Drillhole Data Recoverable Product
This function calculates the volume of recoverable product for each ORE layer as well as the volume of material to volume of recoverable product ratios for each ORE layer. These ratios give an indication of whether an ORE layer contains sufficient product to `carry' overlying material.
To run this function: Choose Database > Analysis > Recoverable product, or...
Interval table
Enter the name of the database interval table to use. This database table contains the recovery factor data to be used in the calculations and is also used to gather information for the constraints.
Input string file
Enter the name of an output file from either the Drillhole Data Ore / Waste Discrimination or the Drillhole Data Dilution & Reduction function. Only these two functions output data in the correct format to enable the Drillhole Data Recoverable Product function to work.
Location
Enter the string file location.
File id
Enter the string file id.
Grade field
Enter the description field in the input string file which contains the composite grade for the product you wish to calculate recovery on. This field can be any description field from D7 onwards, D1-6 being used to contain the hole_id, ore/waste flags and interval length.
Multiply by
Enter the multiplication factor required to change the above grade to a fraction.
Recovery field
Enter the database field containing the recovery factor for the product. This must be an already existing field in the database, and the values in it can be calculated using field maths.
Multiply by
Enter the multiplication factor required to change the recovery value into a fraction. An example value is 0.01.
Ore density
Enter the density of the ore material. An example value is 2.1.
Product density
Enter the density of the product. An example value is 1.01.
Zone selection method
Select the method that you wish to use for defining the samples to be selected for this function:
- NO SELECTION, do not select by geology, and so all samples in a drill hole will be used.
- MULTIPLE ZONES, define the interval by entering one or more geology codes.
- ZONE FROM TO, define the interval by entering the code at the top of the interval and the code at the bottom of the interval.
Output string file
Location
Enter the location of a string file to contain the output. The values stored in this string file are described in the result section below.
File id
Enter the id of the output string file.
Missing data method
Select the method that you wish to use for dealing with missing intervals or negative data taken from the Recovery field:
- ASSIGN CONSTANT, the missing or negative samples will be assigned a user specified value.
- WEIGHTED AVERAGE, the missing or negative samples will be assigned a value based on the length weighted average of the sample directly above and the sample directly below. Missing samples at the top and bottom of the hole will be set to the first or last positive sample respectively.
- ARITHMETIC AVERAGE, the missing or negative samples will be assigned a value based on the average of the sample directly above and the sample directly below. Missing samples at the top and bottom of the hole will be set to the first or last positive sample respectively.
Constant value
Enter the value to assign to missing or negative samples, if the Missing data method is specified as `ASSIGN CONSTANT'.
Complete the DRILLHOLE RECOVERABLE PRODUCT RATIOS form and choose Apply. The VERIFY CREATION OF A FILE form is displayed if the result filenames already exist.
If you chose `MULTIPLE ZONES' or `ZONE FROM TO' at the Zone selection method prompt, one of two forms is displayed to allow you to select geological zones to process.
If you chose `NO SELECTION' at the Zone selection method prompt, or have completed the zone selection forms, the DEFINE QUERY CONSTRAINTS form is displayed. Complete the DEFINE QUERY CONSTRAINTS form and choose Apply to begin the recoverable product calculations.
Processing
This function performs a recoverable product calculation on drill hole intervals. Using inputs of a composite grade field, calculated with the Drillhole Data Ore / Waste Discrimination function, and a recovery factor, this function will calculate the individual TV/RB ratio, as well as the cumulative TV/RB ratio.
Since this function is working with drill hole data, volumes cannot be calculated (because drill hole data is not three dimensional), and so a length ratio must be calculated instead which may be multiplied by a block area to yield a volume.
Result
The string file produced as a result of this function will have the following format:
- Each string in the file represents a single hole.
- Each segment of a string represents a contiguous set of ore or waste layers.
- Each point of the segment, except the last point, represents the top of an ore layer measured down the hole. The last point of each segment represents the bottom of the lowermost ore layer.
- The Y, X and Z values of each point will be set to the coordinates of the top of the band. The points representing the tops of ore bands will contain the following information:
| D1 | Hole ID |
| D2 | 'ORE' |
| D3 | Width of the band |
| D4 | Depth of the top of the band down the hole |
| D5 | Depth of the bottom of the band down the hole |
| D6 | Individual TV/RB of ore band |
| D7 | Cumulative TV/RB of ore band |
| D8 | Recovery factor for band |
| D9 | Length of recoverable product per unit length |
A note file will also be created, with the same name as the output file, but with a `.not' extension. It will contain information on description fields holding input and output, and the constraints used.