Getting Your Quality Model into Surpac from Minex

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In our earlier blog, we illustrated importing a Stratified model into Surpac from Minex. We can, however, also export the Minex model by including Quality as csv.

In order to estimate the quality we will need to get the quality data into a Surpac String file.

 

Importing Quality data to Surpac String file

The csv file we have from Minex has the following format, with 6 header lines:

 

 

We use the option File > Import from text file

 

   

 

 

In the Fields option the field column numbers from the excel sheet have been applied.
The imported string could look like below:

 

 

This string file has all the seams in one file and one string number. The layer name and layer number (level) has been stored as D1 and D2.

 

 

We could now separate this string file into the coal layers using File Tools > Classify String by Numbers. Fill as below to get the string 1 split to string 1,2,3,4 based on the level number for the coal layers. ( 4 coal layers in this case, having level number 2,4,6, 8).

 

 

 

 

 

Now to separate the strings to one for each layer, save the string numbers separately. The following step to be repeated for each coal layer.

 

 

 

We now have 4 string files which have the quality by seam for the quality variables.

 

Estimating the Quality in the block Model

Create attributes for the quality parameters for each seam. In this case we are importing quality data for the following, Note the column numbers in excel.

 

 

The above have been imported in the string file as D6 to D11.

The attributes will be of the format <quality attribute>_<seam name>. Hence for seam ab we may have attributes like Ash_ab, cv_ab, fc_ab, mo_ab, vm_ab, rd_ab . This has to be done for all seams and for waste. The waste ones can have the default attributes of waste quality.

To proceed with estimation we will use Nearest Neighbour method using the menu Block model > Estimation > Nearest Neighbour

 

 

 

 

The Max search distance has been put as 100 and the vertical search distance is 12.5 here , which is less than max seam thickness.

Click the ellipsoid visualiser and check the section view of the ellipsoid. If the Vertical Search radius is increased to 25 then the major /semi major and major/minor ratios will be 4.

 

 

 

 

Apply and Apply on the search parameter form. Then apply the constraint for the seam solid as shown below:

 

 

 

This process has to be repeated for all seams. Again a macro could do the process for all seams.

Save the Block Model.

Generate Block Model report to compare with the original Minex data.

 

 

 

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information on GEOVIA Solutions, please contact your local GEOVIA representative or visit www.3ds.com/GEOVIA

 

 

 

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Ranajit Das

Ranajit Das

Senior Mining Industry Process Consultant, GEOVIA at Dassault Systèmes
Ranajit is a qualified Mining Engineer with over 22 years of experience in mine planning, consulting, operations, logistics, exploration and feasibility studies. Ranajit has previously worked for the Steel Authority of India, Santa Fe Mining in Chile and JSW Steel in India. He specializes in GEOVIA Minex and Surpac.