One simple yet effective method for testing estimation sensitivity is to run a jack-knife analysis, wherein a sample or set of samples is intentionally removed from a dataset, an estimation is performed in the location of the missing samples, and the estimated result is compared back to the samples. The tools and workflow built into Leapfrog EDGE make this a simple operation to perform at a block level by comparing the results of two different estimations.

1. Create A Standard Estimator

The first step to running a jack-knife is to create an estimator using all data required. For this example I will use the LMS1 domain from the Leda training dataset, and will be estimating the Zn grades within that volume.

SRK’s Peter Gleeson talks about Leapfrog EDGE, our new resource estimation solution that’s quick to master and saves time without compromising on quality.

Peter Gleeson, an expert with thirty years’ experience in resource estimation and mining geology tells us what he likes about Leapfrog EDGE, where he sees the future of resource estimation heading and why tools like EDGE will become so essential.

Before you start one of the largest bored excavation projects in the world, you need to be very sure of the ground beneath your feet.

In preparation for the massive West Gate Tunnel project in Melbourne, Australia, it fell to geotechnical services firm Golder Associates to undertake a comprehensive investigation of the geological risk before work could begin.

Faced with a complex and often deceptive geology they employed the ground engineering 3D implicit modelling solution offered by Leapfrog Works to deliver an exhaustive assessment, then communicate its findings to a variety of stakeholders from a wide range of disciplines. What Leapfrog Works uncovered was to have a direct impact on the route the tunnels took, and the success of the contractors who used its data to shape their plans.

It seems that whatever the industry, whatever the sector, you’ll hear the same rally cry: “we need to go digital”.

It’s become a 21st century business obsession with the promise of greater efficiency and productivity, faster and more sure-footed innovation and new ways of dealing with old problems. Not to mention the fact that many customers now clamour for digital solutions, drawn by the cost savings they can bring.

But even though the potential is vast, the pace of digital transformation varies considerably across different industries. So how is the Civil Engineering sector doing?

Iain Levy, Senior Technical Lead, Seequent.

In the first blog, we talked about a new more immersive approach to resource estimation. In this, the second part, we use real world data to highlight how this works and how this deeper understanding benefits the user. We will start off by looking at how you set up a domain for the immersive approach, before looking at how this could then be applied to investigating the search parameters.

Before we get started though, here’s a quick outline of the mineralisation:

There are two major pods of massive sulfide mineralisation running in a NE-SW trend, plunging to the NE (Figure 1). There is also a small pod of mineralisation to the north with limited drilling. We will be looking at the northern (red) pod to start. While it is a base metal deposit, we are going to be estimating gold as it has more interesting statistics and trends than zinc or lead. In terms of drilling, we are looking at a grade control situation with high density drilling.

 

Iain Levy, Senior Technical Lead, Seequent.

When discussing Leapfrog EDGE with clients I’m often asked, “what about macros?” or, “will Leapfrog EDGE be getting macros in the future?” Along this vein, a common request is for a swish multidomain tool that enables you to quickly carbon copy parameters from one domain and apply them to multiple other ones.

This has led me to reflect on why macros are so engrained into our estimation workflows, and if this has resulted in a focus on the processes of resource estimation to the detriment of the geology and reasoning behind it. As Dr Jacqui Coombes, General Manager – Innovation at METS Ignited recently commented; ‘The future of resource estimation will not focus so much on the process of resource estimation but on the reasoning of it’.

This blog is part one of a two-part series which considers the standard approach undertaken for resource estimation, and the value of a new approach where reasoning and validation play a more integrated role throughout the estimate.

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
― Abraham H. Maslow

For years the geologists working on civil engineering and environmental projects have grappled with the challenge of building ground models using tools designed for drafting engineering designs.
Traditional engineering design started by drawing 2D sections, plans and elevations to define a 3D structure, which isn’t practical for natural geological structures which are almost never straight and aligned. Geology is a science rather than an engineering discipline because it models the real world instead of designing man-made structures within it. Geology doesn’t come in boxes, triangles, straight lines or even sophisticated Bezier curves. All of these are simply ways of representing the geology on a computer.

Have you ever thought about the science that goes into building a bridge? It’s not all about the engineering – it’s also about the geology.

Geology is a science, rather than an engineering discipline because it models the real world as opposed to building structures within it. By definition, geology is the study of earth’s composition and the methods we use to study it are rapidly changing.

With the global launch of our latest software, Leapfrog Works, we have released the Unearthed Report – a global briefing on the technology and innovation revolutionising the Civil Engineering and Environmental industries.

 

Are you energised and excited about the projects underway in 2018? Are the tools you use for modelling helping you to achieve your goals? Are you happy to recommend them?

Recommending a solution to others is the number one proof of satisfaction. If you’re not happy to recommend your current solution, you’re not satisfied. Leapfrog’s 2017 annual survey revealed 95% of users surveyed would recommend Leapfrog to a friend or colleague.

Seriously satisfied

As you can see from the satisfaction scores below, the majority of Leapfrog users surveyed are ‘satisfied’, and a large proportion of those ‘satisfied’ users are ‘very satisfied’

‘What a modeller geologist always wanted’

Leapfrog EDGE is a resource estimation solution that supports and advances industry practices to meet today’s challenges. Designed in collaboration with the industry, Leapfrog EDGE has undergone years of development and refinement in readiness for its market launch in November 2017.

Nearly 200 geologists with a variety of different backgrounds, experience and job roles used Leapfrog EDGE as part of a pre-release programme. This blog outlines the results of a recent survey on their experiences.

This feedback is based on Leapfrog EDGE 1.0. We expect the increased functionality in the recently released Leapfrog EDGE 2.0 to add even more value and solve additional issues experienced in resource estimation.

Seamless integration with geology

A key feature of the software, introduced to address a need identified in the early research, is the seamless integration of the resource estimation process with the geological model. Leapfrog EDGE delivers an integrated workflow and ensures the resource estimate has a strong geological foundation. Nearly 90% of those surveyed agreed that Leapfrog EDGE provided this integration and that it improved their confidence in the final result.

Robin Simpson, Principal Consultant (Resource Geology) at SRK Consulting, Russia, told us, “Leapfrog EDGE is a pleasure to use and it is convenient to be able to stay within Leapfrog for many of the tasks I previously had to export to other software. I like the convenience of being linked to the geology model and it is more efficient to update the resource model with fewer hassles importing and exporting files.”

Federico Mera, Resource Geologist at Lundin Gold, Ecuador, had a similar experience, “Leapfrog EDGE is what a modeller geologist always wanted. It simplifies steps and removes the annoying processes that deviate from the main goal of understanding the geology. I’ve used other software to model resources but I never feel entirely comfortable because I’m concerned about importing, exporting, re-importing and changing file formats.”

Leapfrog EDGE’s dynamic updating feature, first introduced in Leapfrog Geo, allows users to add data or revise their interpretations at any stage in the workflow and the changes automatically flow downstream and update. This simple but substantial step enhances how users can manage change as they continue to interpret geology and make use of the latest information.

This dynamic updating is cited as a key advantage by many including Graham Greenway, Group Resource Geologist at Lundin Mining, UK, who says, “One of the most frustrating steps in the resource estimation process is having to run and re-do multiple steps if new data is added. When you add new data to Leapfrog EDGE the process automatically reworks itself.”