SPECIFICITIES OF GEOLOGICAL SAMPLING METHODS IN ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS
Keywords:
testing, alluvial deposits, boreholes, mining operations, floating dredger orts
Abstract
Sampling alluvial deposits is important in geological research, providing data for understanding sediment composition, stratigraphy, and resource potential. The study including testing alluvial wells, conducting examinations during shallow shaft mining operations, and assessing deposits through floating dredgers. Across all methods, the key requirement is proper sampling and ensuring a sufficient quantity of material. Analyses of the collected samples, supported by calculations, reveal both the concentration of valuable minerals within the deposit and the spatial consistency of their distribution. In drilling testing methods, it is essential to precisely measure the volume of the drilled rock column and to determine the concentration of the useful component in the material recovered through washing. During mining operations, the sample comprises all material removed while deepening the shaft by 0.5 or 1.0 m. Testing of floating dredger fields is conducted during exploitation measurements as the dredger advances along the transverse profile from one end of the deposit to the other. The horizontal spacing between sampling points is typically 5 m. Samples are taken first at the greatest digging depth and then at every meter of sediment. Due to their mobility and precision, floating excavators are particularly suited for operations in remote or inaccessible regions.
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sampre.2022.100010
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BOUKARI, H., LEROY, L., NGUEYEP, M., SINI, A., NGUEYAP, S.A.A., TEMGOUA, J., DALABRA, M. and BOBDA, C.F. (2025) Optimizing panning operating parameters for alluvial gold processing: The case of the Wakaso panning plant. Engineering Reports, 7(11), e70496. https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.70496
DOMINY, S.C. and ANNELS, A.E. (2001a) Evaluation of gold deposits - Part 1: Review of mineral resource estimation methodology applied to fault- and fracture-related systems. Applied Earth Science IMM Transactions section B, 110(3), pp. 145-166.
doi: 10.1179/aes.2001.110.3.145
DOMINY, S.C. and HUNT, S.P. (2001b), Evaluation of gold deposits - Part 2: Results of a survey of estimation methodologies applied in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Applied Earth Science IMM Transactions section B, 110(3), pp. 167-175.
doi: 10.1179/aes.2001.110.3.167
DOMINY, S.C., SIDES, E. J., DAHL, O. and PLATTEN, I M (2006) Estimation and Exploitation in an Underground Narrow Vein Gold Operation-Nalunaq Mine. 6th International Mining Geology Conference Darwin, NT, Greenland, 21 - 23 August 2006, pp. 29-44.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288186409_Estimation_and_exploitation_in_an_underground_narrow_vein_gold_operation_-_Nalunaq_mine_Greenland [Accessed 6/4/26].
DOMINY, S.C., XIE, Y. and PLATTEN, I M (2008) Characterisation of In Situ Gold Particle Size and Distribution for Sampling Protocol Optimisation. Ninth International Congress for Applied Mineralogy Brisbane, QLD, 8 - 10 September 2008, pp 175-186.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289363579_Characterisation_of_in_situ_gold_particle_size_and_distribution_for_sampling_protocol_optimisation [Accessed 6/4/26].
DOMINY, S.C. (2014) Effects of sample mass on gravity recoverable gold test results in low-grade ores. Applied Earth Science IMM Transactions section B, 123(4), pp. 234-242.
doi . 10.1179/1743275814Y.0000000061
DELGADO, J.P. (2023) The Archaeology of the Gold Dredge: The Final Phase of Placer Mining. Journal Maritime Archaeology, 18, pp. 269-295.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-023-09363-6
GHORBANI, Y., NWAILA, G.T., ZHANG, S.E., BOURDEAU, J.E., CANOVAS, M., ARZUA, J. and NIKADAT, N. (2023) Moving towards deep underground mineral resources: Drivers, challenges and potential solutions. Resources Policy, 80, 103222.
doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103222
HEDENQUIST, J. (2000) Exploration for epithermal gold deposits. Chapter 7-SEG Reviews, 13, pp. 245-277.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228840402_Exploration_for_Epithermal_Gold_Deposits#full-text [Accessed 6/4/26].
KARPOV,V. and PETREEV, A.M. (2021) Determination of Efficient Rotary Percussive Drilling Techniques for Strong Rocks. Journal of Mining Science, 57, pp. 447-458.
doi: 10.1134/S1062739121030108
KAŠIĆ, V. (1995) Komparativna analiza dosadašnjih istraživanja zlatonosnih nanosa Peka i predlog njihove optimizacije. Magistarski rad, Rudarsko-geološki fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu.
KHOMSIN K., MUKHTASOR, PRATOMO, D.G. and SUNTOYO, S. (2021) The Development of Seabed Sediment Mapping Methods: The Opportunity Application in the Coastal Waters. IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 731(1),012039.
doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/731/1/012039
LU, Y., ZHANG, B., WANG,X., LIU, H. and ZHOU, J. (2024) Characterization of metal-bearing nanoparticles observed in loess-covered terrain: Implications for prospecting. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 262, 107488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2024.107488
OPARIN, V.N., KARPOV, V.N., TIMONIN, V.V. and KONURIN, A.I. (2022) Evaluation of the energy efficiency of rotary percussive drilling using dimensionless energy index. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 14(5), pp. 1486-1500.
doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2021.12.021
ROBERT, F., BROMMECKER, R., BOURNE, B.T., DOBAK, P.J., MCEWAN, C., ROWE, R.R.and ZHOU, X. (2007) Models and exploration methods for major gold deposit types. Proceedings of “Exploration 07: Fifth Decennial International Conference on Mineral Exploration", 2007. pp. 691-711.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284574136_Models_and_exploration_methods_for_major_gold_deposit_types [Accessed 6/4/26].
ROSHCHUPKIN, D.V. (1975) Increase in the effectiveness of excavation by floating dredges. Hydrotechnical Construction, 9, pp. 525-528. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02379745
RYSBEKOV, K., TOKTAROV, A., KALYBEKOV, T., MOLDABAYEV, S., YESSEZHULOV, T.and BAKHMAGAMBETOVA, G. (2020). Mine planning subject to prepared ore reserves rationing. E3S Web of Conference, 168, 00016.
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202016800016
SILLITOE, R.H. and HEDENQUIST, J. (2010) Gold exploration: Deposits and methodology. Mining journal, 37, pp. 3-5.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283861540 [Accessed 3/4/26].
SKRZYPKOWSKI, K., ZAGÓRSKI, K., ZAGÓRSKA, A., and SENGANI, F. (2022) Access to Deposits as a Stage of Mining Works. Energies, 15(22), 8740.
https://doi.org/10.3390/en15228740
MALANCHUK, Y., MOSHYNSKYI, V., KHRYSTYUK, A., MALANCHUK, Z., KORNIYENKO, V. and ZHOMYRUK, R. (2024) Modelling mineral reserve assessment using discrete kriging methods. Mining of mineral deposits, 18(1), pp. 89-98.
https://doi.org/10.33271/mining18.01.089
MATHIOUDAKIS, S., XIROUDAKIS, G., PETRAKIS, E. and MANOUTSOGLOU, E. (2023a) Evolution of Alluvial Gold Mining Technologies. Materials Proceedings, 15(1), pp. 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/materproc2023015070
MATHIOUDAKIS, S., XIROUDAKIS, G., PETRAKIS, E., and MANOUTSOGLOU, E. (2023b) Alluvial Gold Mining Technologies from Ancient Times to the Present. Mining, 3(4), pp. 618-644. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining3040034
VAKANJAC, B. (1992) Geologija ležišta nemetaličnih mineralnih sirovina, Beograd: Katedra ekonomske geologije, Rudarsko-geološki fakulteta Univerziteta u Beogradu i Republički fond za geološka istraživanja.
https://www.scribd.com/document/410095635/Nemetali-Vakanjac-doc [Accessed 3/4/26].
ZENG, X., ALI, S.H., TIAN, J. and LI, J. (2020) Mapping anthropogenic mineral generation in China and its implications for a circular economy. Nature communications, 11(1), pp. 1544. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15246-4
ZUO, R. (2020) Geodata science-based mineral prospectivity mapping: A review. Natural Resources Research, 29, pp. 3415-3424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-020-09700-9
Published
2026-07-01
How to Cite
Kašić, V., Mihajlović, S., Đorđević, N., Matijašević, S., & Radosavljević Mihajlović, A. (2026). SPECIFICITIES OF GEOLOGICAL SAMPLING METHODS IN ALLUVIAL DEPOSITS. Podzemni Radovi, 1(48), 39-51. Retrieved from https://ume.rgf.bg.ac.rs/index.php/ume/article/view/237
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Articles
Copyright (c) 2026 Vladan Kašić, Slavica Mihajlović, Nataša Đorđević, Srđan Matijašević, Ana Radosavljević Mihajlović
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
