Abstract and Applied Analysis
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 716593, 6 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/716593
Research Article

Estimating Quartz Reserves Using Compositional Kriging

J. Taboada,1 Á. Saavedra,2 C. Iglesias,1 and E. Giráldez1

1Department of Natural Resources Engineering, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
2Department of Statistics, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain

Received 31 January 2013; Accepted 8 May 2013

Academic Editor: Sheng-Jie Li

Copyright © 2013 J. Taboada et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine spatial distribution and volume of four commercial quartz grades, namely, silicon metal, ferrosilicon, aggregate, and kaolin (depending on content in impurities) in a quartz seam. The chemical and mineralogical composition of the reserves in the seam were determined from samples collected from outcrops, blasting operations, and exploratory drilling, and compositional kriging was used to calculate the volume and distribution of the reserves. A more accurate knowledge of the deposit ensures better mine planning, leading to higher profitability and an improved relationship with the environment.