In-Fill Drilling Optimization and

Geostatistical Sample Selection For

Metallurgical Flotation and Column
Leach Tests
Cananea Porphyry Copper Deposit, Mexico
Ramon Ayala, Edgardo Barrera Moreno,
Jesus Molinares Cananea
Abdullah Arik Mintec

Presentation Outline

Cananea porphyry copper deposit

Geology overview
Objectives of the study
In-fill drilling optimization
Geostatistical sample selection
Results

Cananea porphyry copper deposit

SILVER
BELL

CANANEA LINE

TUCSON

MODIFIED FROM HOLLISTER (1978)

NORTH MISSION
MISSION

TWIN BUTTES
HELVETIA

30 Km

SIERRITA
SONOITA
RED
MOUNTAIN

PATAGONIA

U.S.A
MILPILLASMEXICO

RED HILLS

NOGALES

MARIQUITA
CANANEA
ALACRAN

MESOZOIC AND TERTIARY INTRUSIVES

AREAS OF PYRITIZATION
MESOZOIC AND TERTIARY INTRUSIVES

FLORIDA
PILARES

NACOZARI
LA CARIDAD

VIBORA

4000.

2000.

0.00

-2000.

-4000.

5000.

Geology
of
The Cananea
Mining District

5000.

11
6
7

11

3000.

3000.

13

5
6

4
Eli
sa

11
2

fa u
lt

1000.

1000.

EXPLANATION
2

Cananea Granite

Capote Quartzite

Limestone

Henrietta Volc.

Mariquita volc

7
8

Mesa Volc
Tinaja Diorite

Elenita Volc

12

Pa so

Cap

3
o te f

14

-1000.

14

Breccia Zone

Escala
0
METERS

10
00

GEOLOGY OF THE CANANEA

MINING DISTRICT

4000.

Dikes

2000.

13

-3000.

0.00

Campana Diabase

ja

12

-1000.

a
in
tT
ul
fa

Cuitaca Granodiorite

NEA
CANA

7
14

-2000.

11

14

-4000.

Torre Syenite

14

-3000.

10

ault

-125

Porphyry

fault
8

10

MEXICANA DE CANANEA S.A. DE C.V.

Introduction
The Cananea porphyry copper deposit contains secondarily enriched
chalcocite blanket overlying an extensive chalcopyrite zone, hosted
in quartz porphyries and volcanic rocks. Pervasive quartz-sericite
with minor clay minerals is the predominant rock fabric.
The mode of the copper sulphide mineralization is amenable to both
flotation and heap leaching processes. However, local and distinct
variations in lithology, alteration and mineralization has compelled
the need to pursue a systematic metallurgical testing program with
the objective of better forecasting, with a desired confidence level,
concentrate grade, recoveries and other parameters of mill ore.
One of the principal objectives in future mine plans and development
work at Cananea is the application of a predictive and reliable
metallurgical model based on representative testing results from drill
core samples.

Drilling Program
The objective of the drilling program is to in-fill information to
better define the ore body limits and to obtain samples for
metallurgical and column leach tests.
A total of 65 east-west sections were plotted with the existing
assay information composited by 15-meter bench elevations.
Each section showed the original and current topography,
and the 10-year mine plan design.
The manual design program, based on 10-year mine plan,
totaled 40,500 meters of core drilling in 171 holes.

Typical Cross Section 1800 S

MINED

10-YR MINE PLAN

Manual In-Fill Drilling Program

Based on the 65 E-W drill hole sections,

plotted at 50m intervals
Within 10-year mine plan (Mintec Case 3)
111 drill holes (25,268m) completed as of
Jan 11, 2005
60 remaining holes (15,525m)

Optimized In-Fill Drilling

Based on 3-D modeling of drilling density

index (INDXM) that uses the kriging
estimation variance as the major parameter

Within 10-year mine plan (Mintec Case 3)

Using In-Fill Drilling optimizer program

In-Fill Drilling Optimizer - Input

The current topography as of January 2005

The 10-year mine plan pit surface
The azimuth and dip angles to consider for drilling
Min length of hole to drill (75m)
Max length of hole to drill (500m)
Min difference between the current and 10-year
plan surface to consider drilling (30m)
Max sub-drilling length allowed past the 10-year
plan surface (30m)

In-Fill Drilling Optimizer - Results

69 drill holes (14,498m) based on an

independent run
The results were sent to Cananea for review
15 holes in areas not necessary or
suitable for drilling
54 drill holes (11,730m) final selection

In-Fill Drilling - E-W section at 887.5 N

In-Fill Drilling - E-W section at 1062.5 N

In-Fill Drilling - Manual

In-Fill Drilling - Optimized

In-Fill Drilling - Comparison

Geostatistical Sample Selection

One of the principal objectives in future mine plans

and development work at Cananea porphyry
copper deposit is the application of a predictive and
reliable metallurgical model based on
representative testing results from drill core
samples using geostatistical methods.
To achieve these objectives, a geostatistical sample
selection process was performed for metallurgical
flotation and column leach tests.

Principal Sample Selection Criteria

Economic copper reserves analysis
Copper ranges
Rock type
Alteration type
Solubility index

Metallurgical Sample Distribution

Column Leach Sample Distribution

Sample Selection Procedure

Select 100 random sample sets that satisfied the

initial selection criteria
Test for kriging estimation variance
Select the sample set with the min kriging variance
that satisfies the required selection criteria

Check if improvement in kriging variance is possible

Final samples

Metallurgical Samples (15m)

Column Leach Samples (30m)

Final Samples An example

Conclusions

The optimization of the in-fill drilling

program improved the kriging estimation
variance without increasing the drilling
density
A reduction of 3,795m in total drilling over
the Manual program was realized
24.4% less drilling meters

Conclusions (contd)

Geostatistical sample selection study for

metallurgical flotation and column leach
tests provided to indicate the locations of
samples that are representative of the
alteration and rock types within the copper
grade ranges