Emily Loosli, Wingtra, Switzerland, identifies how drone mine surveys are setting a new pace for the industry, using a Canadian coal mine as an example.
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ocated in Southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada, between the city of Estevan and the town of Bienfait, is the Estevan Mine site, which is operated by Westmoreland Mining, LLC. The site spans 20 331 ha. (50 240 acres) and the mine comprises four active pits supplying lignite coal to the two power generating stations in Saskatchewan – the Boundary Dam Generating Station and the Shand Generating Station – as well as the activated carbon plant and char plant. It also supplies some domestic sales. The mine’s production is approximately 6 million tpy. Like all mine sites, Estevan presents a range of challenges, including measuring volumes accurately and generating views of the mining pits and work progress on
a regular basis. In addition, there are also increasingly detailed safety regulations that mine sites must adhere to. In order to stay competitive and ensure that working conditions remained as safe as possible, Westmoreland did what it has always done to keep business thriving over the last 150 years: it changed with the times.
Mining’s next frontier: drones and high-accuracy data By now, it is no secret that commercial drones have the power to transform how work is done across industries, including mining. Specifically, a drone can fly over a pit and collect visual data that is both clear and geo-referenced for 3D accuracies, facilitating the
global mining review // September 2021
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