In‐mine seismic delineation of mineralization and rock structure

Abstract

Significant progress has been made towards the goal of generating detailed seismic images as an aid to mine planning and exploration at the Kambalda nickel mines of Western Australia. Crosshole and vertical‐seismic‐profiling instrumentation, including a slimline multi‐element hydrophone array, three‐component geophone sensors, and a multishot detonator sound source, have been developed along with special seismic imaging software to map rock structure. Seismic trials at the Hunt underground mine established that high frequency (> 1 kHz) signals can be propagated over distances of tens of meters. Tomographic as well as novel 3-D multicomponent reflection imaging procedures have been applied to the data to produce useful pictures of the ore‐stope geometry and host rock. Tomogram interpretation remains problematic because velocity changes not only relate to differing rock types and/or the presence of mineralisation, but can also be caused by alteration/weathering and other rock condition variations. Ultrasonic measurements on rock core samples help in assigning velocity values to lithology, but geological assessment of tomograms remains ambiguous. Reflection imaging is complicated by the presence of strong tube‐wave to body‐wave mode conversion events present in the records, which obscure the weak reflection signatures. Three‐dimensional reflection data processing, especially three‐component analysis, is time consuming and difficult to perform. Notwithstanding the difficulties, the seismic migrations at the Hunt mine show a striking correlation with the known geology. Combined seismic and radar surveying from available underground boreholes and mine drivages is probably needed in the future to more confidently delineate mineralisation.