Practical methods for correlating diamonddrill core intersections: Applications to complex vein-type orebodies

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 90, No. 1008, 1997

Damien Gaboury,, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Sciences de la Terre — Centre d’étude sur les ressources minérales, Chicoutimi, Québec, Canada

Two practical methods for correlating two or more diamond-drill core intersections, using a stereographic projection software are presented. The first may be used to establish if two or more vein intersections are correlative, based on their core angles and diamond-drillhole attitudes. The second method allows prediction of main vein attitudes from numerous intersections, based on a spherical density contouring projection. The methods are suitable for: (1) correlating veins in complex orebodies; (2) ascertaining lateral continuity of ore for reserve estimations; (3) demonstrating the hidden complexity of an orebody; and (4) correlating and interpreting various planar elements.

Mots Clés: Geology, Diamond-drill core intersections, Complex vein-type orebodies.