Our Services

Mining & quarry survey.
UAV. LiDAR. Confined-space.

Topographic capture, stockpile and extraction volumetrics, progress monitoring and underground confined-space inspection across UK quarries, aggregates sites, opencast workings and mineral extraction operations.

±2–4%
Stockpile volumetric accuracy
UAV + LiDAR
Aerial and ground-based
RICS
Regulated practice
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What it is

In-depth guide: Drone Mining & Quarry Surveys: Volumetrics Guide →

What is a mining or quarry survey?

A mining survey is the measured documentation of an extractive operation — quarry, opencast, aggregates pit, mineral works or underground mine. The deliverables are a topographic capture of the site, a stockpile and extraction volumetric report against a reference surface, a working face position record, haul road grading and condition data, and progress comparisons against the approved working plan. The capture cycle is set against the production rate of the operation — weekly, fortnightly, monthly — with each new capture processed against the same reference network.

Outputs feed production planning, royalty and minerals tax calculations, environmental permitting submissions, Quarry Regulations 1999 obligations, and operational change-detection. Confined-space drone inspection is available for vertical shafts, declines, voids, process plant and underground workings without manned entry.

Angell Surveys is a RICS-regulated practice (Firm 681790). Statutory appointed-mine-surveyor duties remain with the operator-appointed chartered surveyor under the Quarry Regulations 1999 — we work in support of that role with regular survey data.

Capabilities

What we deliver.

Stockpile Volumetrics

UAV photogrammetry or LiDAR volumetric capture against a defined reference surface. Statistical confidence band reported, not a single number. Suitable for royalty, production reporting and minerals tax.

Extraction & Working Face

Working face position, slope geometry and progress against the approved working plan. Reference DTM updated at every capture cycle.

Haul Road Survey

Haul road profile, grading, condition and width capture for fleet management, machine guidance and operational planning. Repeat capture for change detection.

Progress Monitoring

Weekly, fortnightly or monthly capture against pre-marked GCP networks. Movement reports between captures supplied direct to the mining engineer.

Underground & Confined-Space

Collision-tolerant indoor UAV inspection of shafts, declines, drifts, voids, ore passes and process plant. GPS-denied environments, full visual + optional thermal capture.

Restoration & Compliance

Topographic capture for restoration plan compliance, environmental permitting submissions and post-extraction land-form verification.

Our Process

How we work.

01

Baseline & Control

Pre-marked GCP network established across the site. Baseline DTM captured to serve as the reference for all future volumetric and movement reporting.

02

Repeat Capture

Weekly, fortnightly or monthly UAV photogrammetry or LiDAR sweep against the same GCP network. Site operations normally continue during capture.

03

Processing & Volumetrics

Point cloud generated, reference surface differenced, stockpile and extraction volumes calculated with statistical confidence. Working face and haul road change report produced.

04

Issue & Integration

CAD drawing, point cloud, PDF report and volumetric inventory issued direct to the mining engineer or planning team. Files supplied in the format required for ERP / planning software integration.

Sector Applications
QuarriesAggregatesOpencastUnderground MinesCement WorksCoal Tip MonitoringMineral Restoration
FAQ

Mining survey questions.

What is a mining survey?
A mining survey is the measured documentation of a quarry, opencast site, aggregates pit, mineral extraction operation or underground workings. It records site topography, stockpile geometry, working face position, haul road grading, void volumes and extraction progress against the approved working plan. The output is a regular cycle of topographic DTMs, contour drawings, volumetric reports and progress comparisons feeding production planning, royalty calculations and Quarry Regulations 1999 obligations.
What methods do you use for mining and quarry surveys?
UAV photogrammetry is the primary method for surface workings — large-area coverage, ±10–25 mm absolute accuracy on hard detail at 1 sigma (RICS Band D or E from the Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities 3rd edition framework), and rapid revisit cycles for monthly or weekly progress capture. UAV LiDAR is used for vegetated sites, complex haul road profiles and where ground-under-canopy is required. Total-station and GNSS supplement aerial capture for engineering-tolerance setting-out and high-precision reference baselines. Confined-space drone inspection is available for underground workings, voids, shafts and process plant.
How accurately can you measure stockpile and extraction volumes?
Volumetric calculations are derived from dense photogrammetric or LiDAR point clouds against a reference surface (previous capture, design surface or pit floor). Typical confidence for UAV-photogrammetry stockpile volumes is ±2–4% with documented GCP control and check points; UAV LiDAR achieves ±1–2% on well-defined geometry. Every volumetric report includes the source point cloud density, reference surface, slice geometry and a statistical confidence band rather than a single number.
Can you produce monthly or weekly progress capture cycles?
Yes. We run repeat capture programmes against pre-marked GCP networks at weekly, fortnightly and monthly cycles for active extraction sites. Each capture is processed against the same reference surface, producing volumetric movement reports, working face progress and haul road condition comparisons. We supply the data direct to the operator's mining engineer or planning team in the format required (CAD, point cloud, PDF report).
Do you cover underground mines and shafts?
Yes — confined-space drone inspection using collision-tolerant indoor UAV platforms (Elios-class). Inspection of vertical shafts, declines, drifts, ore passes, stopes and process plant without manned entry. Particularly relevant where ATEX considerations, ground conditions or operational status make on-foot survey impractical. Visual and optional radiometric thermal capture for ventilation, refractory and electrical inspection.
Are you RICS regulated?
Yes. Angell Surveys is regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) — verify our registration at ricsfirms.com/office/681790/Angell-Surveys-Ltd. Survey work is conducted under the RICS Measured Surveys of Land, Buildings and Utilities (3rd edition) professional statement, with documented control, independent check points and full QA records. Quarry Regulations 1999 obligations for an appointed mine surveyor sit with the operator-appointed chartered surveyor (typically RICS- or IOM3-route), and we work in support of that role rather than replacing it.
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