Abstract

MEDINACELI TORREZ, Rubén. Búsqueda de modelos matemáticos para la determinación del espaciamiento óptimo del muestreo sistemático en depósitos minerales tipo Veta. REV. MAMYM [online]. 2018, n.4, pp.68-74. ISSN 2519-5352.

Abstract A large part of the mineral deposits that are exploited in the Department of Oruro and in the country are vetiform; that is to say, they are approximately vertical tabular mineralized structures with a power (width) very reduced with respect to the other dimensions. The methods used for the exploitation of these deposits are basically two: Cut and fill and cuttings (Shrinkage). These methods for its application require the perforation of horizontal galleries (runs) separately between 30 m and 40 m; and of vertical excavations (chimneys) also separated between 30 m and 40 m. Runs and chimneys define exploitation units called "blocks" of exploitation. For the planning of the exploitation of the deposit, it is necessary to estimate with the highest possible reliability the average content (average grade) of the mineral of interest of each one of the exploitation blocks. For the estimation of the average grade of the "blocks" of exploitation a systematic sampling is carried out in the runs and chimneys. Systematic sampling refers to excavating small channels perpendicular to the direction of the mineralized deposit both in the ceilings of the runs and in one of the walls of the chimneys. The material obtained in each channel is bagged and sent to a chemical analysis laboratory for the determination of the mineralogical content (law) of the mineral of interest. The systematic sampling of a mineralized deposit and the processing of the samples in a chemical analysis laboratory are part of the costs of exploitation of deposits; this component in the cost of exploitation can be high or low depending mainly on the number of samples obtained. At present, the sampling channels in both runs and chimneys are excavated every two (2) meters, without taking into account at all the mineral of interest, the type of mineralization, the precision of the sampling and the associated costs. The permanent question is Why do you sample every two (2) meters? The present project aims to identify or, where appropriate, develop mathematical models that allow to define the optimal spacing between samples for systematic sampling in vein-type mineral deposits. Optimal in the sense of achieving the greatest possible knowledge of the mineralized deposit at the lowest cost. The mathematical model (s) obtained will be applied to a specific case (a vein in a deposit in which data can be obtained).

Keywords : Systematic sampling of deposits; mathematical models applied to mineral deposits.

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