Drone Technology in Mining & Resources

Western Australia’s mining industry operates at a scale and intensity found nowhere else in the country. With strict safety regulations, demanding compliance frameworks and constant pressure to improve productivity, the sector requires tools that deliver accurate data without putting personnel at risk. Drone technology has rapidly become one of the most valuable operational assets on modern mine sites, replacing many traditional ground-based surveys and inspections with faster, safer and more accurate aerial solutions.

From open-cut pits and haul roads to stockpiles, processing plants and rehabilitation zones, drones are now embedded into daily mining operations across WA. At NextGen AgTech, we support mining operators with advanced drone mapping, inspection and compliance services using industry-leading DJI Enterprise platforms.

Stockpile Measurement & Volumetrics

Accurate stockpile measurement is critical for production reporting, logistics planning and financial reconciliation. Traditionally, this task required survey crews to physically access unstable stockpiles with total stations, GPS rovers or heavy machinery — exposing staff to significant safety risks while consuming valuable time.

Using the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise RTK and DJI Matrice series drones, mine sites can now capture survey-grade stockpile data in a matter of hours rather than days. High-resolution imagery combined with RTK positioning and photogrammetry software generates precise 3D models and volumetric calculations with minimal ground interaction.

Key benefits include:

• Rapid stockpile volume measurement

• Reduced exposure to unstable material and moving equipment

• Improved production tracking and reporting accuracy

• Lower survey labour costs and downtime

This allows survey teams and production managers to make faster, better-informed decisions without interrupting site operations.

Pit Wall, Haul Road & Infrastructure Inspections

Mining environments are inherently hazardous. Pit walls, highwalls, conveyor systems, crushers, towers, stackers and processing infrastructure all present fall risks, crushing hazards and unstable ground conditions. Drones now allow these critical assets to be inspected without placing personnel in harm’s way.

Using high-resolution optical and zoom cameras mounted on DJI Matrice and DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise platforms, operators can inspect:

• Pit wall stability and rock movement

• Haul road condition and camber

• Conveyor belts, transfer points and towers

• Plant infrastructure, roofs and elevated structures

Inspections that once required shutdowns, rope access or elevated work platforms can now be completed while equipment remains operational. This significantly improves site safety while reducing inspection downtime and maintenance disruption.

Environmental Compliance & Rehabilitation Monitoring

Environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance are core components of mining operations in Western Australia. Drones now play a critical role in monitoring environmental performance and supporting regulatory reporting across mine sites.

Using aerial mapping, data, and application drones are used to assess:

• Dust generation and surface disturbance

• Drainage paths, sediment control and water movement

• Vegetation regrowth on rehabilitation areas

• Erosion on batters and embankments

• Compliance with rehabilitation and closure plans

With repeatable, geo-referenced surveys, mine operators can track environmental change over time and provide accurate, defensible data for regulators, auditors and stakeholders. This greatly improves transparency while reducing the cost and time associated with traditional environmental surveys.

Tailings, Water & Thermal Monitoring

In addition to visual inspections, drones equipped with thermal imaging are increasingly used for:

• Detecting leaks along pipelines and infrastructure

• Monitoring water storage and evaporation

• Identifying heat build-up in electrical systems

• Inspecting tailings facilities for seepage or abnormal patterns

Thermal data provides an additional layer of insight that cannot be achieved with traditional inspection methods, improving early detection of failure points and reducing risk of environmental incidents.

Safety, Productivity & Cost Advantages for Mining Operations

The widespread adoption of drones across the WA mining sector is driven by three core benefits:

Improved Safety – Drones remove personnel from high-risk environments such as pit edges, elevated structures, unstable stockpiles and confined spaces.

Increased Productivity – Inspections and surveys that once took days can now be completed in hours, with minimal disruption to production.

Reduced Operational Costs – Fewer shutdowns, less survey labour, reduced equipment hire and faster data turnaround all contribute to immediate cost savings.

For remote mine sites in particular, the ability to deploy a drone rather than mobilising large inspection or survey teams delivers significant efficiency gains.

DJI Drone Platforms Used in Mining & Resources

NextGen AgTech supports mining operations using industry-leading DJI enterprise drone platforms including:

• DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise RTK – Survey-grade mapping, compliance monitoring and asset inspection

• DJI Mavic 3 Thermal – Thermal inspections, leak detection and heat monitoring

• DJI Matrice Series – Heavy inspection payloads, zoom cameras, advanced missions and industrial operations

• DJI AGRAS Series - Completing appliction of products from fertilisers to dust supressions

These platforms deliver reliability, accuracy and regulatory-ready data capture across harsh WA mining environments.

✅ NextGen AgTech Mining Services

NextGen AgTech provides a full suite of drone services and hardware supply tailored specifically to the mining and resources sector, including:

• DJI Enterprise drone supply

• Pilot training, licensing support and technical onboarding

• Stockpile mapping & volumetric surveys

• Pit wall, plant and infrastructure inspections

• Environmental compliance and rehabilitation monitoring

• Thermal and water inspections

We work directly with mine operators, contractors, survey teams and environmental managers to deliver safe, accurate and operationally efficient drone solutions.

👉 Improve site safety, inspection efficiency and data accuracy with NextGen AgTech mining drone solutions.