Integrated Interpolation Methods for Geophysical Data: Applications to Mineral Exploration

Any mine planning requires careful prediction of both the head grade andtonnage ofmineralization. There are various methods of interpolation that attempt to provide reasonable estimatesat unsampled locations. All of these give realizations that are unduly smooth and extremevalues that occur in reality are not reflected in these estimates. Such methods, therefore,provide limited scope for accurate risk assessment. An alternative approach that is rapidlygaining popularity is the method of conditional simulation. This approach attempts to reproduceboth the grade distributions of the sample data as well as its spatial variability. In this paper,a case study is presented on a platinum mineralization to demonstrate and compare sequentialGaussian and sequential conditional simulation techniques and to quantify and discuss therelevant sensitivities.