Other Approaches, a Strategy, and Cardinal Rules for the Estimation of the Variance of FSE

The following material should not be perceived as a replacement for the method of choice to estimate constants K and x in a formula suggested by François-Bongarçon to quantify the variance of the short-range Quality Fluctuation Error QFE 1 affecting splitting processes in routine sampling and sub-sampling protocols. The suggested calibration was approved as a method of choice in a common publication by François-Bongarçon (2011) and should remain so as far as sampling practitioners are concerned. However, Heterogeneity Tests are far from perfect and no matter how careful practitioners are, there are pitfalls that can be prevented by paying attention to arguments presented in this chapter. Therefore, the only objective is to suggest to geologists and mineralogists that early on they can provide valuable information by adding the necessary observations on the drilling log and by performing simple mineralogical tests. The added information can help to prevent great mistakes in the ways exploration and grade control data are looked at. But first some paradigms that are well accepted by sampling experts should be eliminated.