| dc.description.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. | en_US |
