Mining & Resources Asset Intelligence.

Reduce mining downtime costs ($349K/hr) with drone, confined space, and ROV inspection. Bentley iTwin-powered digital twins. No scaffolding. No confined space entry. Australia-wide.

UNPLANNED CONVEYOR FAILURES COST $500K-$2M PER DAY. IDENTIFY DEVELOPING FAULTS BEFORE CATASTROPHIC BREAKDOWN.

Production-Critical Condition Data Without The Operational Disruption.

The Hidden Costs of Reactive Maintenance

Mining runs on uptime. The assets most critical to production are the hardest to inspect.

$349,000/hr:

Unplanned downtime cost for Australian industrial operations [1]

$180k - $532k/hr:

 Mining-specific downtime range

6-12 hours:

Confined space entry isolation time for a single confined space entry

3-5x:

Accelerated corrosion rates due to abrasive materials, chemical exposure, and extreme temperatures in mining

200–400%:

Mobilisation cost increase for remote sites

Complete Mine-Site Condition Intelligence

Independent inspection across every mine-site environment

A large yellow dump truck carrying rocks and gravel, with a colourful, 3D volumetric map overlay and associated volumes by DeepSky IQ drones

Stockpile Volumetrics & Survey

RTK-enabled LiDAR and photogrammetry deliver +/-2cm accuracy for stockpile volumes, haul road surveys, and pit progression mapping. 
Enterprise aerial platform (950m range, 16 returns for canopy penetration).
iTwin Output: Survey-grade point clouds processed through Bentley iTwin Capture Engine → volumetric reports, DTMs, and contour maps delivered via Cesium 3D viewer.
Aerial drone view of an industrial mining site with large machinery, conveyor belts, and piles of extracted materials, set on red dirt terrain for drone inspections by DeepSky IQ.
A large dam holding back water in an arid landscape with sparse trees and a dirt road along the top of the dam for tailing dam inspections by DeepSky IQ.

Draglines & Heavy Mobile Equipment

Boom structural condition, fatigue crack detection, roller circle wear, and mast integrity.
Multi-sensor aerial (visual + thermal + LiDAR) within existing shutdown window.
iTwin Output: Complete structural digital twin with defect severity classification, trend comparisons against previous inspections via Cesium timeline viewer.
DeepSky IQ aerial drone images with a multispectral overlay, showing vegetation health, water quality, and change detection over the area, trending over a six-month period.

Processing Plant Inspection

Conveyors, crushers, stackers, reclaimers, screens, and cyclones inspected aerially and internally without scaffolding or confined space human entry. Thermal imaging identifies bearing failures, belt tracking issues, and electrical faults before breakdown. 
iTwin Output: 3D reality mesh of entire plant structure with defect annotations, accessible to maintenance planners via browser-based digital twin.

Tailings & Water Infrastructure

Dam wall monitoring, beach survey, freeboard measurement, decant structure inspection, change detection and seepage mapping.
 Aerial LiDAR + Thermal + ROV (submerged structures).
iTwin Output: Change detection overlays comparing quarterly surveys, millimetre-level movement tracking delivered as engineering-ready models.

Confined Space (Crushers, Vessels, Voids)

Internal inspection without human entry. 14+ gas detection at 0.1% LEL.
Flyability Elios 3 confined space drone with LiDAR + thermal + visual.
 iTwin Output: Internal 3D mesh with wall thickness mapping and wear indicators, classified defect register exported to CMMS (SAP PM, Pronto, MEX).

Aerial Industrial Washing & Dust Management

Purpose-built aerial wash platforms deliver low & high-pressure cleaning at working heights up to 100m. Clean dust-covered solar panels, processing plant surfaces, and infrastructure without scaffolding. Pre-inspection surface cleaning improves data quality for subsequent sensor deployment.

Rehabilitation & Environmental Monitoring

Multispectral imaging for quantitative mine compliance (NDVI, NDRE vegetation health indices), rehabilitation areas, tailings revegetation and biodiversity offset monitoring and proactive management. 
.iTwin Output: Vegetation health indices overlaid on terrain model, quantitative evidence for mine site reporting and assurances for Environmental Authority conditions.

Intelligent Mining Assets

Draglines

Aerial visual + thermal + LiDAR
Boom structural condition, fatigue crack detection, roller circle wear, mast integrity, rigging assessment

Processing Plants

Multi-sensor aerial + confined space +/- UTM
Comprehensive condition assessment, pipe corrosion, structural integrity, thermal anomalies.

Dust-Covered Assets

Aerial wash platform
Pre-inspection cleaning, solar panel washing, asset and processing plant surface cleaning

Conveyors & Transfer Points

Aerial thermal + visual
Belt condition, idler wear, structural corrosion, and transfer chute blockage indicators

Haul Roads & Pit Walls

Aerial & vehicle LiDAR + photogrammetry
Road condition survey, pit wall stability monitoring, bench geometry compliance

Water Infrastructure

Aerial + ROV
Dam condition, pipeline easement, pump station inspection, bore monitoring

Crushers & Screens

Confined space drone (internal) + thermal
Liner wear mapping, mantle condition, screen mesh integrity, bearing temperature

Electrical Infrastructure

Aerial thermal + visual
Substation hot joints, transformer condition, switchgear anomalies, cable tray corrosion

Rail Loadout & Port Facilities

Aerial, ROV, Confined Space + Ground 360
Structural condition, rail alignment, ship loader inspection, dust suppression systems

Mining operations concentrate the highest-risk inspection environments: dragline booms at 60-100m height, crusher internals with falling material risk, underground stopes with unsupported ground, and tailings structures where access itself is hazardous. Our platforms inspect these assets without production shutdown and without human exposure.

Asset Traditional Method Traditional Risk DeepSky Method Risk Eliminated Cost Impact
Draglines (boom, mast, house) Scaffold boom (60-100m), 7-14 days additional to shutdown Falls from extreme height, $3.6M-$9.6M/day lost production Drone full coverage in 1-2 days within existing window Eliminates scaffold + reduces shutdown $3.6M-$9.6M per avoided day
Crushers & mills (internal) Confined space entry, falling material risk, lockout/tagout Engulfment, falling material, atmospheric Confined space drone internal inspection without entry Eliminates confined space + engulfment risk 60-80% reduction
Conveyors (structural) Working at height along route, near moving parts Falls, nip point entanglement Drone thermal + visual while operating Zero exposure to height or moving parts 40-60% reduction
Underground stopes & drives Personnel entry to unsupported ground Ground fall, entrapment, atmospheric Confined space drone enters void, no human entry Eliminates ground fall + entrapment risk N/A (previously uninspectable)
Tailings dams Limited access, potentially unstable embankments Embankment failure during inspection Drone + LiDAR, no personnel on structure Zero personnel on unstable ground 50-70% reduction
Stockpiles Survey crew on active haul roads Vehicle-pedestrian interaction (leading cause of mine fatality) Aerial volumetric survey, no ground presence Eliminates VPI risk entirely 30-50% reduction

Stockpiles

Aerial LiDAR + photogrammetry
Volumetric survey (+/-2cm), reconciliation data, stockpile management reporting

Tailings Storage Facilities

Aerial LiDAR, visual, multispectral + thermal + ROV.
Wall movement detection, beach survey, freeboard, seepage, and decant structure condition

Mine Rehabilitation Areas

Aerial LiDAR, visual, multispectral + thermal + ROV.
Vegetation & soil health indices, revegetation success rates, species establishment, pest, plants & disease monitoring & management, and closure compliance.
  • 3-5x ROI

    Typical return on drone inspection programs through avoided unplanned downtime

  • $500K - $2M/day

    Cost of unplanned conveyor failure avoided through early defect detection

  • 6 - 12 months

    Earlier fault identification compared to scheduled shutdown inspection

  • 90%

    Reduction in confined space entries for internal vessel inspection

  • +/-2cm

    volumetric accuracy replacing manual survey methods

Dragline Inspection & Monitoring

Factor Traditional Inspection DeepSky Drone Inspection
Inspection Duration 7-14 days (additional to shutdown) 1-2 days (within existing shutdown window)
Scaffolding Cost $80,000-$150,000+ (boom length) $0
Rope Access Team $15,000-$30,000 per week (4-6 technicians) $0
Crane Hire $5,000-$15,000 per day $0
Total Inspection Cost $200,000-$500,000 per event $15,000-$40,000 per event
Lost Production (Extended Shutdown) $3.6M-$9.6M per additional day Nil (completed within existing window)
Inspection Frequency Achievable Every 2-5 years (due to cost/disruption) Quarterly to annually (no production impact)
Coverage Limited to scaffolded areas 100% of boom, mast, roller circle, house, tub
Data Output Written report, limited photography 4K/8K imagery, thermal, LiDAR point cloud, 3D model, defect register

Most mining operations already have drone capability for routine surveys. There is a capability ceiling that in-house programs consistently hit.

Why Mining Companies Outsource Complex Inspections

We Don't Replace Your Team. We Extend It.

Quarterly condition programs:

Scheduled repeat inspections that build trend data your maintenance planners use for predictive scheduling

Calculate Your Savings

Planned shutdown windows:

We mobilise for your scheduled shutdowns to inspect assets that are only accessible when offline (crushers, vessels, draglines, conveyors)

Complete structural digital twin. Your engineering team reviews from their desk, annotates defects, accurately measures, prioritises and tracks progression against previous inspections; no travel required.

Incident response:

Rapid deployment after weather events, equipment failures, or near-misses requiring immediate condition verification

Compliance inspections:

Independent third-party assessments required by regulators, insurers, or your own governance framework

Mining Inspection Program Savings Calculator

Estimate the total value of transitioning from traditional to robotic inspection across your site.

Helps quantify where robotic methods add most value
Include access equipment, permits, contractors
Revenue per day of operation
If unchecked, we will show the value a pre-survey could add
Estimated years before major replacement required
Est. 10% reduction for demonstrated risk elimination
Conveyor, crusher, dragline, haul truck failures
Combined mob/demob for all inspection providers
-
Inspection Cost Reduction
-
Production Revenue Preserved
-
Equipment Failure Avoided
-
Provider Consolidation
-
Estimated Annual Financial Savings
Inspection cost reduction (50-70% typical) -
Shutdown days reduced (production preserved) -
Insurance premium reduction (est. 10%) -
Unplanned failure reduction (40% via predictive maintenance) -
Provider consolidation savings -
ESTIMATED ANNUAL FINANCIAL SAVINGS -
Asset Lifecycle Extension
-
-
Sources: McKinsey 2017 (predictive maintenance reduces downtime by 30-50%), Aberdeen Group (condition-based maintenance extends equipment life by 20% and reduces costs by 30%), Mining Magazine.

Request Your Full Scoping Report

We will prepare a detailed assessment based on your inputs above, including a tailored inspection program, timeline, and ROI analysis.

When mining companies calculate the cost of in-house drone programs, they typically account for hardware and salary. They rarely account for the full cost of ownership:

Cost Factor Annual In-House Cost Annual DeepSky Program
Pilot salary + superannuation $130,000-$160,000 $0
Platform purchase (amortised over 3 years) $25,000-$50,000 $0
Training, endorsements, and currency maintenance $15,000-$25,000 $0
Software licences (Pix4D, DJI Terra, thermal analysis) $8,000-$15,000 $0
Insurance (hull + public liability) $5,000-$12,000 $0
Maintenance, repairs, and battery replacement $8,000-$15,000 $0
Backfill and productivity loss when pilot unavailable $20,000-$40,000 $0
Total in-house (routine capability only) $211,000-$317,000 -
DeepSky program (quarterly visits, all assets, full reporting) - $80,000-$160,000
Advanced capability (confined space, ROV, dragline, night ops) Not available in-house Included

From Scope to Actionable Intelligence

Step 1: Scope & Design:

Review asset register, maintenance history, compliance obligations. Design program aligned to shutdown schedule.

Step 2: Mobilisation & Capture

Deploy to remote sites with enterprise platforms configured for mining environments. Operate within your site SMS.

Step 4: Integration & Monitoring

Deliverables integrate into your CMMS. Establish repeat schedules building trend data for predictive maintenance. Access live models via our 3D viewer.

Step 3: Processing & Analysis

Raw data is processed through Bentley iTwins WorkSuite into structured deliverables: Volumetric reports, defect registers, thermal anomaly reports, 3D to 8D digital twins.

Services for Mining & Resources

Asset Inspection & Condition Intelligence

Multi-sensor inspection across all mine-site environments

Thermal & Condition Assessment

Conveyor bearings, electrical faults, processing equipment

Confined Space & Complex Inspection

Crusher, vessel, and tank internals without human entry

Side-by-side comparison of a metal structure with areas of rust and damage. The left photo has green circles highlighting areas of concern, while the right photo has red circles indicating corrosion locations by DeepSky IQ.

Asset Monitoring Programs

Scheduled repeat inspections with change detection and trend analysis

Digital Twin & 3D Modelling

 Site-wide spatial models for planning and remote review
A yellow underwater ROV is inspecting a submerged structure in a tailings dam by DeepSky IQ.
A drone image of a mining industrial conveyor transporting coal. The image shows thermal imaging highlighting heat signatures along the conveyor and machinery by DeepSky IQ.
A confined space inspection by drone from DeepSky IQ, a tank with rusted metal walls and defects being mapped.

Underwater & Submerged Asset Intelligence

 Tailings decant structures, water infrastructure

$180K - $532K/hour

Mining-specific unplanned downtime cost (Arkan Mining Solutions, 2025)

Vehicle-pedestrian interaction

Leading cause of mining fatality in Australia. Aerial survey eliminates ground presence.

90%

Reduction in confined space entries

100%

Coverage of previously inaccessible voids (stopes, raises, ore passes) is now achievable

The question isn't whether you can afford robotic inspections. It's about whether you can justify sending people into a crusher chamber, when a drone can capture the same wall thickness data in 4 hours without anyone crossing the isolation boundary.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate are drone-based stockpile volumetrics compared to traditional survey?

+

Our RTK/PPK-enabled drone surveys achieve plus or minus 2-3cm positional accuracy, delivering volumetric measurements within 1-2% of traditional ground survey results. The key advantage is 100% surface coverage versus the interpolated estimates from ground-based point surveys. For large or irregularly shaped stockpiles, drone methods consistently outperform ground survey in accuracy because they capture millions of measurement points rather than hundreds.

Can you operate in active mining environments with heavy machinery?

+

Yes. We hold advanced CASA approvals and operate under strict safety management systems aligned to mining industry requirements. Our operations integrate with site traffic management, blast exclusion zones, and shift schedules. We routinely operate alongside active haul trucks, excavators, and processing plant operations with zero production disruption. All pilots hold site-specific inductions and work under your site safety protocols.

How does drone inspection reduce shutdown requirements?

+

Remote inspection methods eliminate the need for scaffolding, rope access, and confined space entry for routine condition assessments. Assets that previously required full shutdown for inspection (conveyors, crushers, silos, tanks, processing vessels) can now be assessed during operation or during brief planned pauses rather than extended shutdowns. Clients report 40-70% reduction in shutdown-related inspection time, translating directly to increased production hours.

What sensors do you use for mining applications?

+

We deploy application-specific sensor packages: high-resolution visual (48MP+) for structural condition, radiometric thermal for electrical and mechanical fault detection, LiDAR for volumetrics and terrain modelling, multispectral for rehabilitation monitoring and vegetation health, and 360-degree cameras for confined space and interior documentation. Sensor selection is determined during scoping based on your specific intelligence requirements.

Can you inspect confined spaces like silos, tanks, and processing vessels?

+

Yes. We deploy collision-tolerant confined space drones specifically designed for internal inspection of silos, tanks, kilns, ball mills, and processing vessels. These systems operate without GPS in complete darkness, capturing high-resolution imagery and video of internal surfaces without requiring human entry, scaffolding, or full vessel cleaning. This eliminates confined space entry risk and reduces inspection time from days to hours.

How does this support rehabilitation compliance and bond release?

+

Our LiDAR and multispectral surveys provide engineering-grade evidence of rehabilitation progress: precise volumetric earthworks tracking, erosion monitoring, vegetation establishment rates, and species diversity mapping. Repeat surveys at defined intervals create time-series datasets demonstrating progressive rehabilitation against your approved plan. This objective, measurable evidence supports bond release applications and satisfies regulatory reporting requirements.

What is the typical ROI for a mining inspection program?

+

Mining clients typically achieve 3-8x ROI within the first 12 months through reduced shutdown duration, eliminated access equipment costs, improved defect detection rates (40-60% more defects identified), and extended asset life from predictive maintenance. The largest single savings usually come from reduced production downtime: every hour of avoided shutdown on a processing plant represents $50,000-$500,000+ in recovered production value depending on commodity and throughput.

Can you provide 24/7 autonomous security for remote mine sites?

+

Yes. Our DeepSky Protect division deploys autonomous drone-in-a-box systems for continuous perimeter surveillance, thermal intruder detection, and rapid incident response. These systems operate autonomously 24/7 with 60-second response times, covering 10-20x the area of static guards at 40-60% lower cost. Particularly effective for remote sites where traditional security staffing is expensive and difficult to maintain.