Why Bad Data Breaks Predictive Models: Microscale Textures, Hyperspectral Unmixing, and Mine Profitability

Man analyzing 3D geological model on screen.

Predictive models now drive high stakes decisions throughout the mining industry. The promise is clear: Enhanced targeting, improved resource estimates and more consistent mine profitability. Yet, many sites find that their models fail after real world deployment. Discrepancies appear between predicted grades and actual results, unexpected processing challenges surface and anticipated profits slip away. Modern…

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Shining a Light on Finishes in Geochemistry

A Machine And A Lab With Samples

In the world of geochemistry, finishes often take a backseat to more headline-grabbing topics like sample digestion. But finishes are crucial to the accuracy and utility of geochemical data, and it is time they took center stage. Analytical finishes are the final analytical step that determines the concentrations of elements in your sample, and your…

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Understanding Geochemical Digests

A Beaker With A Bunch Of Beakers

Geochemical digests are the backbone of many geochemical analyses, providing critical insights into the composition of rocks, soils, and sediments. Selecting the right digest for your project is essential, as it dictates the elements you can analyze and the interpretability of your data. In this edition we are exploring the more common digests, weak and…

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The Essentials of Crushing and Grinding

A Machine With Two People Working

Crushing and grinding are essential steps when preparing drillcore samples for geochemical analysis. These processes break down the sample into smaller particles or fine powders, making it appropriate to analyze. However, contamination can creep in during these stages, potentially skewing your results. Understanding these risks and knowing what checks to perform can help you maintain…

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Geochemical Sample Preparation: A Focus on Drill Core Samples

Tied plastic sample bags on warehouse table

Geochemical sample preparation from drill core is a critical step in the laboratory process, ensuring that the resulting geochemical data are reliable and representative. Here, we outline the general process, considerations, and best practices for drill core sample preparation. 1. Assigning a Unique Sample Code Each sample must be assigned a unique code for tracking…

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Inside Geochemical Laboratories: A Practical Blog Series

Inside Geochemical Laboratories

Geochemistry is a fundamental part of mineral exploration and mining, providing data essential for decision-making. Behind every data point is a detailed laboratory process. To clarify this process and highlight the work done in geochemical laboratories, LKI Consulting si launching a new blog series. This series will follow a sample’s path—from preparation to final analysis—and…

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Geometallurgy: Metal Concentration, Recovery & Refinement

To close out our series on geometallurgy, we are presenting an overview on some highly complex topics that contain a lot of underlying thermodynamics and kinetics (we are unfortunately not going to get super deep into this here), both of which are the natural, best friends of geochemists. What is extractive metallurgy? Extractive metallurgy, unlike…

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Geometallurgy: Comminution

Comminution is simply the size reduction of particles, and its purpose is to liberate valuable minerals from waste prior to concentration. The product is a mixture of particles that contain the valuable mineral (i.e., ore), gangue minerals (i.e., the commercially worthless material that surrounds, or is closely mixed with, the ore mineral), and locked particles/middlings…

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Geometallurgy: Texture

A key aspect of geometallurgy is understanding what is the relationship of the mineral(s) of interest to all other minerals? What is texture? The characterization of mineral texture is a major concern for process mineralogists, as liberation characteristics of ore are intimately related to mineralogical texture.   What do we mean when we are talking…

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