Mine mapping has transformed how the mining industry captures, understands, and manages complex operations, from open-pit surfaces to the deepest underground workings. Watch our latest project video showcasing a complete 3D mine mapping engagement: beginning with an aerial LiDAR scan of the headframe, descending 1,700 feet down a vertical shaft, and continuing through 3 miles of underground drifts, stopes, and crosscuts.
Using a hybrid reality capture approach combining UAV photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, and LiDAR, our team at Darling Geomatics produced a fully georeferenced point cloud dataset of the entire site. The result is a survey-grade digital twin of both surface and subsurface mining operations, purpose-built for safety planning, volumetric analysis, clash detection, and long-term asset management.
Whether you’re managing an active operation, planning a rehabilitation project, or documenting an abandoned mine site, this project demonstrates what modern mine mapping delivers: billions of data points, sub-centimeter accuracy, and actionable deliverables in formats your engineering and GIS teams can use immediately.
Mine Mapping by Operation Type
Modern mine mapping covers a wide range of environments, each with its own challenges, safety concerns, and data requirements. Understanding the different types of mine mapping helps operators choose the right approach for their site.
Surface Mine Mapping vs. Underground Mine Mapping
Surface mine mapping focuses on open areas such as pits, waste dumps, haul roads, stockpiles, and processing facilities. It captures terrain, benches, slopes, and infrastructure to support planning, reconciliation, and compliance reporting.
Underground mine mapping captures drifts, ramps, stopes, shafts, and chambers where visibility is limited and access can be hazardous. In these environments, mapping must work around low light, dust, tight spaces, and active operations while still delivering accurate geometry and clearances.
Open Pit Mine Mapping vs. Shaft & Tunnel Mapping
Open pit mine mapping emphasizes slope stability, pit wall geometry, bench profiles, and haul road conditions. Detailed surface models help identify potential instability, optimize blasting, and track material movement over time.
Shaft mine mapping focuses on vertical or near-vertical access points that connect surface and underground workings. High-resolution shaft mapping is critical for assessing lining condition, clearances, utilities, and deformation over time, especially in older or heavily used shafts.
Mapping Active Operations vs. Abandoned Mine Sites
Active mine mapping must work around ongoing operations, equipment, and personnel. The priority is to collect accurate data with minimal disruption, often within tight shutdown windows.
Abandoned mine mapping concentrates on understanding legacy workings, unknown voids, and potential subsidence risks. Detailed models of abandoned drifts and stopes help inform land-use decisions, redevelopment plans, and long-term safety measures on or near former mining sites.
Mine Mapping Technologies & Deliverables
Mine mapping has evolved from manual tape-and-compass surveys to high-density 3D data collection using advanced sensors and platforms. Combining these technologies creates a more complete picture of both surface and subsurface workings.
LiDAR Mine Mapping: High-Density Point Clouds for Complex Operations
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses to capture millions of precise distance measurements in a matter of minutes. In mines, LiDAR is used to map open pits, haul roads, stockpiles, and underground headings with survey-grade accuracy.
LiDAR point clouds are ideal for generating digital terrain models, volumetric calculations, deformation monitoring, and clearance checks in constrained spaces like shafts and adits.
UAV Photogrammetry for Mine Mapping & Volumetric Analysis
Photogrammetry uses overlapping images to reconstruct 3D surfaces. When combined with UAV (drone) platforms, it becomes a powerful tool for rapid, wide-area mine mapping from the air.
Drone-based photogrammetry is especially effective for open pits, waste dumps, tailings storage facilities, and areas that are unsafe or inefficient to access on foot. It produces detailed orthomosaics and 3D models that integrate with existing mine planning and GIS software.
Terrestrial Laser Scanning & Hybrid Reality Capture for Mine Sites
Terrestrial laser scanners are deployed from tripods or vehicle mounts to capture high-density point clouds from fixed positions. In underground mines, this approach provides detailed geometry of drifts, intersections, and critical infrastructure.
Many projects benefit from a hybrid approach: UAV LiDAR or photogrammetry for surface areas, combined with terrestrial scanning or mobile systems underground. Integrating these datasets into a single 3D environment gives operators a continuous model from surface to subsurface, supporting everything from ventilation planning to digital twin creation.
Survey-Grade Reality Capture for Mining Environments
3D scanning is the ultimate reality capture tool to provide a precise, measurable digital twin of underground mines, buildings, infrastructure, fixed equipment, mobile assets and topography. Our survey grade 3D scans are used for:
- Project planning visualizations and subcentimeter measurements
- Complex computer generated structural health assessments
- Engineering modifications and upgrades
- Clash detection
- Logistics assessments
Mine Mapping for Hazard Identification & Safety Planning
We survey from safe distances to keep clear of hazards.
Darling Geomatics has decades of experience in mine surveying.
Darling Geomatics has decades of experience in mine surveying. Our team of 3D scanning and modeling experts and registered land surveyors is recognized worldwide for our accurate, repeatable and georeferenced measurements in underground mining operations.
Billions of Data Points in a Matter of Hours
Depending on facility size, field work can take as little as a day, saving time and money. As an example, 7 miles of scanning at one mine took approximately 2 weeks of underground data collection time.
Flexible Data Formats
Our mining clients receive a 3D model of the asset to incorporate into their design software. A wide variety of formats are available including AutoCAD, flythroughs and jpgs.
Sign up for our email newsletter to receive updates on the latest in engineering technology that will help improve your projects' efficiency, safety, and costs.