Geostatistical Studies of a Gold Prospect in Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh

Gurahar Pahar gold prospect, located in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the most promising gold prospects of Mahakoshal greenstone belt in Central India. Gold mineralization is generally associated with sheared quartz veins, proximally found tuffaceous phyllite, carbonate veins and primary sulphides. This paper attempts an integrated modelling for resource evaluation of Gurahar Pahar gold prospect. The integrated approach combines together: (i) a geological understanding of the nature of gold mineralization from field observable evidences on host lithology, mode of occurrence, structural elements, viz. schistosity and foliation, and drill hole intersections from published exploration data; (ii) classical statistical modelling; and (iii) geostatistical evaluation for development of mineral inventory of the central part of Gurahar Pahar gold prospect. The integrated geostatistical resource evaluation using block kriging technique and grade-Tonnage relations of the central part of the prospect, bounded between 1040 S to 1540 S and 140 E to 840 E of the local grids and between 291 mRL and 181 mRL, indicate 3,36,000 tonnes of gold ore at a cutoff of 0.5 g/t with an average Au of 0.74 g/t.