1887
1st Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference – Exploration Innovation Integration
  • ISSN: 2202-0586
  • E-ISSN:

Abstract

The rock quality designation (RQD) is an important factor for geotechnical work in mining operations. A 3D model of RQD is significant for mine design. In practice, the mine design needs information of the whole mine area, but, borehole data is localised in only a small part of the whole area. Although, surface seismic methods can provide information of the whole survey (mine) area, the resolution of such data is generally smaller than the borehole data. The combination of seismic and borehole data may provide very useful information for geotechnical features like RQD if we can exploit seismic data as a means of interpolating the borehole information to the whole model of that geotechnical feature. In this work, we build a 3D model of RQD from seismic and borehole data acquired in Kevitsa mine site, Northern Finland. We investigate the relationship between Vp and RQD from eight boreholes to build a functional conversion between theses parameters. The seismic model obtained by co-operative inversion of seismic reflection and borehole data is converted into a RQD model using this function. Our model is assessed by comparison between RQD of core measurements and estimation from Vp of borehole data and seismic inversion. The results demonstrate that our process can build a reasonable 3D RQD model for geotechnical purposes.

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2018-12-01
2026-01-18
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References

  1. Deere, D. U., 1963, Technical description of rock cores for engineering purposes: Felsmechanik und Ingenieurgeologie 1(1), 16-22.
  2. Deere, D. U., and Deere, D. W., 1988, The Rock Quality Designation (RQD) Index in Practice, in Kirkaldie, L., ed., Rock Classification Systems for Engineering Purposes: West Conshohocken, PA, ASTM International, p. 91-101.
  3. Hoek E., Kaiser, P. K., and Bawden, W. F., 1995, Support of underground excavation in hard rock: Rotterdam, A. A. Balkema.
  4. Kieu, D. T., and Kepic, A., 2017, Integration of Borehole and Seismic Data into Magnetotelluric Inversion: Case Study over The Kevitsa Ultramafic Intrusion, Northern Finland: Exploration 17, Toronto, Canada.
  5. Kieu, D. T., Kitzig, M. C., and Kepic, A., 2016, Estimation of P-wave Velocity from Other Borehole Data: Near Surface Geoscience 2016 - First Conference on Geophysics for Mineral Exploration and Mining, Barcelona, Spain, EAGE.
  6. Kieu, T. D., and Kepic, A., 2015, Incorporating Prior Information into Seismic Impedance Inversion Using Fuzzy Clustering Technique: SEG International Exhibition and Annual Meeting, New Orleans, USA, Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
  7. Lindqvist, T., 2014, 3D characterization of brittle fracture zones in Kevitsa open pit excavation, northern Finland: Master Thesis, University of Helsinki.
  8. Malehmir, A., Juhlin, C., Wijns, C., Urosevic, M., Valasti, P., and Koivisto, E., 2012, 3D reflection seismic imaging for open-pit mine planning and deep exploration in the Kevitsa Ni-Cu-PGE deposit, northern Finland: Geophysics, v. 77, no. 5, p. WC95-WC108.
  9. Zhang, L., 2016, Determination and applications of rock quality designation (RQD): Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Volume 8, Issue 3, p. 389-397.
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): borehole; co-operative inversion; Rock quality designation; seismic
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