| Abstract: | For a mining operation, minimizing misclassification of ore and waste during grade control is of critical importance. This paper reviews grade control procedures for classifying ore and waste that are based on estimation and conditional simulation approaches. The similarities and differences of the procedures are first discussed in the light of an example. Subsequently, several case studies, including actual operating mines, are presented. The theoretical review shows that conditional simulation is generally better than estimation for ore and waste classification, especially when the profit value of a block is a nonlinear function of the grade of the block. The case studies, however, indicate that, in the context of daily grade control, the value of conditional simulation over good estimation is relatively low compared to the value of improving general practices at mine sites. |
