Common Fixmap Problems

Fixmap will produce poor results if there is insufficient local data to make valid estimates. This will occur when a few long holes are interspersed in a set of short drilling, or if a seam occurs spasmodically. The latter can occur if a seam is divided into splits in just one or two holes.

Because Fixmap interpolates all seam interburdens, an irregular pattern of seams can yield unique interburden intervals that occur rarely.

In the above example, a different interburden interval occurs in each of the five bores. When this happens Fixmap will pull information from across the deposit that has no relationship. This can result in grossly underestimated or overestimated thicknesses, resulting in unnatural humps and depressions.

At the present point in time, Fixmap has difficulty working with such deposits. By reducing the amount of detailed information, the results can be improved. The details internal to a horizon could be modelled as a separate step, subsequent to the modelling of the dominant structures. Because fixmap works with mapfiles, this might be achievable without changing the drilling database.