The Legal Framework and Cost Advantages of using Remote Controlled Aerial Platforms (sometimes called drones or RPAS) for

Survey Works over Land and Tenements

1. Legal Framework:

CASA Licensing Requirements

To operate a Drone over 2kg commercially requires a

Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) and to be operated under a

Remote Operators Certificate (ReOC)

The Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) course covers:

• Flight Rules and Air Law

• Design and components of Remotely Piloted Aircraft

• Use of Aviation Radio and issue of AROC

• Aerodynamics

• Automation and flight mode awareness

• Meteorology processes and aviation forecasts

• Ground Control Station operation

• Electric Motor systems and battery management

• Factors affecting aircraft performance

• Navigation charts, methods and systems

• Safety and risk mitigation in the aviation environment

• Aerial acquisition best practice

ReOC Organisational Chart

CASA Licensing

Requirement

Decision Chart

Other Legislative Considerations (Mine Regulatory, WHS, State & EPA)

Reference Title

CASA AC 101-01/3/5/10/15 Remotely piloted aircraft systems – licensing, operations, conditions

CMHSA 02 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act 2002 (NSW)

CMHSR 06 Coal Mine Health and Safety Regulation 2006 (NSW)

CMSHA 99 Coal Mining Safety and Health Act 1999 (QLD)

CMSHR 01 Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2001 (QLD)

ETA 00 Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW)

NSW RE MDG 15 Guidelines for Surface Mobile and Transportable Equipment for Use in Mines

MNQSHR (QLD) Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Regulation 2017

TLIE1003 (Training.gov) Workplace communications

ETA 00 Electronic Transactions Act 2000 (NSW)

ETA 01 Electronic Transactions Act 2001 (QLD)

EPA Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)

EPA Environmental Protection Act 1994 (QLD)

Management Tools & Developments

GCAA RPAS Intranet [ Link ]Under Development for GAH Implementation: DroneSafe [ Link ] (Partners: Compliance Experts & The Drone Tech Institute)

2. Advantages Of Using Drones

Reduce Risk:• Place a machine instead of a person in hazardous

environments

Reduce $ Cost:• Manned aircraft surveys ($100K plus pa per Site)

• Ground Control Lays (man-hours)

• EWP Hire (~$30K pa)

• Shot Monitoring / Clearance / Compliance ($$)

Builds Capacity: • More frequent surveys (within budget)

• Improved personnel skills development & utilisation

• Better live data for decision management

• More data capture options (RGB, FLIR, LIDAR, Mag)

Survey Uses…

• Machine Faces Updates

• Dump Updates

• Weekly Stockpile Volumes

• Monthly Tailings Dam Volumes

• Pre and Post Blast Surface

• Incident Investigations

• Geotechnical Monitoring

• Inaccessible Services capture (pipelines etc)

• OB Reconciliation

• Coal Seam Reconciliation

Survey Alternatives… (sample Bulga Mine)

Option Advantages Disadvantages

Do Nothing - (continue existing survey work practices)

No Capital outlay • Possible increase in spend for LIDAR

• Unable to maintain expected workload

• 4 day turnaround of data if going back to LIDAR

Utilise Third-Party Survey Providers

No Capital outlay • Increase in spend

• No increased frequency on survey unless we pay more

Hire/Lease RPAS Units instead of purchase

No Capital outlay • Increased spend on current process

• Increase spend on Capital option

• Minimal options to hire exactly what we need

Purchase I-Site vehicle mounted scanner

Can scan whilst driving around • High capital outlay ($318k)

• Staff utilisation

• Ground-based only

Drones in Glencore… Aviation Directorate

Aviation Canada• Boeing 737-2S2C Aircraft (2)

• Pilots (8), aircraft maintenance engineers (8), flight attendants (4)administrators (2) and loadmasters.

• Daily RPAS Operations

• FSF BARS Membership & Compliance

Australia• Registered Airports, ALA’s and HLS’s (26)

• Charters, and leased aircraft as required for FIFO operations, survey, inspection & other flight requirements

• Daily RPAS operations

• RPAS pilots (52 with another 6 in training)

• RPAS in operation (22)

• Flights Logged internally 2017 - 1,223

• Flights logged externally 2017 (contractors) - 135

• Recordable / Reportable incidents internally (0) externally (4)

UAS Operations – Australia

Project commenced March 2014 – Feasibility:

• Identify risks and costs of existing work practices

• Conduct business-wide UAS needs & costings analysis

• Confirm corporate governance and compliance requirements (Glencore Aviation)

• Appoint Australian Project Manager and obtain CASA ReOC

• Engage academic and other partners

• Commence trials, validations and pre-feasibility projects

• Promote and build capacity

UAV FOR MINING APPLICATIONS: A CASE STUDY AT AN OPEN-CUT MINE AND A LONGWALL MINE IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

Linlin Ge, Alex Hay-Man Ng and Xiaojing Li

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia

ABSTRACT

This paper reports the use of UAV for mining-related applications at the Ulan open-cut mine and Tahmoor underground mine, in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The preliminary results showed that UAV is capable for estimating the stockpile volume, monitoring the highwall slope stability, and mapping the underground mine subsidence.

MONITORING SURFACE CONDITION OF UPLAND SWAMPS SUBJECT TO MINING SUBSIDENCE WITH VERY HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGERYAndrew Fletcher and Peter ErskineUNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND (ACARP Funded)

The Team…

Senior RPA Pilots

QLD Northern Mines:

Ken Cross

• Senior (Statutory) Mine

Surveyor

QLD Central Region Mines:

Lee Moore

• Rehabilitation Superintendent

Environmental Scientist

NSW Hunter Valley Mines:

Nathan Williams

• Statutory Mine Surveyor

NSW Western Mines:

Andrew Sutherland

• IT Lead, Commercial Pilot

Chief Controller

Don Cameron

• 20 years Emergency Management6 years Incident Command Aerial Operations (Fire)14 Years GCAA IT Lead (Surface & Underground)Former RFS Superintendent (Central West), Regional Officer (Central)

Maintenance Controller

Andrew Sutherland

• 3 years GCAA IT Lead (Surface & Underground)4 years IT & Automation Engineer14 years IT Manager18 years as a Commercial PilotRFS Group Captain (Current)RFS Aviation Specialist

Site RPA Pilots

Bulga OC 5

Bulga SO 6

Clermont 9

Collinsville 3

Glendell 3

Mangoola 9

Newlands 7

Ravensworth 2

Rolleston 5

Ulan Complex 3

Total: 52

Professional Skills

Automation Engineering

Elect & Mech Engineering

Geologists

Environmental Science

HST & Mines Rescue

Manned Aircraft Pilots

Mining Engineering

Shot Firing (Explosives)

Surveyors

Surface RPAS Operations

• Survey – Stockpile volumes, land surveys

• Engineering – Inspections, thermal imagery, LIDAR trials

• Geology & Mine Engineering – Highwall scans

• Environmental – Rehabilitation, fauna and flora management, seeding

• Explosive works – Monitoring and emissions detection, shot clearance

• Training and Incident Investigations

Underground RPAS Operations

• Ongoing development partners:

• ARC Brisbane Hardware Incubator

• NSW Mines Rescue

• Survey – Wall and Stope stability

• Engineering – Inspections, Thermal Imagery

• Mines Rescue

• Emissions Detection

• Training and Incident Investigations

Classification & Regulatory Changes:

No longer classified as an RPAS when operating underground, subject to various State Mine Safety & Health Regulations:

Classified and managed as:“Remote Controlled Portable Electronic Equipment” (RCPEE)

NSW Mines Rescue:

Underground mining provides a unique environment containing many hazards. Emergency response needs to be swift. The risk of deploying mines rescue brigades in the absence of robust information can be prohibitive.

“A fit for purpose UAV would have enabled exploration of the post explosion environment at Pike River. The human and financial cost from Pike River has been massive and is ongoing, with other mines and miners potentially facing similar situations.”

Quality… Photogrammetry or LIDAR? – Dr Simit Raval UNSW

Next Steps…

Glencore Australia Holdings Pty Limited• GAH ReOC (currently Coal only)

• Continue developing aviation ‘Critical Controls’

• Evaluate BVLOS options for north QLD exploration works

• Continue to build internal RPAS capacity and R&D withcontractors & academic partners

• Monitor and measure

“5% of total mine site workforce, including contractor equivalents are

trained in Mines Rescue & operate as Emergency Service Brigadesmen.”

Safety Is Our First Priority

Questions…?