Few knowledgeable people would deny that the field of mineral exploration is facing some difficult times in the foreseeable future. Among the woes, we can cite a worldwide economic uneasiness reflected by sluggish and at times widely fluctuating metal prices, global financial uncertainties, and relentless pressures on costs despite a substantial slowing down of the rate of inflation. Furthermore, management is forced to tum to more sophisticated and expensive technologies and to look farther afield to more remote regions, as the better quality and more easily accessible ore deposits have now been revealed. This rather gloomy outlook should persuade explorationists to cast about for a new philosophy with which to guide mineral exploration through the challenging decades ahead. Once already, in the early 1960s, a call for change had been heard (Ref. 30 in Chapter 1), when it became obvious that the prospecting methods of yesteryear, so successful in the past, could not keep up with the rapidly growing demand for minerals of the postwar period. The answer, a massive introduction of sophisticated geophysical and geochemical technologies backed by new geo logical models, proved spectacularly successful throughout the 1960s and the 1970s. But for both economic and technological reasons, the brisk pace of the last two decades has considerably slowed down in the early 1980s, as if a new threshold has been reached.

After the spectacular successes of the 1960's and 1970's, the mineral exploration business is at a crossroads, facing uncertain t:imes in the decades ahead. This situation requires a re-thinking of the philosophy guiding mineral exploration if it is to emulate its recent performance. The ma:i. n argument of a previous volume titled "Designing Opt:lmal Strategies for Mineral Exploration", published in 1985 by Plenum Publishing Corporation of New York, is that a possible answer to the challenge facing mineral explorationists lies in the philosophy of opt:irn1zation. This new approach should help exploration staff make the best achievable use of the sophisticated and costly technology which is presently available for the detection of ore deposits. The main emphasis of the present volume is placed on the mathematical and computational aspects of the opt:irn1zation of mineral exploration. The seven chapters making up the ma:i. n body of the book are devoted to the description and application of various types of computerized geomathematical models which underpin the optimization of the mineral exploration sequence. The topics covered include: (a) the opt:lmal selection of ore deposit types and regions of search, as well as prospecting areas within the regions (Chapters 2, 3, 4, 6), (b) the designing of airborne and ground field programs for the opt:lmal coverage of prospecting areas (Chapters 2, 3, 4), (c) delineation and evaluation of exploration targets within prospecting areas by means of opt:irn1zed models (Chapter 5).

The book introduces essential concept of mineral exploration, mine evaluation and resource assessment of the discovered mineral deposit to students, beginners and professionals. The book is divided into nine chapters which will help the readers to incorporate the concepts of search for mineral deposits and understand the chances of success. The book discusses the fundamental details like composition of earth and mineral resources, formation of rock and mineral deposits, and the attempt to search for ore deposits to advance applications of remote sensing in mineral exploration. It also covers the details on how to conduct system of survey, evaluation, and how to arrive at a decision to open and carryout further exploration in the operating mine. The book shall be of great interest to geologists and mining community.

International Mineral Economics provides an integrated overview of the concepts important for mineral exploration, mine valuation, mineral market analysis, and international mineral policies. The treatment is interdisciplinary, drawing on the fields of economics, geology, business, and mining engineering. Part I, Economic Geology and Mineral Development, examines the technical concepts important for understanding the geology of ore deposits, the methods of exploration and deposit evaluation, and the activities of mining and mineral processing. Part II, Mineral Economics, focuses on the economic and related concepts important for understanding mineral development, the evaluation of exploration and mining projects, and mineral markets and market models. Finally, Part III, International Mineral Policies, reviews and traces the historical development of the policies of international organizations, the industrialized countries, and the developing countries.

Risk and reliability analysis is an area of growing importance in geotechnical engineering, where many variables have to be considered. Statistics, reliability modeling and engineering judgement are employed together to develop risk and decision analyses for civil engineering systems. The resulting engineering models are used to make probabilistic predictions, which are applied to geotechnical problems. Reliability & Statistics in Geotechnical Engineering comprehensively covers the subject of risk and reliability in both practical and research terms * Includes extensive use of case studies * Presents topics not covered elsewhere--spatial variability and stochastic properties of geological materials * No comparable texts available Practicing engineers will find this an essential resource as will graduates in geotechnical engineering programmes.

Statistical evaluations of exploration data are the basis for decisions to be made at various stages of an exploration project. In contrast to other geostatistical books, Statistical Evaluations in Exploration for Mineral Deposits focuses not only on theory, but examples are also given, frequently originating from experience in mineral exploration by the author who worked worldwide for a mining company. Together with its companion volume, Economic Evaluations in Exploration, the book illustrates methods used in exploration campaigns and mining activities. It is intended as a vademecum for geologists who are forced to make quick decisions regarding an exploration project. It also addresses scientists and students involved in teaching or in mineral economic evaluations, recommendations or decisions.

A guide to economic optimization of mineral exploration decisions--with detailed information on how to analyze risk and obtain a good measure of net value. Presents a unified approach to the various models used by mining companies to analyze mining prospects and evaluates and compares the models. Presents typical risk scenarios and shows how to apply the economic modeling process to actual situations.

This work details the findings of the 7th International Conference on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection of 1998, held in Calgary. Topics include: design and planning of surface and underground mines; geotechnical stability in surface and underground mines; and mining and the environment.

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