Title: Study of key factors in geometrical and grade modelling of copper porphyry deposits

Authors: A. Reza Sayadi, S. Mehrdad Heidari, Serkan Saydam

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mining Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, P.O. Box 14115-143, Iran. ' The School of Mining Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. ' The School of Mining Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

Abstract: Despite the development of a series of remarkable modelling technologies and sophisticated commercial software packages in the past two decades, the modelling process and software application are technically and practically facing a number of challenging issues. Some challenges are related to the theory and algorithm of modelling, and some of them related to the uncertainty of data. There is also a third challenge that goes back to the engineering way of judgement and application of the modelling software. In this research the last challenge group was discussed, and the effect of major parameters that are associated with engineering judgement and the use of software package in each model were evaluated via the sensitivity analysis.

Keywords: geostatistic modelling; sensitivity analysis; geometrical modelling; grade modelling; copper porphyry deposits; uncertainty modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2010.031813

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2010 Vol.2 No.1, pp.59 - 77

Published online: 24 Feb 2010 *

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