At Kinross Tasiast, as with all mining operations, surveying is an integral part of day-to-day workflows. Surveying techniques are used to translate mine plans from paper to points on the ground, measure completed work in the field so it can be compared the design, compute volumes of materials for reconciliation and scan pit walls for stability monitoring and analysis.
With an eye to continuous improvement, Kinross Tasiast implemented Skycatch aerial surveying systems in 2023 to improve the quality and scope of surveying scans at reduced processing times.
Skycatch combines state of the art drone and computing technologies with a suite of computer vision applications to increase efficiency. Since implementing Skycatch earlier this year, Tasiast has reduced the overall delivery times of survey workflows by one third.
An example of this can be seen during monthly mine reconciliation in which all active mining and material stockpile areas are surveyed and mapped. The process would normally take three days, however with Skycatch it now takes only two days. Further, time spent in the field to capture data has been reduced by approximately 60%, from five hours to two hours.
Along with increased efficiency at Tasiast, Skycatch has improved safety metrics by providing higher-resolution scans of the open pit high walls, which provide more visual details for engineers to observe and analyze while gaining the ability to remotely access pit locations without interacting with machinery.
“The Skycatch system is everything and more of what we expected it to be. The implementation process took only two days, and surveyors started using the solution immediately after completing training sessions,” said Hamady Ndiankou Ndiaye, Chief Surveyor, Tasiast. “Skycatch has proven itself to be a story about the seamless adoption of an innovative technology at Kinross Tasiast and we are excited for the improvements it will bring to both the site and Company globally.”
The Skycatch solution has also been successfully implemented at Kinross Round Mountain where similar improvements in safety and efficiency are being experienced. Other Kinross sites are also evaluating the opportunity to use Skycatch.
A special thank you to David Marigsa, Gold Rush Summer Intern, Toronto, for writing this story. David has since returned to the University of Alberta where he is studying Mining Engineering.
