Ore-body delineation using borehole seismic techniques for hard rock exploration

Abstract

In recent years, seismic methods have emerged as a potential imaging technique for delineation of deep ore-bodies at the mine scale. The application of surface seismic methods in hard rock environments is however challenging due to various effects such as energy attenuation and scattering. Borehole seismic methods can be used to reduce these effects. Ore bodies of economic importance are often only a few metres thick and the top and bottom are not resolvable by conventional geophysical techniques. In cross-hole geometry, higher seismic frequencies can be obtained as the source and the receivers are placed below the near-surface overburden which distorts and attenuates seismic wavefields. Resolution is dependent on borehole separation not depth. Higher frequencies result in higher resolution images. The resolution of seismic images is generally a few (tens of) meters, making it ideal for ore bodiesâ?? delineation. The potential of cross-hole methods to resolve ore-bodyâ??s thickness and extent is explored in this Acoustic Seismic synthetic study.