Geometallurgical Domaining by Cluster Analysis: Iron Ore Deposit Case Study

Natural Resources Research - Geometallurgy integrates many aspects of geology, mineralogy, resource modeling, mine planning, metallurgy, and process control to optimize mining operations....     

Developments in Quantitative Assessment and Modeling of Mineral Resource Potential: An Overview

Natural Resources Research - The special issue entitled “Developments in Quantitative Assessment and Modeling of Mineral Resource Potential” is composed of 17 papers that cover a...     

Categorization of Mineral Resources Based on Different Geostatistical Simulation Algorithms: A Case Study from an Iron Ore Deposit

Mineral resource classification plays an important role in the downstream activities of a mining project. Spatial modeling of the grade variability in a deposit directly impacts the evaluation of recovery functions, such as the tonnage, metal quantity and mean grade above cutoffs. The use of geostatistical simulations for this purpose is becoming popular among practitioners because they produce statistical parameters of the sample dataset in cases of global distribution (e.g., histograms) and local distribution (e.g., variograms). Conditional simulations can also be assessed to quantify the uncertainty within the blocks. In this sense, mineral resource classification based on obtained realizations leads to the likely computation of reliable recovery functions, showing the worst and best scenarios. However, applying the proper geostatistical (co)-simulation algorithms is critical in the case of modeling variables with strong cross-correlation structures. In this context, enhanced approaches such as projection pursuit multivariate transforms (PPMTs) are highly desirable. In this paper, the mineral resources in an iron ore deposit are computed and categorized employing the PPMT method, and then, the outputs are compared with conventional (co)-simulation methods for the reproduction of statistical parameters and for the calculation of tonnage at different levels of cutoff grades. The results show that the PPMT outperforms conventional (co)-simulation approaches not only in terms of local and global cross-correlation reproductions between two underlying grades (Fe and Al₂O₃) in this iron deposit but also in terms of mineral resource categories according to the Joint Ore Reserves Committee standard.

     

An Improved Prediction-Area Plot for Prospectivity Analysis of Mineral Deposits

Natural Resources Research - In this paper an improved prediction-area plot has been developed. This type of plot includes performance measures similar to other existing methods (receiver operating...     

An Objective Approach to the Definition of Some Mining Terms: Application to the Hasançelebi Iron Ore Deposit

In the mining industry, definitions of terms such as geologic resource, geologic reserve, mineral resource, mineral, mineral reserve, ore, ore reserve, mineable reserve, and industrial minerals always have been debated, and have caused much confusion. The process of arriving at these definitions requires complicated exploration, calculation, and evaluation. Based on such work, the definitions about the mineral property will be distinctly different. The aims of this paper is to discuss and compare these definitions, and then contrast the differences among them in the example of the Hasançelebi iron are deposit, which is an important source of iron ore in Turkey.     

新疆查岗诺尔铁矿地质特征及成矿期次划分

新疆和静县查岗诺尔铁矿床位于伊犁微板块北缘博罗科努岛弧带.矿区广泛出露石炭纪火山岩.该矿床由6个矿体组成,其中FeⅠ矿体为该铁矿床的主要矿体.主要矿石矿物磁铁矿的化学成分组成中,Fe2O3含量与SiO2含量大致呈此消彼长关系.矿区的主要矿物共生组合为磁铁矿+石榴石+阳起石(绿帘石)组合.矿床大致可以分为2个成矿时期和5个成矿阶段,即隐爆-矿浆成矿时期的矿浆成矿阶段和热液成矿阶段;隐爆-热液成矿期的磁铁矿-石榴石阶段、阳起石-绿帘石阶段和石英-碳酸盐阶段.矿床成因属于受到热液作用叠加改造的火山岩型铁矿床.     

Research on the Sustainability of Afghanistan Based on the Emergy Analysis

Afghanistan is an important country for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road) proposed by China. Due to years of war, Afghanistan is not well-developed economically. However, Afghanistan has abundant mineral resources and unique geographical advantages that are of far-reaching significance for Chinese economic strategic development. To investigate the sustainability of the eco-economic system of Afghanistan, we completed a quantitative evaluation of the emergy of Afghanistan during the period 2008 to 2015 by establishing an indicator system based on an emergy analysis. Results showed that from 2008 to 2015, the total emergy used of Afghanistan increased from 5.56×10²² sej to 9.75×10²² sej, among which the proportion of non-renewable emergy was less than 25.7%. This indicates that local resources in Afghanistan have yet to be exploited and utilized effectively and that its economic development relied heavily on the input of external resources. Meanwhile, the Emergy Sustainability Index (ESI) of Afghanistan from 2008 to 2015 dropped from 3.00 to 0.72, the Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR) increased from 0.77 to 2.06, and the Emergy Yield Ratio (EYR) dropped from 2.31 to 1.49, reflecting the imbalanced utilization of resources and the low level of economic development in Afghanistan. As a result, the potential for sustainable development of Afghanistan is relatively great. Basic infrastructure construction and reasonable exploitation of natural resources are the urgent needs.     

中国矿产资源产业集聚水平测算

选取2000～2009年中国矿产资源产业五大分行业数据,采用产业地理集中度指数和五省市行业集中度指数对中国矿产资源产业集聚水平(不包括港澳台地区)进行了测算与分析,结果表明,2000～2009年,中国矿产资源产业整体集聚水平较高,但发展速度较慢;从行业层面来看,产业地理集中指数的测算结果显示矿产资源产业各行业之间集聚程度差别较大,发展不平衡,且五大行业集聚水平均呈现先升后降的变化趋势,而五省市行业集中度的测算结果却表明五大行业之间的集聚水平差异较小,这可能是由于非金属采选企业在五省市中分布比较集中所致。     

城市化进程中水土资源可持续利用分析

从城市化与水土资源利用相关性入手 ,分析了城市化进程中不同阶段水土资源利用的基本特点与问题。认为城市化是促进水土资源集约与可持续利用的有效途径 ,城市集聚经济与水土资源生态阈值的互动互馈机制 ,促使城市化进程中水土资源由粗放向集约利用方式转变。     

Unresolved Complexity in Assessments of Mineral Resource Depletion and Availability

Considerations of mineral resource availability and depletion form part of a diverse array of sustainable development-oriented studies, across domains such as resource criticality, life cycle assessment and material flow analysis. Given the multidisciplinary nature of these studies, it is important that a common understanding of the complexity and nuances of mineral supply chains be developed. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of these assessment approaches and expand on several areas that are conceptually difficult to account for in these studies. These include the dynamic nature of relationships between reserves, resources, cut-off grades and ore grades; the ability to account for local economic, social and environmental factors when performing global assessments; and the role that technology improvements play in increasing the availability of economically extractable mineral resources. Advancing knowledge in these areas may further enhance the sophistication and interpretation of studies that assess mineral resource depletion or availability.     

Three-Dimensional Mineral Potential Mapping for Reducing Multiplicity and Uncertainty: Kaerqueka Polymetallic Deposit,QingHai Province,China

Natural Resources Research - This study focuses on the selection of a method combining simulations of mineralizing processes with three-dimensional (3D) mapping to quantitatively predict locations...     

内蒙古牧区矿产开发模式选择的思路探讨

内蒙古牧区能矿资源富集, 生态环境敏感脆弱。国家“能源安全”战略要求大规模开发利用煤炭资源的地域分工与国家“生态安全”战略要求保护生态环境保护之间存在尖锐的矛盾。解决好这一矛盾, 对我国西部生态敏感区的矿产资源合理开发利用和生态环境保护具有重要意义。对生态敏感的煤炭富集区应基于区域发展的空间均衡这一视角, 选择合理的开发模式。其分析思路为:首先, 选择典型煤炭资源开发区域, 对开发空间与生态空间的空间耦合关系进行分析, 通过比较空间耦合类型, 揭示空间失衡点, 并分析空间失衡原因。其次, 构建指标体系, 构造矩阵, 对区域空间供给能力进行分区。最后, 综合空间失衡原因、空间供给能力分区以及资源开发与生态保护的需求因素, 提出区域发展的空间均衡模式与对策。     

新疆松湖铁矿地质特征与成矿期次划分

新疆松湖铁矿床位于伊犁地块东北部,矿体赋存于下石炭统大哈拉军山组火山碎屑岩中．目前共圈定5个矿体,L1、L2出露,IJ3、L4、L5矿体隐伏,其中L1规模最大,也是该矿床主要矿体．矿床主要矿石矿物为磁铁矿,次为赤铁矿、黄铁矿和褐铁矿．矿石构造类型主要为浸染状、块状、角砾状和条带状构造．蚀变类型主要有绿帘石化、绿泥石化、阳起石化和钾长石化．矿床形成经历了隐爆一矿浆成矿期和热液成矿期2个阶段．该矿床成因类型属于受热液作用交代改造的火山岩型铁矿．     

滇中城市群发展的资源与环境基础分析

资源与环境是城市发展的重要影响因素,一个地区资源与环境基础状况及与城市发展的协调程度将对城市的发展起到推动或限制作用。发展滇中城市群、构建以昆明为核心的滇中大经济圈是促进云南省乃至我国西南地区社会经济快速发展和加快云南省城市化进程的重大举措。分析了滇中城市群发展的资源与环境基础及与之相协调的状况,并在此基础上对滇中城市群的发展提出一些自己的浅见,以期对滇中城市群的发展有所参考。     

Modulating the Impacts of Stochastic Uncertainties Linked to Deposit Locations in Data-Driven Predictive Mapping of Mineral Prospectivity

Natural Resources Research - The operation of large-scale ore-forming processes triggers the development of neighboring mineral deposits of the same or related types in a metallogenic province....     

Probabilistic Estimates of Number of Undiscovered Deposits and Their Total Tonnages in Permissive Tracts Using Deposit Densities

Empirical evidence indicates that processes affecting number and quantity of resources in geologic settings are very general across deposit types. Sizes of permissive tracts that geologically could contain the deposits are excellent predictors of numbers of deposits. In addition, total ore tonnage of mineral deposits of a particular type in a tract is proportional to the type’s median tonnage in a tract. Regressions using size of permissive tracts and median tonnage allow estimation of number of deposits and of total tonnage of mineralization. These powerful estimators, based on 10 different deposit types from 109 permissive worldwide control tracts, generalize across deposit types. Estimates of number of deposits and of total tonnage of mineral deposits are made by regressing permissive area, and mean (in logs) tons in deposits of the type, against number of deposits and total tonnage of deposits in the tract for the 50th percentile estimates. The regression equations (R ² = 0.91 and 0.95) can be used for all deposit types just by inserting logarithmic values of permissive area in square kilometers, and mean tons in deposits in millions of metric tons. The regression equations provide estimates at the 50th percentile, and other equations are provided for 90% confidence limits for lower estimates and 10% confidence limits for upper estimates of number of deposits and total tonnage. Equations for these percentile estimates along with expected value estimates are presented here along with comparisons with independent expert estimates. Also provided are the equations for correcting for the known well-explored deposits in a tract. These deposit-density models require internally consistent grade and tonnage models and delineations for arriving at unbiased estimates.     

"京九"铁路沿线矿产资源开发与经济发展

对“京九”铁路穿越和辐射的七省一市共２５６个县（市）的自然资源、经济、社会发展现状进行了分析,提出了加快“京九”铁路沿线矿产资源开发以及促进地区经济发展的具体措施。     

An Analysis of the Relationship between Residents' Proximity to Water and Attitudes about Resource Protection*

This article investigates attitudes toward water resource protection among residents in varying proximities to resources, specifically to identify attitudinal differences and the extent to which nearness and adjacency explain attitudes. Proximity was evaluated by measured distances using GIS and reported closeness from a mail survey. Five attitudinal dimensions were assessed: general importance of resource protection, support for government, regulations, and economic measures, and combined overall attitudes. Nearness to water was most significant in explaining economic support, and adjacency for generally expressed importance. Attitudes differed most toward regulations. Overall, the relationship appears nonlinear. Empirical findings have implications for resource management, especially equity criteria in decision making.     

A Framework for Quantitative Assessment of Impacts Related to Energy and Mineral Resource Development

Natural resource planning at all scales demands methods for assessing the impacts of resource development and use, and in particular it requires standardized methods that yield robust and unbiased results. Building from existing probabilistic methods for assessing the volumes of energy and mineral resources, we provide an algorithm for consistent, reproducible, quantitative assessment of resource development impacts. The approach combines probabilistic input data with Monte Carlo statistical methods to determine probabilistic outputs that convey the uncertainties inherent in the data. For example, one can utilize our algorithm to combine data from a natural gas resource assessment with maps of sage grouse leks and piñon-juniper woodlands in the same area to estimate possible future habitat impacts due to possible future gas development. As another example: one could combine geochemical data and maps of lynx habitat with data from a mineral deposit assessment in the same area to determine possible future mining impacts on water resources and lynx habitat. The approach can be applied to a broad range of positive and negative resource development impacts, such as water quantity or quality, economic benefits, or air quality, limited only by the availability of necessary input data and quantified relationships among geologic resources, development alternatives, and impacts. The framework enables quantitative evaluation of the trade-offs inherent in resource management decision-making, including cumulative impacts, to address societal concerns and policy aspects of resource development.