OreChaser - Infill and Step-Out Drillhole Planner, Optimizer & Evaluator (3-in-1)
GeoMine-OreChaser (OreChaser) is a drillhole planner, infill and step-out drilling plan optimizer and evaluator for both open-pit and underground mines. How to Choose?
OreChaser Planner provides tools for manually creating planned drillholes in cross sections or in 3D and tools for batch mode creation of gridded drill holes in 3D, subject to topography and/or polygonal region constraint(s).
OreChaser Infill Optimizer is a generative optimizer that uses a stochastic optimization algorithm to allow drill planners to determine the optimum number, positions and lengths of additional drillholes required to maximize the resource uplift for a given drill budget. The Infill Optimizer features a proprietary 3D Genetic Algorithm with the choice of two search strategies: RocDP (Randomized Ore Chasing Drilling Plane) strategy and (FRD) Fully Random Drilling strategy, both to maximize metal recovery while minimizing Kriging variances under the specified drilling budget.
Unlike most other competing drillhole optimizers, which can only generate non-directional drillholes, the infill drillholes auto-generated by the Infill Optimizer can be either directional or non-directional with an optional fan-out configuration, and they can start either from a topographical surface (for Open-pit mines) or from mine accesses (for underground mines). Furthermore, The Infill Optimizer also provides a slew of options, allowing the users to quickly adapt and customize the underlying Generic Algorithm to suit their own specific data set.
OreChaser also features a Step-out Drilling Plan Optimizer. While the infill optimizer assesses each candidate drill hole against an existing classified block model and ranks them by expected uplift in classified ore tonnage, the Step-Out optimizer projects candidate extension targets outward from the known orebody along geologically defensible directions and ranks drill plans by their coverage of those targets. The Step-out Optimizer operates on structural geology represented as per-point structural orientation measurement structure azimuth/dip/confidence (typically logged from oriented core or face mapping) plus optional faults.
Both modes share the same the core engine, drill cost model, and drilling-plan publication pipeline. They differ in what they optimize toward.
Another unique module of OreChaser is the Evaluator, which enables drill planners to evaluate the impact of manually planned drill holes on an existing drilling program.
OreChaser Key Benefits
- Flexible: Both manual and automated planning modes are supported. OreChaser Optimizer can operate either as a generative optimizer or as an impact evaluator.
- Fully Integrated: Available as OreChaser Planner, Infill Optimizer, Step-Out Optimizer and Infill Ealuator in the GeoMine platform.
- Highly Configurable：both Infill Optimizer and Step-Out Optimizer include a large # of user-options.
- Easy-to-Use：Features an integrated, non-blocking interface in an interactive WYSIWYG 3D modeling environment.
OreChaser Feature List
DrillHole Submodule
Imports assays, attributes (categorical or continuous) and geological structures, including faults; Desurveys drillholes with choices of 5 desurvey algorithms; Composite and color-code drillholes by lithology, attributes or assays; Creates custom DDH attributes as input to subsequent block model interpolations; Creates planned drill holes for drilling planning.
Compositing Submodule
Creates grade composites from drillholes as input to the Infill and Step-Out Optimizers and the Infill Evaluator;
Create structure composites from drill holes as input to the Step-Out Optimizer.
OreChaser Planner: Drillhole Planning
Manually creates planned drillholes incrementally in cross sections or 3D, subject to topography constraints; Creates gridded RC holes in batch mode, subject to topography and/or polygonal region constraint(s).
Infill Drilling Plan Optimization
Given an existing block model, composites and resource classification criteria, The Infill Optimizer determines N-best infill drilling plans. For each plan, the Optimizer computes the positions and lengths of the required additional drillholes to maximize the resource uplift while minimizing Kriging variances under a given drilling budget. Custom ore and waste classification criterions can be incorporated into the optimization process with user-defined formulae.
Choice of two search strategies: RocDP (Randomized Drilling Plane) strategy for targeted drilling and faster convergence, and FRD (Fully Random Drilling) strategy for exhaustive search.
Option for using a fan-out hole configuration.
The Infill Optimizer offers both open-pit and underground modules, which are licensed separately. Drillholes can originate from topography (for open-pit mines) or mine accesses (for underground mines.
Step-Out Drilling Plan Optimation
Given a grade composite, a topography, and a structure composite with structural azimuth, dip and confidence as well as an optional fault network, create an optimal step-out drilling plan that maximizes discovery of probable mineralization beyond the known orebody envelope while minimizing drilling cost, by projecting extension targets along strike and dip from the mineralized cluster boundary in directions guided by the local structural orientation and optional faults.
Infill Drilling Plan Evaluation
Rapid evaluation of the impact of your own manually planned drill holes on an existing drilling programme.
Outputs the uplifted resource (ore tonnage and metal quantity) and cost of each planned drill hole.
Drill Plan Comparison and Export
Plots tonnage vs. cost curve for each drilling plan to show the relationship between the uplifted tonnage and the expected drilling cost; Compares the tonnage vs. cost curves of different drill plans within a single graph; Exports chosen drill plans to CSV files for further processing and/or sharing.
System Requirements:
CPU: 8 Core / 16 threads
RAM: 32gb
HARD DRIVE: 1tb SSD
VIDEO CARD: 2gb VRAM
CPU: 16 cores / 32 threads
RAM: 64gb
HARD DRIVE: 2tb SSD
VIDEO CARD: 4gb VRAM
Our mission is to empower our clients to turn data into insights, respond to project changes quickly, and improve efficiency, profitability, and sustainability.
Office Phone: +1-613-454-5327
Toll Free in North America: +1-855-760-4063