240 Open pit mine planning and designFundamentals:

Table 3.21. Coordinates and grades for the holes of Figure 3.45. The composite grades are for Bench
5140 (Hughes & Davey, 1979).

Hole Coordinates Grade Hole Coordinates Grade

(% Cu) (% Cu)
East North East North

C-1 1100 1200 0.719 C-27 900 1200 0.453

C-2 1500 1200 0.893 C-28 600 700 0.409
C-3 1100 800 0.638 C-29 1300 800 1.615
C-4 1100 400 0.188 C-30 1700 800 0.465
C-5 1500 400 0.395 C-31 1100 600 0.063
C-6 1500 800 0.765 C-32 900 400 0.224
C-7 500 900 0.644 C-33 1300 1400 0.027
C-8 900 1000 1.365 C-34 1100 200 0.225
C-9 1300 1000 1.335 C-35 1300 1400 0.475
C-10 1700 1000 0.072 C-36 700 1400 0.717
C-11 500 1600 0.396 C-37 500 1400 0.320
C-12 900 1600 0.377 C-38 300 1400 0.392
C-13 1100 1600 0.427 C-39 400 700 0.476
C-14 1500 1600 0.140 C-40 400 1050 0.102
C-15 900 1400 0.806 C-41 700 1000 0.023
C-16 1100 1400 0.889 C-42 1100 1000 0.915
C-17 1300 1200 1.009 C-43 1500 1000 0.519
C-18 1700 1200 0.089 C-44 1900 1000 0.040
C-19 1900 1200 0.092 C-45 1900 800 0.034
C-20 600 1900 0.175 C-46 900 800 0.258
C-21 1100 1800 0.489 C-47 900 600 0.165
C-22 800 1800 0.417 C-48 1300 600 0.406
C-23 200 1600 0.215 C-49 1500 600 0.996
C-24 700 1600 0.685 C-50 1700 600 0.012
C-25 500 1200 0.230 C-51 500 500 0.228
C-26 800 1200 0.833

Figure 3.46. Triangular prisms (Barnes, 1979b).

 Orebody description 241

(X2, Y2)

A1 A2

A
(X1, Y1)

A3

(X3, Y3)

A (X3 X1)(Y2 Y1) 1/2 (X3 X1)(Y1 Y3) 1/2 (X3 X2)(Y2 Y3)

1/2 (X2 X1)(Y2 Y1)

A Area of Rectangle A1 A2 A3

A (Xmax Xmin)(Ymax Ymin) 1/2 (Xi Xj)(Yi Yj)

i 1,3
j 1,3

Figure 3.47. Calculation of triangular area based upon corner coordinates.

Using the average thickness, the plan area and tonnage factor, the tons can be found. The
triangular element formed by holes C-30, C-40, and C-50 (assuming a constant bench
thickness of 40 ft and a tonnage factor of 12.5 ft3/ton), contains 64,000 tons with an
average grade 0.17.

3.7.3 Polygons
In the polygonal method, each drill hole lies within the center of a polygon. The polygon is
constructed such that its boundary is always equidistant from the nearest neighboring hole.
Within the polygon, the grade is assumed constant and equal to that of the hole it includes.
The thickness of the polygon is also constant and equal to the ore intercept/bench thickness.
The steps followed in forming a polygon around hole C-41 are illustrated in Figure 3.48. In
step 1, radial lines (similar to the spokes of a wheel) are drawn from the drill hole to its nearest
neighbors. The perpendicular bisectors to these lines are constructed and extended until they
meet those from adjacent holes (step 2). The area of the polygon is then determined and the
tonnage calculated (step 3). At the drilling boundary, since there are holes on only one side,
some special procedures are required. Here it will be assumed that an appropriate radius of
influence R is known. This concept will be discussed in detail in the following section. Figure
3.49 illustrates the steps necessary to construct the polygon around hole C-14. Step 1 proceeds
as before with radial lines drawn to the surrounding holes. To supply the missing sides a circle
of radius R is drawn (Step 2). In this case R = 250 ft. Chords are drawn parallel to the property
boundary (grid) lines along the top and side (Step 3). The
242 Open pit mine planning and designFundamentals:

Step 1:

C-25 C-26

C-40
C-41 C-8

C-7

C-46

C-28

Step 2:

C-25 C-26

C-40
C-41 C-8

C-7

C-46

C-28

Step 3:
Figure 3.48. The practice of form-
Area 1.36 in2 54400 ft2 ing polygons for a hole internal to
Grade 0.023% Copper the array.

remaining chords are drawn at angles of 45 ◦, tangent to the circle. In the final step (Step
4) the area is determined, the tonnage calculated and the grade assigned.
Rules developed by Hughes & Davey (1979) which can be followed when constructing
polygons are given in Table 3.22. Figure 3.50 shows the hand generated polygons for the
drill hole data of Figure 3.45.
Having gone through these two examples it is perhaps of value to list the general steps
(after Hughes & Davey, 1979) which are followed:
Locations of drill holes and other samples are established for a specified level using
available drill-hole survey data. Usually, the drill-hole location and assays of interest are
depicted on a horizontal section.
 Orebody description 243

Step 1:

C-21

250'

250'
C-13
C-14

C-35

C-2 C-18 C-19

Step 2/3:

C-21

250' 45
250'

C-13 250' C-
14
250'
45

C-35

C-2 C-18 C-19

Step 4:
Area 3.87 in2 1,5,4000 ft2
Grade 0.140% Copper

Figure 3.49. The practice of forming polygons at the boundary of the hole array.

Drill-hole interval assay data are composited to intervals consistent with bench
height. The elevation of the sample is typically determined at the midpoint of the bench.
Area of influence or radius of influence is established by geologic and mining
experience.
Lines are drawn between drill holes that are within two times the radius of influence
of each other. This step may be altered by rules such as those in Table 3.22.
Perpendicular bisectors are constructed on each of these connecting lines.
244 Open pit mine planning and designFundamentals:

Table 3.22. Example of polygon interpolation rules (Hughes & Davey, 1979).

Ultimate polygon shape is octagonal (eight-sided).

Radius of influence is R ft.
No polygon exceeds 2R ft from a sample point.
If drill holes are in excess of 5R ft apart, use a radius of R ft to show trend into undrilled area.
If holes are in excess of 4R ft, but less than 5R ft apart:
Construct an R ft radius circle if assays are of unlike character, i.e., rock types, different
mineralization, or one ore and the other waste.
Use a 2R ft radius if assays are of like character to locate a point on a line between the holes; a line is
then drawn to the point and tangent to the R ft diameter circle.
For holes less than 4R ft apart, construct a perpendicular bisector between the holes.
If the holes are between 3R and 4R ft apart, use an R ft radius circle and connect the circles by
◦
drawing wings at a 30 angle from the center of the R ft radius circle to a 2R ft radius circle.
The perpendicular bisector constructed above becomes the dividing line between 2R ft arc intersections.
If the holes are less than 3R ft apart and a polygon cannot be constructed entirely from perpendicular lines
from adjacent holes, then use a R ft radius circle and connect the circles with tangent lines.
The dividing line is the perpendicular bisector between the holes.
After one pair of holes has been analyzed using these rules, another pair is evaluated, and this
procedure is repeated until all combinations have been evaluated.
The assay value of the polygon will be the composited assay value of the drill hole that the
polygon was constructed around.

Figure 3.50. Hand-generated polygons from samples in Figure 3.45 (Hughes & Davey, 1979).

Bisectors are extended until they intersect. If two lines run parallel or approximately
parallel, and it is obvious that they will not intersect before the line closest to the drill
hole intersects another line, the bisector that is closest to the drill hole is accepted as the
polygon boundary.
 Orebody description 245

In areas where drill holes are separated by distances greater than two times the radius
of influence, an eight-sided polygon (octagon) form is drawn around the hole location,
representing the maximum area of influence. This step may also be altered by rules such
as those in Table 3.22.
Drill holes along the periphery of the ore body are extrapolated to the radius of
influence and the octagonal form is drawn around the drill hole.
If ore is defined as that material for which the grade is

≥ 0.6%
then for this bench the projected tonnage is 1,990,000 st at an average grade of 0.93. A
tonnage factor of 13 ft3/st (specific gravity SG = 2.47) and a 40 ft bench height has been
assumed.
It is obvious that the zone/radius of sample influence is over ridden under a number of
special conditions. Some examples of such special conditions are:
– Grades should not be projected from one type of formation, mineralization, rock
type, etc. to another.
– Sample grades should not be projected from one side of a post mineralization
structure such as a fault to the other.
Rules should be determined to deal with assigning a metal grade to in-place material
which is less than a full bench height thick, such as near the surface of the deposit.
Using a computer, lists like Table 3.22 can automatically be considered as well as rules
concerning mineralization controls for the specific deposit. However, it is very
complicated to have a computer draw lines representing polygon boundaries and to assign
area grades according to the procedures described previously.

3.8 BLOCK MODELS

3.8.1 Introduction
Basic to application of computer techniques for grade and tonnage estimation is the
visualization of the deposit as a collection of blocks. Such a block model is shown in
Figure 3.51.
Some guidance for the size of the blocks chosen has been provided by David (1977).

Typically in the profession, people like to know as much as possible about their deposit and
consequently they ask for detailed estimation on the basis of the smallest possible blocks. This
tendency, besides being possibly unnecessarily expensive will also bring disappointing results.
One will Þnd that small neighboring block are given very similar grades. One should
remember that as the size of a block diminishes, the error of estimation of that block increases.
Also, dividing the linear dimensions of a block by 2, multiplies the number of blocks to be
estimated and probably the system of equations to be solved by 8! As a rule of thumb, the
minimum size of a block should not be less than ¼ of the average drill hole interval, say 50 ft
blocks for a 200 ft drilling grid and 200 ft for an 800 ft drilling grid.

The height of the block is often that of the bench which will be used in mining. Furthermore
the location of the blocks depends on a variety of factors. For example a key elevation