Defining Compositional and Textural Variations in Iron Ores of Capanema Mine-MG-Brazil Using a Joint Interpretation of core Samples and Geophysical well Logs

Abstract

Because density is a fundamental physical characteristic in mineral exploitation, the Brazilian mining company Vale S/A constructed a test site to gather more precise data with the geophysical well log of density. Understanding the lithological units of three drilling holes at the Capanema-Minas Gerais-Brazil Mine better was the primary goal of this calibration. In the study, geological contacts were compared between those determined by caliper, temperature, natural gamma ray, density, neutron porosity, and sonic wireline logs and those identified by descriptions of core samples. The primary goal of the research was to determine compositional and textural variations in iron formations that were brought on by changes in the rock's moisture and hardness. The methodology has shown satisfactory results in detecting the presence of clay and hydrated bodies and the transition between friable and compact itabirites. The possibility of altering exploratory drilling meshes with partial replacement of core sampling by rotary percussive boreholes was thus revealed by these results. With this substitution, mineral exploration would be faster and less expensive while always using well logs to support subsurface geological interpretation.