Standard Validation Checks

The following standard checks are made when you run the Validation process:

Ordered sample intervals.

Sample intervals can be uneven, that is the difference between the From and the To does not need to be the same for each sample interval in a hole. There can also be missing intervals.

Intervals continuing below the total depth specified for the drillhole.

The total depth of a drillhole is defined in the Collar file. Any samples in the Interval file below this depth indicate an inconsistency. The minimum depth of a survey is 0 and the maximum is defined by the total depth in the Collar file.

Continuous surveys down a drillhole.

The depths of successive surveys must increase down a hole.

Surveys above the top of the hole and below the bottom of the hole.

The program requires that the downhole depths of consecutive sample intervals have increasing values. Missing intervals are acceptable but samples must not overlap. That is, for every hole, the From value must be greater than or equal to the previous To value.

If any errors and inconsistencies are found, they will be included in the Report file. You must specify a name for this file.

Error Messages

Depending on the validation options you have selected, the following errors may be reported as a result of the validation process.

Error Messages	Details
Missing collar coordinates	One or more drillhole coordinate values are missing in the Collar file.
Missing total depth	A depth value must exist for each hole in the Collar file.
Negative total depth	The depth of each hole in the Collar file must be expressed as a positive value.
Duplicate hole	Reported when the 'Check for duplicate holes' option is selected as part of your validation options. Hole IDs should be unique within the Collar file.
Blank hole field	One or more Hole ID values are missing in the collar, survey, or interval file.
Missing survey data at depth = 0	This error is reported when: 1. There is a Survey file which contains records for a hole at a depth greater than zero, but which does not contain a record for that hole at zero. 2. There is no survey at depth zero in the Collar file, or the Azimuth and Inclination fields are not defined, or are blank for that hole in the Collar file, or the hole does not exist in the Collar file. Note that this validation check is completely independent of the Check for Missing Holes validation option.
Missing or incorrect azimuth	Reported when the 'Check azimuths' option is selected as part of your validation options. Azimuths are expressed in degrees with positive values increasing clockwise from the North (zero degrees). A negative value, a value greater than 360°, or a missing value, will be reported as an error.
Missing or incorrect inclination	Reported when the 'Check Inclinations' option is selected as part of your validation options. Inclinations are expressed in degrees from -90 to 90, with negative values representing downward inclines and zero for horizontal. Any other value, or a missing value, will be reported as an error.
Surveys beyond hole depth	The depths defined in a Survey file cannot exceed the total depth of the hole (defined in the Collar file).
Intervals beyond hole depth	The intervals defined in an Interval file cannot exceed the total depth of the hole (defined in the Collar file).
Hole <Hole_ID> not defined	Reported when the 'Check for missing holes' option is selected as part of your validation options. A Hole ID defined in the Collar file (as shown in the error message) does not exist in the survey or Interval file.
Missing From or To	Each interval in an Interval file must have a valid FROM and TO depth.
File not sorted by HOLE and FROM	Records in the Interval file must be sorted by Hole ID in order of increasing depth.
From = To	The FROM depth of an interval must always be less than the TO depth (zero length intervals are not allowed).
From > To	The FROM depth of an interval must always be less than or equal to the TO depth (zero length intervals are allowed).
Missing interval	Reported when the 'Check for missing intervals' option is selected as part of your validation options. The FROM and TO depths, which define successive intervals in the Interval file, are not contiguous.
Overlapping intervals	The FROM and TO depths that define an interval must not overlap with another interval.
From does not start from 0	While intervals do not need to be defined along the complete depth (i.e. from 0 to total depth) the first FROM value must start at zero (collar) depth.
Interval length > max valid length	Reported when the length of an interval is greater than the 'Max interval length' value set as part of your validation options. If the 'Check sample interval lengths' option is also selected as part of your validation options, the process will ignore any sample intervals that don't have values for the specified grade field.
Missing or negative depth	Depth values in the Survey file must be positive numeric values.
File not sorted by HOLE	The intervals in an Interval file must be sorted by HOLE ID.
Duplicate survey data	Each (Hole, Depth, Azimuth, Dip) record in a Survey file must be unique.
File not sorted by HOLE and DEPTH	A Survey file must be sorted by HOLE ID and in order of increasing depth.
Inclination change > <Valid_Inclination_Change_Value>	Reported when a change in inclination exceeds the 'Valid Inclination Change' value (degrees) set as part of your validation options.
Azimuth change > <Valid_Azim_Change_Value>	Reported when a change in azimuth exceeds the 'Valid Azimuth Change' value (degrees) set as part of your validation options.
Hole deviation > <Max_Deviation_Value>	Reported when hole deviation exceeds the 'Maximum deviation' value (degrees/metre) set as part of your validation options.