Abstract
Mine site surveying plays a crucial role in monitoring operations, ensuring safety, and managing resources. Traditionally, LiDAR has been the go-to technology for capturing detailed topographic data over large areas, with drones providing more frequent pickups over small areas. However, recent advancements in satellite technology offer complementary solutions. Combining these technologies can improve timeliness, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
While LiDAR excels at capturing elevation data, it has limitations in terms of access, cost, and revisit frequency. High-resolution satellites can address these challenges by offering global coverage and faster delivery times, providing a cost-effective solution for more frequent high accuracy surveying.
In addition to high-resolution satellite imagery, frequent revisit satellites can play a pivotal role in monitoring dynamic mine environments. These satellites, with revisit intervals ranging from hours to days, can capture temporal changes on site features such as stockpile, tailings storage facilities and infrastructure. By analyzing these time-series data, mine operators can improve volume reconciliation, track progress, and detect anomalies.
Regular surveying and volume reconciliation benefit significantly from the synergy between LiDAR, drones, and satellite data. Accurate volume calculations, stockpile inventories, and terrain analysis become more robust when we integrate high-resolution imagery and frequent revisit data. Moreover, the ability to monitor environmental impacts, safety hazards, and compliance with regulations enhances overall mine management. By combining satellite data with LiDAR and drone data, we can overcome the limitations of each technology and achieve a holistic view of mine sites.
This presentation will delve into the practical implementation of this integrated approach. It will highlight the value of leveraging both high-resolution satellite imagery and frequent revisit satellites for mine site surveying. By embracing these complementary data sources, mining industry professionals can make informed decisions, optimize operations, and ensure sustainable resource utilization.