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

对于矿业勘探公司和矿山经营者来说，对矿山内部和周围地质物质特征的接近实时的了解有限，阻碍了勘探和矿山开采期间效率的提高。例如，这适用于钻芯的特征和资源的评估（例如矿石或页岩储层的质量）。我的项目的长期目标是通过进行高光谱图像分析的基础研究，然后将研究结果转化为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。开发页岩岩心的实时矿物和地球化学表征。我将重点关注与页岩储层表征相关的三个研究问题：1)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，重点是扩大一系列主要页岩气和致密油区块的早期发现；是否可以推断出有机碳的相关系——干酪根、沥青、焦沥青和碳氢化合物？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产烃的类型和相对渗透率，这对了解流速很重要；以及iii)有多少种形式的二氧化硅可以区分？这会影响页岩地层的地质力学性质，从而影响压裂潜力。该研究为从岩心图像中评估页岩油气储层质量提供了直接手段。2. 建立页岩岩心地质力学特征预测模型。为了通过水平钻井和多级压裂安全有效地开采页岩储层，必须对岩石力学特性进行充分的研究。该研究为通过岩心图像评估页岩油气储层的压裂潜力提供了直接手段。预期影响：作为目标1和目标2的一部分，提供的答案开启了基于芯片（井场点谱）的页岩分类方案的发展，这是一项创新且有价值的应用，可用于指导钻井过程中的地质导向。3. 推进井壁与露头光谱成像这一遥感新领域的发展。与钻孔岩心图像相比，露头和井壁图像的空间分辨率较差（mm ~ cm），测量噪声较高。我们最近开发的基于光谱角的波段选择方法能否改善这种环境下矿物及其化学成分的定位？我将从研究白云岩蚀变开始，它呈现出一系列的成分和结构特征。该研究对指导几种资源矿床（油气藏和铅锌矿）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).