A discussion on current quality-control practices in mineral exploration / Дискуссия о методах сопровождающего контроля качества при изучении полезных ископаемых

Vallée (1998) indicated that few exploration and mining companies have explicit and systematic quality-assurance policies, and identified three main approaches: laissez-fair, catch-as-catch-can, and systematic quality control, the latter being very uncommon. In the author’s experience, this situation has not significantly improved in the intervening twelve years. Results of numerous recent audits and due-diligence jobs conducted on exploration and mining projects in South and North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe (many of them managed by North American and Australian companies) indicate that comprehensive geological quality-control programs are still relatively infrequent. As a result of new regulations in place, junior and major companies are increasingly interested in implementing such programs, particularly when public financing is required. Unfortunately, the initial interest is often followed by shock and, sometimes, even by anger, when project management realizes that implementation of a quality-control program involves certain undesired modifications of the exploration budget. Reluctance to implement comprehensive quality-control programs does not arise only from management or from budgetary constraints. Implementing such programs demands improved organization in the sampling process, database preparation, and data processing, and a dynamic and cooperative relationship with the laboratories. Due to the lack of appropriate training, project geologists do not always understand the need for such additional efforts, and often complain about these supposedly redundant control measures. In addition, laboratory personnel commonly identify geological quality control with lack of confidence in their results.

The purpose of this paper is to compare best quality-control practices with some current practices observed on international exploration and mining projects, and to discuss their direct implications on resource estimation and classification. <...>