Drill 1 is drilling vertically  November 2, 2018
(straight down) while drill 2 is drilling at an angle
relative to the Earth’s surface. They both Cerro Rico – Greatest of the Great.
intersect the same feature, however drill 1 will Geology
intersect a larger interval of this feature than  August 15, 2018
drill 2 will. In geology, the thickness of the
feature observed by drill 1 is called an apparent Cerro Rico – The greatest of the great.
thickness, because it varies from the true  July 31, 2018
Figure 1: Two drills intersecting the same feature.
thickness of the feature. An apparent thickness Drill 1 will intersect a larger “apparent thickness”,
will give the illusion that a larger amount of the while drill 2 will intersect the true thickness of the
The Nugget Effect. What is it, and how
resource has been found than is actually feature. When reporting the results from drill 1 the
to recognize it.
present. That is why for resource estimates only true thickness should be calculated.
 July 16, 2018
true thickness is used.

For example, let’s say the feature in figure 1 is a gold vein. Drill 1 may have an intersection of 5 g/t of gold
over 25 metres, while drill 2 has an intersection of 5 g/t over 17 metres. The grade, which is often POPULAR CONTENT
reported as grams of gold per tonne of rock (g/t), doesn’t change – only the length of the interval changes.
Obviously drill 1 has better-looking results, but the key is that drill 1 is reporting an apparent thickness and CuEq Metal Equivalent Calculator for Mining Results
drill 2 is reporting the true thickness.  January 23, 2014

The true thickness of the intersection in drill 1 must be calculated using a bit of algebra (Remember Asteroid Mining: Not as Crazy as it
SOHCAHTOA?) and it will inevitably be the same as the results from drill 2. The geologist uses the apparent Sounds
thickness of the drill intercept and the angle between the drill and the target zone in order to make this  November 20, 2014
calculation. The is angle can be determined a few different ways. In many cases it can be measured right
from the drill core. This is possible where there is a sharp transition between the target zone and the The Eagle Gold Project Prepares to
Take Flight
surrounding rock. In other cases, the distance between a surface outcrop of the target rock and the drill
 December 10, 2014
might can be used to calculate the angle of the drill intercept.

It is important to know exactly what a company is reporting when they release drill results. Generally Lies, Damn Lies and Drill Highlights: A
companies will either report “true width” or add a note below the results disclosing that the information Critical Look at Interpreting Drill Results
 October 31, 2013
provided is not a true thickness (or width). You can bet that if a report does not label an interval as a true
thickness then it is NOT a true thickness. A quick search of drill results for mining companies reveals that
Mineral Exploration in the Far North:
different companies have different ways of reporting their findings. Here are three examples:
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 February 21, 2014


Actual Published Drill Results

6.18 g/t over 22 metres true width MINING INDUSTRY NEWS RELEASES
7.35 g/t over 24 metres
Aurania Resources Announces $6.35 Million Rights
7.05 g/t over 25 metres* Offering
 January 28, 2019

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The company with the asterisk added a note that stated “Drill intercept lengths only are reported in the  January 28, 2019

tabulations; it is estimated that true width will be approximately 80% of the reported drill intercept length.”
Braveheart Resources Inc. Evaluating Potential for
This means that the last intercept is actually 25 m x 0.80 (80%), which is equal to 20 metres. It also means Cobaltite Recovery at Newly Acquired Gallowai Bul
that the the 80% is the geologist’s best guess based on available data and not a bankable number. This River Mine
potentially makes it the least impressive of the three findings, but more importantly, it helps the reader  January 28, 2019
gauge the company’s level of confidence in the published result.
Bravada Annual General Meeting Results
The second company didn’t report whether the number was an apparent or true width. While it’s possible  January 28, 2019
that this information was left out in order to make the results seem more impressive, it may also be that
MAX Resource Corp. to Resume Trading on
the true thickness is unknown. Either way, the reported result by itself is poor evidence of the true
Wednesday January 30
resource.
 January 28, 2019
For even the casual resource and mining company investor, a basic understanding of drilling intercepts and
EMX Royalty Congratulates Boreal on New High
reported results is a necessity. In this case, differentiating apparent and true results can help one quickly
Grade Zinc-Silver-Lead-Gold Drill Results at the
assess the value of a published drill result. Gumsberg Royalty Property in Sweden
 January 28, 2019

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Project
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Tagged with: APPARENT THICKNESS APPARENT WIDTH DRILL INTERCEPT DRILL RESULTS PREMIUM
Walker Appoints Earle G. Hall to Advisory
TRUE THICKNESS Committee and Adds New Director
 January 28, 2019

Silver One Satisfies Third Option Payment for Its

ABOUT STAFF @ GEOLOGY FOR INVESTORS
Candelaria Silver Mine Project, Nevada
 January 28, 2019
Geology for Investors seeks to demystify mineral exploration and mining projects for mining
company investors. All of our writers and contributors are experienced and educated in geology International Zeolite to Post Record Sales for July –
and the geosciences. December 2018
 January 28, 2019

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