Minimizing Risk and Maximizing Efficiency at Glencore Kidd Operations with Elios 3

Explore how Elios 3 transformed the way one of the most challenging mining environments is inspected, by collecting valuable data from a location 10,000 feet below sea level.

Key Benefits in a Nutshell

Mining at the World’s Deepest Base-Metal Mine

Glencore Kidd Operations, located in Timmins, Ontario, includes the Kidd Concentrator and the Kidd Mine — the world’s deepest base-metal mine. With an annual output of 40,000 tons of copper and 70,000 tons of zinc, the mine extends over 10,000 feet below sea level and features the longest surface-to-bottom ramp in the world.

Recognized as an industry innovator, Glencore prioritizes safety for its 800 employees and has received accolades for energy conservation efforts. By integrating the Elios 3, aerial LiDAR scans, and live data streaming, the company is leveraging cutting-edge technology to protect its workforce and optimize operations.

This collaboration between Unmanned Aerial Services Inc., Glencore Kidd Operations, and Flyability enabled the Elios 3 to reach depths of 10,000 feet and gather critical data for the mine's operations.

Challenges of Surveying in Underground Mines

Data collection is essential for both safety and efficiency in mining. At Glencore Kidd Operations, frequent surveys are conducted in both horizontal and vertical spaces. These help engineers identify ore pass blockages, assess stope conditions, evaluate blast effectiveness, and perform cross-cut surveys, ensuring smooth and safe operations.

Traditional methods such as walk-throughs, ground-based tools, or other aerial systems are often slow and inefficient. “Being the deepest base-metal mine in the world, the conditions here are definitely more challenging and unforgiving than other operations,” says James Comeau, Long Range Planning Lead.

Underground areas lack GPS signals and are often dusty and dark. In accessible areas, engineers use ground equipment or cameras, which provide limited data. In unsafe areas, they must take expensive production loaders out of service to attach scanners, resulting in incomplete data. For vertical spaces, workers often guess where the problem might be and use drills to access the area, a process that can take days and require significant resources.

Introducing Drones for Underground Surveys

Glencore Kidd Operations now uses the Elios 3 to conduct LiDAR scans and inspections in underground areas. Designed for GPS-deprived and dark environments, the Elios 3 can navigate tight, inaccessible spaces and scan them quickly and safely. Operators can control the drone from a secure location while live-streaming data for real-time collaboration.

“You can cover so much more ground when you’re flying it with a drone than you can on foot,” says Ground Control Engineer Megan Gidden.

In vertical spaces, the Elios 3 flies directly into boreholes, scanning entire surfaces and eliminating guesswork. Its collision-resistant design allows it to access spaces just slightly larger than itself, gathering accurate data that was previously unattainable without drilling. “It’s fantastic for us to be able to get into places that other drones just can’t sneak into,” Gidden adds.

“I see [Elios 3] as being a true replacement for human eyes underground,” says Comeau.

The Glencore Kidd Operations team saves time, reduces costs, and improves safety by using the Elios 3 to perform visual inspections and mapping in GPS-denied environments. When processed and analyzed, the data provides deeper insights for better decision-making.

“Once you’ve collected all of your data… we head up to the surface and take all of that data up to our PCs. That’s when, for me, the fun part starts,” says Gidden.

Previously, the Elios 2 was used for visual inspections. Now, the LiDAR-equipped Elios 3 combines highly accurate point clouds with visual data, taking indoor inspections to a new level. Data is processed using Flyability Inspector software, allowing engineers to view LiDAR point clouds alongside video footage. “The fact that you can show someone a scan adjacent to the video itself is absolutely phenomenal because it can enable people to really understand and place themselves in that spot,” Gidden says.

Comeau agrees that the data presentation offers a fresh perspective for all stakeholders. “In meetings, we’ll bring in all of the different departments… each person is looking at [the data from] their own special viewpoint. Operations people are looking at logistics, ground control guys are looking at the ground, the geology guys are looking at some of the faults in the structures… you get everyone’s opinion,” says Comeau.

Impact of Using Drones for Surveys

Within a single flight, Elios 3 can safely inspect and collect reliable data in some of the most difficult-to-reach locations, like vertical bores and ore passes. This would typically require much longer times, expensive equipment, and putting workers in dangerous areas.

The drone provides ground engineers with actionable data without needing to go underground, helping them make informed decisions. It removes the uncertainty from operations.

"It can definitely cope with the environment. I've never seen areas where it's struggled with dust or lighting," says Megan Gidden.

The Future with the Elios 3 Drone

Glencore Kidd Operations is using the Elios 3 to optimize mining operations, shifting from reactive maintenance to predictive analysis that enhances safety and reduces downtime. By equipping various staff members with drones, the company plans to integrate data capture and scanning into regular workflows. This data can then be stored, referenced, and used for accurate change-over-time analysis.

“E3 does almost any job we can think up for it,” says Iain McKillip, Manager of Mine Technician Services. “It goes places other drones can’t.”

“The ultimate goal of a program like this is to gather as much data as we can without even knowing if we’re looking for something… We want to deploy [E3] as we go,” says McKillip. “Then we can have a library [of data] and if we need to look at something retrospectively, we can. What did that area look like in the past? What did that look like 4 scans ago? That’s the end goal.”

Discover more about Elios in mining at: /mining

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