Geostatistics Application On Uranium Resources Classification: Case Study of Rabau Hulu Sector, Kalan, West Kalimantan

Abstract

In resources estimation, geostatistics methods have been widely used with the benefit of additional attribute tools to classify resources category. However, inverse distance weighting (IDW) is the only method used previously for estimating the uranium resources in Indonesia. The IDW method provides no additional attribute that could be used to classify the resources category. The objective of research is to find the best practice on geostatistics application in uranium resource estimation adjusted with geological information and determination of acceptable geostatistics estimation attribute for resources categorization. Geostatistics analysis in Rabau Hulu Sector was started with correlation of the orebody between boreholes. The orebodies in Rabau Hulu Sectors are separated individual domain which further considered has the hard domain. The orebody-15 was selected for further geostatistics analysis due to its wide distribution and penetrated most by borehole. Stages in geostatistics analysis cover downhole composites, basic statistics analysis, outliers determination, variogram analysis, and calculation on the anisotropy ellipsoid. Geostatistics analysis shows the availability of the application for two resources estimation attributes, which are kriging efficiency and kriging variance. Based on technical judgment of the orebody continuity versus the borehole intensity, the kriging efficiency is considered compatible with geological information and could be used as parameter for determination of the resources category.

Keywords

• geostatistics
• uranium resources
• idw
• kriging
• resources category