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，对矿山内和周围操纵的地质材料特征的近乎实时的了解有限，阻碍了勘探和矿山开发过程中效率的提高。例如，这适用于钻芯的特征和资源评估(例如，矿石或页岩储集层的质量)。我的计划的一个长期目标是通过在高光谱图像分析方面进行基础研究，并在以后将发现转化为使能技术，来满足这些需求。在这个发现周期中，我将针对三个短期目标进行研究： 1.开发页岩岩心的实时矿物和地球化学特征。我将集中讨论与页岩储层特征相关的三个研究问题：i)人们能否预测一系列地层/盆地的页岩岩心的总有机碳和主要元素的地球化学特征？这里，重点是扩大早期发现的范围，涵盖一系列主要的页岩气和致密油；ii)可以推断有机碳相关系干酪根、沥青、焦油沥青和碳氢化合物吗？这一点很重要，因为页岩地层中存在的特定有机碳相决定了可生产烃的类型和相对渗透率属性，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？这会影响页岩地层的地质力学性质，从而影响压裂潜力。这项研究将为从钻探岩心图像评估页岩气/油气藏的质量提供直接手段。 2.建立了页岩钻芯地质力学特征预测模型。为了通过水平钻井和多级水力压裂安全、高效地开采页岩油藏，必须对岩石力学进行很好的表征。这项研究将为从钻探岩心图像评估页岩气/油层的压裂潜力提供直接的手段。 可预见的影响：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，这是一种创新和有价值的应用，可用于指导钻井过程中的地质导向。 3.推动矿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(毫米到厘米)和较高的测量噪声。我们最近开发的基于光谱角度的波段选择方法能在这样的环境下改进矿物及其化学的制图吗？我将从研究呈现一系列成分和结构特征的白云岩蚀变开始。这项研究对于指导几种类型的资源矿床(油气藏和铅锌矿床)的勘探和开发具有重要意义。

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).