Shining a new light on mining: developing spectral metrics for process control and decision tools in mining exploration and operation.

对于采矿勘探公司和矿山经营者来说，对矿山内和矿山周围操纵的地质材料的特性的有限的近实时知识阻碍了勘探和矿山开采期间效率的发展。例如，这适用于岩心的特性和资源评估（例如矿石或页岩储层的质量）。我的计划的一个长期目标是通过在高光谱图像分析中进行基础研究，然后将研究结果转化为一种使能技术来满足这些需求。在这个发现周期中，我将围绕三个短期目标进行研究： 1.开展页岩岩心的真实的时间矿物和地球化学表征。我将重点讨论与页岩储层表征相关的三个研究问题：i）能否预测一系列地层/盆地中页岩岩心的总有机碳和主要元素地球化学特征？在这里，重点是扩大早期的发现，在一系列主要的页岩气和致密油播放; ii）可以推断有机碳相关系油母岩，沥青，焦沥青和烃？这很重要，因为页岩地层中存在的特定有机碳相决定了可开采烃的类型和相对渗透率特性，这对理解流速很重要;以及iii）可以区分多少种形式的二氧化硅？这影响页岩地层中的地质力学性质，从而影响压裂潜力。这项研究为从岩心图像中评估页岩气/油储层的质量提供了直接的手段。 2.泥页岩岩心地质力学特性预测模型的建立。 为了通过水平钻井和多级压裂安全有效地开采页岩储层，必须很好地表征岩石力学。这项研究为从岩心图像中评估页岩气/油储层的压裂潜力提供了直接手段。 预期影响：作为目标1和2的一部分提供的答案开启了基于芯片（井场点谱）的页岩分类方案的开发，这是一种创新的和有价值的工业应用，用于在钻井过程中指导地质导向。 3.推进矿井井壁和露头光谱成像作为遥感新领域的发展。与钻孔岩心图像相比，露头和矿壁的图像具有较差的空间分辨率（mm至cm尺寸）和较高的测量噪声。 我们最近开发的光谱角度为基础的波段选择方法，可以改善映射的矿物和它们的化学在这样的设置？我将开始通过检查变质蚀变，提出了一系列的组成和结构特征。该研究对指导油气藏、铅锌矿等多种类型资源矿床的勘探开发具有重要意义。

For mining exploration firms and mine operators, limited near real-time knowledge of the characteristics of geologic materials manipulated in and around mines impedes the development of efficiencies during exploration and mine exploitation. This applies for example to the characteristics of drill core and the assessment of the resources (e.g. quality of ore or shale reservoir). A long-term goal of my program is to meet these needs by conducting fundamental research in the analysis of hyperspectral imagery and later transforming the findings into an enabling technology. In this discovery cycle I will conduct studies focusing on three short term objectives: 1. Develop the real time mineral and geochemical characterization of shale core. I will focus on three research questions relevant to the characterization of shale reservoirs: i) Can one predict the total organic carbon and major element geochemical characteristics of shale core across a range of formations/basins? Here, focus is on expanding early findings across a range of major shale gas and tight oil plays; ii) Can one infer organic carbon phase relationships kerogen, bitumen, pyrobitumen, and hydrocarbons? This is important because the specific organic carbon phase present in a shale formation dictates the type of producible hydrocarbon and relative permeability properties that are important to understanding flow rates; and iii) How many forms of silica can be discriminated? This influences geomechanical properties in a shale formation and thus fracturing potential. This research stands to provide direct means of assessing the quality of shale gas/oil reservoirs from drill core imagery. 2. Developing models to predict the geomechanical characteristics of shale drill core. To safely and effectively produce shale reservoirs through horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking, the rock mechanics must be well characterized. This research stands to provide direct means of assessing the fracturing potential of shale gas/oil reservoirs from drill core imagery. Foreseen impact: Answers provided as part of objectives 1 and 2 open up the development of a shale classification scheme based on chips (point spectra at well site) an innovative and valuable application for industry to guide geosteering during drilling. 3. Advancing the development of mine wall and outcrop spectral imaging as a new field of remote sensing. Compared to drill core imagery, those of outcrops and mine walls have poorer spatial resolution (mm to cm size) and higher measurement noise. Can our recently developed spectral angle based band selection method improve the mapping of minerals and their chemistry in such settings? I will begin by examining dolomitic alteration that presents a range of compositional and textural characteristics. This research is relevant for guiding exploration efforts and exploitation of several types of resource deposits (oil and gas reservoirs and lead-zinc deposits).