Comparison of the results of linear and non-linear geostatistical methods for modeling and evaluation of Saveh North-Narbaghi copper ore reserve

In this research, Saveh North-Narbaghi copper deposit was evaluated by using linear and nonlinear geostatistical methods and their results were compared. To achieve the goal, in the first step, average grade and ore reserve were calculated using log-kriging and indicator kriging with cut off grades of 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 (ppm) by SGeMS2. Then the deposit was simulated by Datamine software and the average grade and ore reserve were estimated through ordinary kriging method. The results of the research show that the differences between log-Kriging and ordinary Kriging with applied cut off grades for the ore reserve are 0.96%, 19.18%, 9.81% and 10.44% respectively. Also, the discrepancy between indicator Kriging and ordinary kriging methods with applied cut off grades are 13.45%, 9.29%, 14.73% and 11.63% respectively. In general, the accuracy of the results and research performance are understood from the proximity of the results of average grade and amount of ore reserve estimation employed by all three methods. However, the average grade with different cut off grades by multiple indicator Kriging method is higher than the other methods due to lower blending ore and gangue in this method and high degree of purity of ore blocks compared with the other methods. Also, the reason of overestimation  obtained by ordinary block kriging using Datamine software is related to the user's intervention in determining the mineralized intervals in the boreholes on the basis of experience and recognition of the deposit condition.