On reducing the number of samples

Abstract

In the process of studying mineral deposits, sampling occupies a prominent place in terms of the volume of work and cost of funds. The study shows the enormous potential for reducing the number of samples and chemical analyses by using a rational sampling technique. The patterns established by the time of operational exploration and especially by the period of stope extraction, as a rule, make it possible to sharply reduce the number of samples and chemical analyses. The number of samples can be reduced by the thickness, strike and dip of ore bodies, while the sampling error remains virtually unchanged, and the cost of funds and the volume of work during sampling are sharply reduced. The proposed sampling technique, based on the structural patterns of ore deposits, leads to significant improvements in the geological mapping of ore deposits. The allocation of industrial grades and varieties of ores will facilitate and accelerate the study of mineral deposits and, in some cases, will provide the opportunity to use the most economically advantageous sampling technique - sampling by ore types.