Deconvolving gamma-ray logs by adaptive zone refinement

Uranium exploration and mining make widespread use of gamma-ray logs to determine ore-grade distribution in situ. Attenuation, scattering, and uncollimated detectors all degrade the signal, hampering accuracy. We deconvolve their effects from the measured logs by space-domain processing with the aid of a function that takes account of detector length and uranium ore-zone thickness. The output quantifies uranium grade by zones of specified location and thickness. With this method, thin zones of very high grade can be used for calibration. Illustrative data come from model pits in Australia, Canada, and the USA.