Resource Estimation in Multi-Unit Mineral Deposits Using a Multivariate Matérn Correlation Model: An Application in an Iron Ore Deposit of Nkout, Cameroon

Modeling the spatial dependence structure of metal grades in the presence of soft boundaries between geological domains is challenging in any mineral resource estimation strategy. The aim of this work was to propose a structural model adapted to this type of geological boundary, based on a multivariate Matérn model that fits the observed direct (within domain) and cross (between domains) correlation structures of metal grades. The methodology was applied to a case study of an iron deposit located in southern Cameroon. Cross-validation scores show that accounting for the grade correlation across domain boundaries improved the traditional workflow, where the grade was estimated in each domain separately. The scores were significantly better when we also ensured that the mean grade was locally invariant from one domain to another to reflect the grade continuity across the domain boundary.