Definition imaging of an orebody with the radio imaging method (RIM)

Abstract

Crosshole scanning between drillholes with the radio imaging method (RIM) has been used to map changes in mineralization in the rock mass. The magnitude and phase of the RIM radio wave depend on the electrical conductivity of the rock mass. The conductivity strongly depends on the present mineralization. Since the attenuation rate and phase constants of the radio wave are proportional to the one half power of conductivity, the measured crosshole radio wave data can be processed in a tomography algorithm to reconstruct images (map the change in conductivity (mineralization)). The tomography image enhances definition in the ore body while reducing the number of drill holes. Reconstructed images of the radio wave propagation constants are compared to percent mineralization in the ore body.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>