Lab Sessions MINE 467 F20

Vulcan guide - MINE 467 Geostatistics and ore body modelling
Fall 2020
Course instructor: Julian M. Ortiz (julian.ortiz@queensu.ca)

Teaching assistant: Sebastian Avalos (sebastian.avalos@queensu.ca)
January 28, 2023
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Lab sessions 3
2.1 Week 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Week 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.3 Week 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.4 Weeks 5 and 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.5 Week 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.6 Weeks 8 and 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.7 Weeks 10 and 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.8 Week 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
3 Additional resource 22
3.1 Drill-holes visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Guide for Vulcan project MINE 467 - F20
1 Introduction
1.1 Context
As part of the MINE 467 course, a case study project will be carried out by students at laboratory
sessions. These laboratory sessions will take place every Monday via Microsoft Teams from 8:30
am to 10:00 am.
We begin by presenting the estimation workflow that guides the lab sessions. Note that the workflow
may present more details than the required for some specific lab sessions. Maptek Vulcan is the
main software used to develop a block model and compute the estimations. Additional software,
such as Microsoft Excel, MATLAB or programming languages are welcome if students find them
useful.
We encourage students to contact the teaching assistant to solve issues via email at any time as
the course progresses, to avoid delays and errors propagating to subsequent steps.
1.2 Workflow
The typical workflow followed to estimate mineral resources considers the following steps (Figure 1):
• Import data and perform statistical review of the sample information.
• Composite samples and perform statistical review.
• Determine contact profiles between geological units. Define the estimation domains to be
used based on statistical analysis, contact profiles and geological input. The spatial location
of the geological units and their compatibility to be merged is also considered.
• Model variograms:
– Compute variogram maps and determine main directions of continuity, per estimation
domain. Consider geological input to support this decision.
– Compute directional variograms in the main directions of continuity. This entails three
orthogonal directions to model the anisotropy.
– Model the variograms automatically or manually, using licit nested structures, for each
estimation domain.
• Create a block model with a block size appropriate considering the geological heterogeneity
and the selectivity of the mining method that will be used.
• Import relevant surfaces and solids from topography or geological interpretation.
• Assign the appropriate domain to each block, according to these surfaces and solids.
• Define estimation profiles for each domain. This may involve several kriging runs with decreas-
ingly constrained estimation plans, and the use of hard or soft boundaries between domains
(depending on the contact profiles). The subset of data used to estimate each domain and
the corresponding variogram model are also considered in this step.
• Estimate the grades in the blocks of the block model.
1
Import Drill-holes
Data Base
Coordinates
Global
Stats
Grades (Au)
Samples
Stats by Oxides = 1
Rocktype Sulfides = 2
Stats by Oxides = 1
Composites at 2m
Rocktype Sulfides = 2
Contact profile Hard or Soft

Create Block
Model
Variograms
Topography
Import sufaces
Variogram map
Ox/Sulf
contact
Directional
variograms
Aire = 0
Assign Domains
Oxides = 1
Variogram models to blocks
Sulfides = 2
γOxides γSulfides
Estimation
Profiles
Pass 1 Ox Pass 2 Ox Pass 3 Ox Pass 1 Su Pass 2 Su Pass 3 Su
Estimated Classification Rules

Block Model (based on the
Estimation Variance)
Grades (Au) estimation Estimation Variance Label classified blocks
Mineral Inventory Classified Block Model
Scatter plots Compare stats Stats by Rocktype
Visualization Stats by Category
Figure 1: Main workflow for grade estimation.
2
• Classify the blocks using mineral resource classification criteria in agreement with NI 43-101
and CIM guidelines. Each block is assigned a category: measured, indicated, inferred, or
unclassified.
• Check / validate the results of the estimation and classification through statistical and visual
analyses. Compute statistics by domain, and by category, and compare with statistics of the
declustered data (usually calculated with Nearest Neighbor Estimation).
• Report mineral inventory. This entails reporting the grade-tonnage curves for each geological
domain, category and combinations of both. Also, report globally the grade-tonnage curve.
2 Lab sessions
As Monday 7th of September was holiday, the first Lab session will take place on Monday 14th of
Week 2.
2.1 Week 2
Goals:
• Overview of the entire project
• Install Maptek Vulcan
• Download all required project files
Go to https://apps.engineering.queensu.ca and login with your Queen’s NetID to open the
AppsAnywhere application. We recommend you to install the desktop version and launch it once
installed, otherwise use the web version. Search for the Maptek Vulcan software and launch it via
Cloudpaging (Figure 2).
The required files to develop the project are available in onQ:
Project files
Assays.txt
Geology.txt
Header.txt
Survey.txt
Topo.BT2
Notice that you may prefer to load these files in Excel and save them as comma-delimited files
(csv)
3
Figure 2: Icon to launch Maptek Vulcan in AppsAnywhere.
2.2 Week 3
Goals:
• Create Vulcan project
• Import drill-holes
• Validate drill-holes loading
Once started, Vulcan displays the interface shown in Figure 3. When Vulcan Envisage is selected,
a new project can be created following the steps in Figure 4. The coordinates extents are required
at this stage. A design file name is also required (Figure 5).
To import drill-holes, go to File > Import and follow the steps shown in Figure 6, Figure 7 and
Figure 9. We use the ISIS table to validate / check that all drill-holes have been loaded correctly.
Figure 3: Main Vulcan window
4
Figure 4: Project general information.
Figure 5: Design name.
Figure 6: Selecting the appropriate option in the Import selection menu.
5
Figure 7: Sub-menus during drill-holes importing via Importing CSV.
6
Figure 8: Synonym assignment.
7
Figure 9: Open database of the Isis table.
Figure 10: Drill-holes data visualization.
2.3 Week 4
Goals:
• Exploratory data analysis (EDA) over drill-hole samples
• Drill-holes compositing - 2m
• EDA over composites
• Interim report 1 preparation
The exploratory data analysis can be carried out inside Vulcan using Analyse > Data Analyser
or any external software. (see Figure 11)
To composite, go to Geology > Compositing > Compositing and follow the inputs of Figure 12
and verify as in Figure 13.
8
Figure 11: Vulcan Data Analyser window.
9
Figure 12: Main submenus during compositing.
Figure 13: Checking composites.
10
2.4 Weeks 5 and 6

Goals:
• Variographic analysis
• Experimental variograms
• Variogram models
Using Data analyser as in Figure 11, create filters for domains as in Figure 14. Apply both
filters over the Grade attribute. Explore anisotropies with variogram maps (Fan Variograms as
in Figure 15 and Figure 16). Then model the experimental variograms and save the modelled
variograms as in Figure 17 and Figure 18.
Figure 14: Using filters in Data analyser.
11
Figure 15: Variogram options.
Figure 16: Variogram maps and experimental variograms.
12
Figure 17: Variogram model - Domain 1

.
Figure 18: Variogram model - Domain 2.
2.5 Week 7
Goals:
• Block model construction
• Surface loading
• Domain labelling
To create a block model go to Block > Construction > New Definition as in Figure 19.
Import triangulations, topography and layer (capa), as in Figure 20, visualized in Figure 21.
13
For block labelling using surface go to Block > Manipulation > Triangulation Flag as in
Figure 22. Before displaying the labelled blocks, we have to make a domain legend by going to
Analyse > Legend editor as in Figure 23. Display the blocks by going Block > viewing >
blocks as in Figure 24, resulting in Figure 25.
Figure 19: Block model definition.
14
Figure 20: Importing triangulations as DXF.
Figure 21: Surface visualization.
15
Figure 22: Labelling domains.
Figure 23: Domain legend.
16
Figure 24: Block viewing selection.
Figure 25: Block model - Domain visualization.
2.6 Weeks 8 and 9

Goals:
• Interim report 2 preparation
• Grade estimation
Before defining the kriging plans, we must create two attributes ”np” for number of pass, and
”Krig-var” for kriging variance. To do that, go to Block > Manipulation > Add variable as
in Figure 26.
Kriging plans are defined in Block > Grade estimation > Estimator editor as in Figure 27
for the first pass and Figure 28 for the second and third, on domain 1. The three kriging plans are
shown in Figure 29 for domain 2. Note that only relevant submenus are displayed.
After a grade legend is created, the estimated block model can be visualized as in Figure 30.
17
Figure 26: Block model: adding variables.
Figure 27: Kriging plan. Domain 1 - Pass 1.
18
Figure 28: Kriging plans. Domain 1 - Pass 2 and 3.
19
Figure 29: Kriging plans. Domain 2 - Pass 1, 2 and 3.
20
Figure 30: Block model: visualizing the resulting grade estimation. Kriging pass (top) grades (bottom) by
domain (left for sulfides and right for oxides).
2.7 Weeks 10 and 11

Goals:
• Validation
• Resource classification
• Mineral inventory
We dedicate weeks 10 and 11 to mineral resource classification and inventory. Main statistics and
visual validations are performed over each domain and resource class.
Blocks are classified as measured, indicated, inferred, or unclassified using mineral resource clas-
sification criteria in agreement with NI 43-101 and CIM guidelines. Details will be discussed in
class.
2.8 Week 12
Goals:
• Final report preparation
• Final presentation preparation
21
3 Additional resource
3.1 Drill-holes visualization
22

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Vulcan guide - MINE 467 Geostatistics and ore body modelling

Course instructor: Julian M. Ortiz (julian.ortiz@queensu.ca)

January 28, 2023

Contact proﬁle Hard or Soft

Pass 1 Ox Pass 2 Ox Pass 3 Ox Pass 1 Su Pass 2 Su Pass 3 Su

Estimated Classiﬁcation Rules

Grades (Au) estimation Estimation Variance Label classiﬁed blocks

Mineral Inventory Classiﬁed Block Model

Scatter plots Compare stats Stats by Rocktype

Visualization Stats by Category

Figure 1: Main workflow for grade estimation.

Figure 2: Icon to launch Maptek Vulcan in AppsAnywhere.

Figure 3: Main Vulcan window

Figure 4: Project general information.

Figure 5: Design name.

Figure 6: Selecting the appropriate option in the Import selection menu.

Figure 7: Sub-menus during drill-holes importing via Importing CSV.

Figure 8: Synonym assignment.

Figure 9: Open database of the Isis table.

Figure 10: Drill-holes data visualization.

Figure 11: Vulcan Data Analyser window.

Figure 12: Main submenus during compositing.

Figure 13: Checking composites.

2.4 Weeks 5 and 6

Figure 14: Using filters in Data analyser.

Figure 15: Variogram options.

Figure 16: Variogram maps and experimental variograms.

Figure 17: Variogram model - Domain 1

Figure 18: Variogram model - Domain 2.

Figure 19: Block model definition.

Figure 20: Importing triangulations as DXF.

Figure 21: Surface visualization.

Figure 22: Labelling domains.

Figure 23: Domain legend.

Figure 24: Block viewing selection.

Figure 25: Block model - Domain visualization.

2.6 Weeks 8 and 9

Figure 26: Block model: adding variables.

Figure 27: Kriging plan. Domain 1 - Pass 1.

Figure 28: Kriging plans. Domain 1 - Pass 2 and 3.

Figure 29: Kriging plans. Domain 2 - Pass 1, 2 and 3.

2.7 Weeks 10 and 11

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