BASIC TECHNIQUES FOR EXPLORATION

 Surveying
 Sampling
 Borehole Planning Krishanu Nath,
Sr. Geologist,
 Deviation Survey STM II
Core logging. Division,
NER, GSI,
 SURVEYING/DETAILED MAPPING

 Direction Survey and Geographic North alignment.

 Elevation calibration, RL flying, bench marks and agency figures.
 Establishing survey stations. Grid and coordinate systems.
 Detail mapping, litho contact, structural data & density of collection of data.
 Importance of anthropological data on the Detailed Map.
 Tape brunton method mapping.
 Baseline selection and measurement.
 Outcrop boundary.

Surveying and Detailed Mapping in

Gothara Granite CB, Rajasthan.
 Grids & coordinates.

 Anthropological features.

 Base line.

 Outcrop boundary.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEMICAL SAMPLES, ANALYSES &
OBJECTIVES
 PCS- Petro chemical samples.
 BRS – Bed Rock Samples (grab samples).
 Channel Samples.
 PTS - Pit/Trench Samples .
 Soil/stream/regolith/slope wash sample
 CS – Drill Core samples.

BRS collected from gossan of Kamalpura Drill core samples from Kamalpura Block,
Area, Rajasthan. Rajasthan.
Channel sampling across a pegmatite vein, Channel sampling in Gothara Granite
Nadol area, Rajasthan. Khetri area, Rajasthan.

Channel sampling from gossan of Litho-geochemical profile of channel no. CH-1, in

Kamalpura Area, Rajasthan. Gothara Granite Khetri area, Rajasthan.
TRENCHING REQUIREMENT
TRENCHING PROCEDURES IN SENDRA-CHITAR BLOCK RAJASTHAN
A B

A. Sampling in a cleared trench.

B. Preparation of trench log.

C. Pitting for soil sampling.

SLOPE WASH COLLECTION IN GOTHARA CENTRAL, BLOCK
RAJASTHAN
ADVANCED SAMPLING TECHNIQUES IN EXPLORATION

Drill cutting samples.

 RV sampling on the sea bed.

 Cart / batch sampling.

 Bulk / beneficiation sampling.

BENEFICIATION OF SULPHIDE MINERALS
CONING & QUARTERING
BOREHOLE PLANNING
 DRILL/BOREHOLE PLAN
 The aim of drilling in mineral exploration is to establish
the subsurface mineralization.
 Drill plan in general depends on the following factors:
 Purpose:
Oil and water, Geotechnical Investigation,
Geochemical sampling, for mineral exploration
 Commodity:
Non metallic - Coal, Limestone, Clay, Phosphorite, etc
Metallic Minerals – Gold, Basemetal, etc.
 PRE-REQUISITES/ TOOLS FOR PLANNING OF
BOREHOLE FOR MINERAL EXPLORATION
A good Geological Map essentially on 1:2000 or 1:1000 scale.
Surface geochemical map or profile, and or both preferably on
the same scale, any other surface guide.
Geophysical data, aero geophysical and or ground
geophysical.
Integrated geological, geochemical and geophysical map.
 PLANNING OF BOREHOLE

Geological Profile
The Azimuth of the borehole
Angle or inclination of the borehole.
Geochemical / geophysical anomaly.
Presence of old working
Most importantly the structure of the area.
Depth of the intersection of the ore body/anomaly.
GUIDE LINES FOR PLANNING OF BORE HOLES
• The exploration is a geological gamble and the world over average
success rate is 10% hence, needs to be planned meticulously and
judiciously.
• Intersection at most promising zones for initial boreholes.
• Borehole in Hanging wall side.
• Azimuth of borehole should be perpendicular to strike.
• Intersection of ore zone at high angle.
• First Borehole should be short as far as possible but not too short
that it does not reach the ore body.
• Intersection should be 20m to 30m below the oxidized zone/old
workings.
• Faults, fracture zones, huge thickness hard rock should be avoided.
• Standard core size should be maintained.
• Environmental/anthropological factors should be considered.
• Availability for water for drilling is to be assured.
 Borehole in Hanging wall side

900

Hanging wall
Foot wall
Azimuth of borehole should be perpendicular to strike

0 E
5
N4

650
640
730 730

710

760 640
670

N
45
0
W
Intersection should be 20 m to 30 m below the
oxidized zone

Pits Oxidised zone

Water Table

Primary zone
RL 345.50m
 Pb + Zn value less than 100

DRU-94

Pyrite & Pyrrhotite

 Borehole planning in Simple ore deposits

•Geologically simple ore deposits, which are

homogenous in extent, horizontal to sub-horizontal to
low dipping and covering large area like coal,
limestone, bauxite, etc.

•Vertical boreholes are drilled at regular grid pattern

of 100 m X 100 m or 200 m X 200m.

•The grid pattern can be modified according to

situations
BOREHOLE PLANNING IN SIMPLE FLAT BEDDED DEPOSITS
BOREHOLE DEVIATION
• Deflection of Borehole from its intended course is
termed as “Borehole Deviation”

• It is of two types
 Azimuthal – horizontal deflection
 Zenithal – vertical deflection
 CAUSES RESPONSIBLE FOR BOREHOLE DEVIATION
1. Alternate hard and soft rock formations

2. Presence of boulder beds, cavings, shears etc.

3. Low angle between borehole and planar surfaces

4. Improper anchoring i.e. leveling of drill machine

5. Crooked and short drilling rods and loose couplings

6. Unequal pressure applied

7. Vibrations due to machine (Old Machine)

8. Sudden reduction in the size of borehole.

 SURVEY OF BOREHOLE

• In order to draw correct inference from boreholes data it is

essential to know the exact course followed by the
borehole
• Methods for measuring deviation

1. Etch method (HF method) – Zenithal deviation

2. Tropari method
3.Photographic method (Multishot borehole camera)
4. Digital borehole camera
5. Gelatin–compass method– Azimuthal deviation
6. Gyroscopic method
• 5% HF acid is used
• Test tube
Outer diameter – 24 mm
Inner diameter – 22.5mm
 ETCH METHOD (HF – Method)
• Due to surface tension, the apparent angle of the liquid is always
greater than the true dip of the hole .
• A meniscus correction for capillary action of HF is applied to
measure the angle.

• The amount of deviation from true angle varies

i. With the inclination of the hole
ii. Size of the tube
iii. Strength of the acid

• Disadvantage
 Azimuthal deviation cannot be measured
 DIGITAL BOREHOLE CAMERA METHOD
Most advanced & costly instrument which includes camera
and a recording instrument which takes multi shot at
regular intervals when the probe is stationery.
Both azimuthal & zenithal readings are recorded digitally
in the recording instrument which has a sensor.
 CORE LOGGING
A B

C
A. Drill core samples from Gothara
Granite Central Block,
Rajasthan.

B. Detailed core logging in

Kamalpura Block, Rajasthan.

C. It is a good practice to layout core

boxes of adjacent boreholes, while
logging.
RECORDING AND EVALUATION OF
BOREHOLE DATA
 CORE LOGGING
The following guidelines are observed while examining the core.
1. The tools for examination of core are streak plate, grain size index card, steel
knife, pocket lens, steel tape, HCL acid etc.
2. The core should be wetted to get a clean picture.
3. Variation in the lithology, if any, in a run should be recorded taking into
consideration the core recovery.
4. Attitudes of structural features like bedding, foliation fracture cleavage etc.
should be recorded an intersection of these planner structure with core axis.
5. RQD, Recovery of each run has to be noted.
6. Nature of core e.g., broken, fractured, powdery etc. should be recorded.
7. Mineralized portion of the core should be studied in greater details as follows:
 Nature of mineralisation eg. Stringers, specks, films, bands/ disseminations;
grain size etc. should be mentioned.
 Ore minerals which can be identified should be mentioned eg. galena,
sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, etc. The unidentified minerals
should be described giving their properties.
 MEASUREMENT OF ANGLE BETWEEN CORE
AXIS AND BEDDING/ FOLIATION PLANE

 Core axis is the borehole line that passes through

the center of core along the direction of drilling.

 The angle between the core axis and

bedding/foliation plane of the rock unit, that had
undergone drilling is known as ‘core angle’ (β).

 This angle is very important in core logging for

calculation of true width of the intersected strata,
as well as to know about the dip of the beds at that
depth.
MEASUREMENT OF ANGLE BETWEEN CORE AXIS AND
BEDDING/ FOLIATION PLANE
CORE SAMPLING
 Sampling and sample preparation
Core logs
Examination

Mineralized Zone

Fixing of sampling point

Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample n

Core cutter/ Core splitter

Half Half
Crushing and powdering

Powdered sample
Coning and quartering

Repository Chemical Laboratory

Drill core samples from Kamalpura Block, Split drill core samples from Kamalpura
Rajasthan. Block, Rajasthan.

OBJECTIVE:
To ascertain the grade of mineralization/find out the metal content.
 Work out the pattern of and control of mineralization.
 Work out the shape and size of the ore body.
 Resource estimation.