Mine Surveying

The mining business involves the identification andcorrectly. For the safety of workers and the
extraction from the earth of valuable naturalmost efficient exploitation of mineral content, it is
resources and commodities, primarily mineral invital that bores are drilled with precision. The
composition. There are two basic types of mineralsame kind of surveying instruments useful above
excavation-deep-bore (underground) mining andground can be equally effective well below the
strip (surface) mining. Each method requires theearth's surface. An electronic total station, which
application of specialized surveying methods thatmeasures angles and distance to within just a few
help promote various activities or achieve specificmillimeters, is perhaps the most valuable tool in
results. No matter which method is beingthe surveyor's arsenal.
employed, the factors necessary for success areSurveying and Mine Safety
the same. These would include:o UnderstandingIn deep-bore mining, shafts extend in all directions
mineral geology and identifying deposits as they(x-y-z) in order to take the most efficient route
relate to their economic or market valueoin following a mineral vein. During the drilling
Mapping mining claims, both above and below theprocess, surveyors are on hand to keep track of
surface, for the purpose of negotiating with thethe location of each horizontal, vertical and
legal owners the right to extract material fromslant-drilled shaft, ultimately creating a map of the
their holdingso Analyzing the effects of miningunderground complex. In the event of flooding, a
activity on the land surface as well as belowcave-in, or some other disaster, the accuracy of
groundo Collecting data to plan for thethese maps can make the difference between
environmental impact that mining has on the areasuccess and failure when it comes to mounting a
in question, as well as on surrounding (e.g.,rescue effort. Additionally, rescue boreholes are
downstream) geography.often necessary to provide much-needed oxygen
Before the Hole Is Dug...to these underground caverns. The proper spatial
When planning for mineral excavation, surveyorsposition on the surface or in an adjacent shaft
are one of the first professionals to arrive onsite.must be aligned with the spot where the other
During the prospecting stage, boreholes are drilledend of the hole is required-to penetrate a
at various spots in the field, and materialparticular point in the roof of a collapsed
extracted during the process is examined formineshaft, for example-and surveying
mineral content. Surveyors map out the locationinstrumentation is the most accurate way to
of these holes and plot them against known orachieve this positioning.
expected mineral deposits. When a strike is made,Surface-Mining Surveying
additional drilling takes place in adjacent areas toRather than operating in a mostly dark
help determine the breadth of the deposit. Onceenvironment well below the earth's surface, the
the precise location of each borehole is plotted,work surveyors do in strip-mining operations is
the resulting survey is used to plan the optimalsimilar to what is expected in the heavy
location of mining activity.construction industry. Spots are staked out to
Surveying Deep Below the Grounddelineate areas of slope and the proper location of
Underground mines are harsh environments. Inblasting holes, and surveys are conducted
some areas, mine shafts may extend severalthroughout the mining process to make sure that
thousand meters below the earth's surface.everything is proceeding according to plan. At the
Surveying methods are used to create effectiveconclusion of mining operations, a final survey can
drilling patterns and then employed again to makeprove useful to environmental groups interested in
sure that the resulting bores have been placedreclaiming the land.