Orebody Modeling & Structural Interpretation With Python: Implicit modeling, fault network modeling, vein/lode geometry reconstruction, domaining stra

Turn raw drillholes, underground mapping, and assays into defensible 3D vein, lode, and fault models using modern implicit modeling and structural interpretation methods built for narrow-vein precious metal systems.

This engineering-focused reference walks through the full workflow, from survey control and desurveying to implicit surface construction, fault displacement modeling, domaining, validation, and uncertainty. You will learn how to build vein geometry that honors orientation data, reconstruct pinch and swell thickness, manage branching and intersections, and model fault networks that actually offset and partition mineralization in a geologically consistent way. The book also tackles the practical problems that make narrow-vein projects difficult, including mixed sampling supports (core, channel, face), boundary picking rules, internal dilution, stationarity breakdown across structures, and reconciling model predictions against production.

Every chapter includes complete Python code demos that implement the concepts directly, so you can reproduce the math, test sensitivities, and adapt the workflows to your own datasets.

Inside you will find methods for:

• Implicit scalar-field and signed-distance modeling with regularization
• Orientation and tangency constraints for structurally realistic surfaces
• Fault kinematics, displacement fields, and network topology
• Structural coordinate systems for anisotropy and ore shoot analysis
• Grade and thickness domaining strategies aligned to structure
• Cross-validation, residual diagnostics, and reconciliation-driven updates
• Scenario modeling and uncertainty propagation into mineable shapes