Determination of an iron ore field (Fatmalı-Muratcık, Elazığ) reserve using inverse distance weighting (idw) and kriging methods
Abstract
Accurate determination of the economic potential of mineral deposits is a fundamental requirement for the feasibility and operational planning phases of mining projects. Although the use of modern technological approaches is increasing in the literature, the need to verify and compare the performance of traditional geostatistical and geometric methods on specific local geological structures persists. The main objective of this research is to analyze the resource estimation quantity and grade distribution of an iron ore deposit located in the Fatmalı-Muratcık region of Elazığ in detail using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Kriging techniques. Within the scope of the study, three-dimensional block modeling and reserve estimation processes were carried out based on the drilling data of the site. Data from 70 boreholes were used, and the Micromine program was utilized for modeling and calculations. As a result of the calculations, the iron ore resource estimation was found to be 282141 tons, and the average grade was 28.30% with the IDW method, while these values were calculated as 304254 tons and 26.63% average grade with the Kriging method. These numerical differences found between the two methods stand out as critical factors affecting the reliability of the estimated reserves and economic risk analyses. The data obtained concretely reveals the iron ore potential of the region, and by demonstrating the variations created by different estimation methods, it forms an important scientific basis for the strategic planning of mining activities.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Mine Design, Management and Economy
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
June 30, 2026
Submission Date
April 15, 2026
Acceptance Date
June 15, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Number: 065