Supervisor’s Role in the Resource Estimation Workflow

Let’s discover Supervisor’s Role in the resource estimation workflow and learn how this powerful software streamlines complex geostatistical processes, making resource estimation quicker and easier, and enhancing compatibility with general mining packages.

Introduction

In the realm of mineral resource estimation, accuracy, precision, and timeliness are vital. Geologists are constantly challenged to provide precise resource estimates faster, better or cheaper. Traditional resource estimation software, while comprehensive, can generally introduce complexity where the processes of advanced estimation techniques don’t align well with the product’s core workflows. As an augmenting solution, Supervisor is a powerful support software that streamlines these manually intensive processes and rounds out the offering of general mining packages.

Supervisor is designed from the ground up to be your resource companion, targeting specific complex processes in geostatistics and resource analysis that will simplify and streamline your in-house procedures. Supervisor is designed to make many resource estimation procedures quicker and easier, working with your general mining package to optimise your processes.

Continue reading to discover Supervisor’s role in the resource estimation workflow.

An Overview of the Mineral Resource Estimation Process

Before digging into the specifics of Supervisor, it’s crucial to understand the steps involved in mineral resource estimation. The exact steps involved can vary due to many reasons, but here is a simplified overview of the general resource estimation process. The process begins with data collection and quality control, then progresses to geological modelling, statistical analysis, variography, estimation parameter optimisation, and estimation, before concluding with model validation and mineral resource reporting. It is within these crucial steps that Supervisor can make a significant difference.

Supervisor’s role in the resource estimation process

Following the Garbage In, Garbage Out methodology, where the quality of output is determined by the quality of the input, data collection, quality assurance and geological modelling should be handled prior to the analysis to be undertaken in Supervisor.

At the statistical analysis stage, Supervisor provides a comprehensive suite of univariate and multivariate data analysis tools, facilitating a quick and detailed understanding of the data. These tools include histograms, mean and variance plots, probability plots, scatter plots, QQ plots and many more.

When it comes to variography, which can often be a time-consuming step, Supervisor offers an extremely efficient process where fans and variograms are updated in real time. Supervisor’s intuitive tools facilitate a rapid configuration process, providing a fast understanding of grade continuity within the deposit. The interactive interface further allows you to model variograms for all directions simultaneously and assess the impact of changing structures on other directions.

Estimation parameter optimisation is another step where Supervisor plays a crucial role. Through its Kriging Neighbourhood Analysis (KNA) interface, Supervisor allows you to optimise block size and estimation parameters. As a result, the process of creating high-quality estimates is substantially simplified.

After an estimation is made using a general mining package, the final step in the resource estimation process where Supervisor can assist is with model validation. Supervisor’s model validation component generates interactive and preconfigured grade trend plots, histograms, log probability plots, QQ plots, grade tonnage curves and statistics. With these tools, you can quickly and accurately assess the quality of your estimates.

Supervisor’s Role in the Resource Estimation – Compatibility and Usability

Beyond speed and simplicity, another advantage of Supervisor is its compatibility with all major mining software packages. This means you can import data into Supervisor, perform analyses, and export the results back to your general mining package with ease. Additionally, Supervisor’s design focuses on user accessibility, ensuring a low technical barrier to entry for users new to the field.

While Supervisor greatly simplifies the resource estimation process, it’s important to note that it isn’t a stand-alone solution. It’s designed to complement existing general mining packages, providing support for the steps it excels at, while smoothly transitioning to other software for the steps it doesn’t cover.

Conclusion

Designed to be user-friendly and compatible with existing significant mining packages, Supervisor simplifies complex tasks and greatly reduces processing time, allowing you to spend less time wrangling software, and more time collecting, interpreting, and validating observations related to your deposit. While not an end-to-end solution itself, when combined with a comprehensive mining package, Supervisor creates a workflow that brings benefits that are greater than the sum of its parts.

Summary

We trust our technical article has provided valuable insights into Supervisor’s role in the mineral resource estimation workflow. Supervisor simplifies complex geostatistical processes, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

For more details, explore Supervisor’s benefits on our dedicated webpage and learn more about our professional development course – Supervisor Fundamentals. This course is designed to empower you with a thorough understanding of Supervisor’s key features and functionalities.