Modelling of Nickel Ore deposit in Opia village

Abstract

Nickel (Ni) ore deposits play a crucial role in various industries, and understanding their formation and characteristics is essential for exploration and mining activities. This research focuses on modelling the Ni ore deposit mineral system in Opia village, west of the Aswa shear zone in northern Uganda. The study aims to investigate the spatial surface variations of Ni in soils and its content variations at depth. The hypotheses explored are that the Ni ore deposit in Opia village is formed either by the accumulation of Ni-rich magma in the Earth's crust or by the weathering of Ni-rich ultramafic rocks, with subsequent leaching and concentration in laterite deposits. The significance of this research lies in providing a structural and quantitative representation of the Ni deposit, which can inform decision-making throughout the mining project lifecycle. The methodology involves data acquisition from primary and secondary sources, including soil geochemical data, surface lithology data, structural data, and drill log data. Data is prepared, statistically analyzed, and interpolation techniques are used to determine the Nickel hotspots from which drill logs were used to create a 3D model of a Ni ore deposit using geostatistical methods in the Rockworks software. Applicable parameters were set for interpolation and filters, resulting in an accurate model. It is concluded from this research that the Ni ore deposit in Opia village is concentrated around the major fault, showing disseminated Ni ore in minor shears. At depth, the Ni ore is shallow lying due to weathering, leaching, and concentration, forming a lateritic Ni ore deposit that generally trends in the NorthwestSoutheast direction.