Improving geological logging of drill holes using geochemical data and data analytics for mineral exploration in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Geochemical data are frequently collected from mineral exploration drill-hole samples to more accurately define and characterise the geological units intersected by the drill hole. However, large multi-element data sets are slow and challenging to interpret without using some form of automated analysis, such as mathematical, statistical or machine learning techniques. Automated analysis techniques also have the advantage in that they are repeatable and can provide consistent results, even for very large data sets. In this paper, an automated litho-geochemical interpretation workflow is demonstrated, which includes data exploration and data preparation using appropriate compositional data-analysis techniques. Multiscale analysis using a modified wavelet tessellation has been applied to the data to provide coherent geological domains. Unsupervised machine learning (clustering) has been used to provide a first-pass classification. The results are compared with the detailed geologist’s logs. The comparison shows how the integration of automated analysis of geochemical data can be used to enhance traditional geological logging and demonstrates the identification of new geological units from the automated litho-geochemical logging that were not apparent from visual logging but are geochemically distinct. Key point 1: To reduce computational complexity and facilitate interpretation, a subset of geochemical elements is selected, and then a centred log-ratio transform is applied. Key point 2: The wavelet tessellation method is used to domain the drill holes into rock units at a range of scales. Key point 3: Several clustering methods were tested to identify distinct rock units in the samples and multiscale domains for classification. Key point 4: Results are compared with geologist’s logs to assess how geochemical data analysis can inform and improve traditional geology logs.