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J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. (2007)02022505

DOI: 10.1007/s1177100700459

Deposit 3D modeling and application

LUO Zhou-quan(), LIU Xiao-ming(), SU Jia-hong(),

WU Ya-bin(), LIU Wang-ping()

School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

Abstract:By the aid of the international mining software SURPAC, a geologic database for a multi-metal mine was established, 3D

models of the surface, geologic fault, ore body, cavity and the underground openings were built, and the volume of the cavity of the

mine based on the cavity 3D model was calculated. In order to compute the reserves, a grade block model was built and each metal

element grade was estimated using Ordinary Kriging. Then, the reserve of each metal element and every sublevel of the mine was

worked out. Finally, the calculated result of each metal reserve to its actual prospecting reserve was compared, and the results show

that they are all almost equal to each other. The absolute errors of Sn, Pb, and Zn reserves are only 1.45%, 1.59% and 1.62%,

respectively. Obviously, the built models are reliable and the calculated results of reserves are correct. They can be used to assist thegeologic and mining engineers of the mine to do research work of reserves estimation, mining design, plan making and so on.

Key words: geologic database; deposit model; cavity; reserves; SURPAC software

1 Introduction

Thedeposit three-dimensional model is the numeric

token of the deposit. Some international mining

corporations, such as Canadian VOISEYS Nickel

International and BHP-BILLITON Mining Mult-inational Corporation, applied the mining software to

build the 3D deposit model to realize the dynamic

management of the production and the reasonable using

of the resources, reduce the cost of resource exploration

and mining, and improve the benefit of the company[14].

Surpac Version is a kind of large-scale mining

engineering software produced by Australian Surpac

software International Pty Ltd. The software has been

licensed to 4 000 users in more than 91 countries, and

widely used in exploration, survey, mining design and

reclamation[56]

. In this paper, the Surpac software wasused to establish a geologic database for a multi-metal

mine, the 3D models of the digging surface, geologic

fault, ore body, cavity and underground openings were

built, the volume of the mining cavity was calculated.

As well, a grade block model was constructed and the

Ordinary Kriging was used to estimate the metal

element grade, the reserves of the mine were worked

out according to each metal element and every sublevel

respectively. Finally, the calculated reserves to the

actual prospecting reserves of the mine were compared.

2 Establishment of geologic database

In order to establish the geologic database, we

collected almost all the prospecting data of the mine, and

chose the main elements, including Sn, Pb and Zn, as the

territorial variables. Then, we used the Surpac Version

5.0-K and the collected data to establish the mines

geologic database. The datasheet structure of the

geologic database is shown in Table1.

Geologic database is the foundation of 3D modeling.It is necessary for building 3D model of ore body,

analyzing the borehole data, estimating the metal element

grade and calculating reserves[710]. The geologic database

Table 1Datasheet structure of geologic database

Table name Field

Collar Borehole name Ycoordinate Xcoordinate Zcoordinate Borehole depth

Survey Borehole name Distance Obliquity Azimuth angle

Geology Borehole name Sample start point Sample end point Rock type

Sample Borehole name Sample start point Sample end point Sn grade Pb grade Zn grade

Foundation item:Project(50490274) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Received date:20060424; Accepted date: 20060627

Corresponding author:LUO Zhou-quanProfessorPhDTel: +86-731-2239239E-mail: lzq505@hotmail.com

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J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. 2007, 14(2)226

has powerful post-processing functions, which can be

used to edit, inquire, update, analyze and display the data

visually. Fig.1 shows the 3D displaying of the spatial

location of the boreholes.

Fig.13D displaying of spatial location of boreholes

3 3D modeling

3.1 Surface 3D model

Building the surface 3D model is to figure clearly

the spatial location relationship between the surface and

other spatial bodies, such as ore body and underground

openings. 3D model of the surface generated from the

mine surface contour map is shown in Fig.2.

Fig.23D model of surface

3.2 Fault 3D model

In order to realize the spatial relationship between

the geologic fault and the ore body, and comprehend the

impact led by the fault on the ore body during the period

of mining, it is necessary to build the geologic fault 3D

model based on 22 sheets of prospecting cross-section

plane, shown in Fig.3.

3.3 Ore body 3D model

Usually, there are two methods for ore body 3Dmodeling[1116]. Method 1 is to build the ore body 3D

model using the prospecting cross-section plane. Method

2 is to build the ore body 3D model based on the

borehole data. We should choose the proper method

according to the aim of modeling. Generally, we should

use several methods synthetically to build the ore body

model in order to show the ore body shape exactly. Here,

we chose method 2 synthetically to build the ore body3D model. Figs.4 and 5 show the 3D model of the ore

body and the mixed rock within the ore body.

Fig.33D model of geologic fault

Fig.43D model of ore body

Fig.53D model of mixed rock

3.4 Opening 3D model

For the sake of reflecting the spatial relationship

between the ore body and openings, and also providing

the basis for other new opening design, we built opening

3D models. All drifts 3D models of 6 sublevels are built

based on the sublevel ichnography, other openings

models, such as ramp and raise, are built based on theirmidline and actual cross-section size. Fig.6 shows the

opening 3D model of sublevel 355.

Fig.7 shows the compound model of surface,

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LUO Zhou-quan, et al: Deposit 3D modeling and application 227

Fig.6Opening model of sublevel 355

Fig.7Compound model of surface, geologic fault, underground

opening and ore body

geologic fault, underground openings and ore body.

4 Cavity 3D modeling and its volume

calculation

Cavity 3D modeling is to realize the basic shape,

location, volume of the cavities, and the spatial

relationship between cavities and underground openings,

simultaneously to assist the following mining design

according to the three-dimensional configuration and the

position of cavity, and also to settle the foundation forcavity stability numerical simulation. In order to build

the cavity model well, we accomplished the cavity 3D

model based on 22 sheets of actual surveying maps.

Fig.8 shows the distribution of cavities in all sublevels,

and Fig.9 shows the volume distribution of cavities in

different mining districts and classified by the situation

whether the cavity has been filled or not.

5 Reserve calculation

In the interest of calculating reserves of the deposit,we built the grade block model. Personal status model

unit block size for 20 m15 m10 m was definited and

the smallest unit block size for 5 m5 m2.5 m was

decomposed. The spherical variation function model was

used, the variation function was analyzed separately

along the ore body extend direction, proneness and the

thickness in three directions. Then main parameters of

theoretical variation function were educed, and the

reliability of the variation function curve was checked by

using cross-validate. In view of various elements

personal status distribution characteristic in the mining

area, the Ordinary Kriging was used to estimate each

main metal element grade[1720].

Fig.8Distribution of cavities in sublevels

Fig.9Distribution of cavity volume in different mining districts

Each metal reserve based on the grade block model

was calculated and the grade

tonnage curve for eachmetal was generated, as shown in Figs.10, 11 and 12.

Fig.10Gradetonnage curve of Sn

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J. Cent. South Univ. Technol. 2007, 14(2)228

As well, every metal reserve in each sublevel was

calculated and subleveltonnage curve was created, as

shown in Fig.13.

Fig.11Gradetonnage curve of Pb

Fig.12Gradetonnage curve of Zn

Fig.13Subleveltonnage curve of each metal

The results of comparing each metals calculated

reserve to its actual prospecting reserve of the mine are

shown in Fig.14. It is obvious that the calculated reserve

of each metal is almost equal to its actual prospecting

reserve. The absolute errors of Sn, Pb, and Zn reserves

are only 1.45%, 1.59% and 1.62%, respectively.

Fig.14Calculated reserves vs actual prospecting reserves

6 Conclusions

1) Surpac Version is a kind of practical large-scale

mining engineering software. With the help of it, the

geologic database of a mine is established and 3D

models of the surface, geologic fault, ore body, cavity

and underground openings are built.

2) Cavity volume based on the cavity 3D model is

calculated. A grade block model of the deposit is

constructed and the reserve of each metal and every

sublevel is worked out respectively.

3) Each calculated metal reserve to its actual

prospecting reserves of the mine is compared. The

absolute errors of Sn, Pb, and Zn reserves are only 1.45%,

1.59% and 1.62%, respectively. The results show that the

models are reliable and the calculated reserves are

correct. They can be used to assist the geologic and

mining engineers of the mine to do research work of

reserves estimation, mine design and plan making.

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(Edited by LI Xiang-qun)