Question

A vein deposit was intersected by a vertical drillhole. The vein is inclined at 22 degrees and the vein intercept is at 200 m. What is the true thickness of the intercepted vein.

74.92 m 78.88 m 185.43
177.92

Answer 1

To calculate the true thickness of the intercepted vein, we can use the formula:

True Thickness = Intercept Thickness / Cos(θ)

Where:
Intercept Thickness is the measured thickness of the vein (200 m in this case)
θ is the angle of inclination of the vein (22 degrees in this case)

Substituting the given values into the formula:

True Thickness = 200 m / Cos(22 degrees)

Calculating the cosine of 22 degrees:

Cos(22 degrees) ≈ 0.927

Plugging this value back into the formula:

True Thickness = 200 m / 0.927 ≈ 215.57 m

Therefore, the true thickness of the intercepted vein is approximately 215.57 meters.