Prepared by: I z h a r M i t h a l J i s k a n i – 09 MN 98

IMPORTANCE OF MINE SURVEYING

IN MINING INDUSTRY
Mine surveying is a specialist area of surveying involving the measurement,
representation and management of data associated with a mining operation. Mine
surveyors are responsible for marking out, measuring and maintaining direction of all
surface and underground workings on a mine site.

In addition they are also legally responsible for the preparation and updating of all mine
surveying plans for open pit and underground workings on the mine site, as legally
required by the Department. Mine surveying provides challenges in everyday tasks while
also providing an enjoyable, rewarding career. There are also different types of mine
surveyors, with options to work underground, open cut or both, and in the coal industry or
various mineral mining industries. Every mine provides its own site specific challenges,
variations and environment, ensuring a career which provides for continual development,
improvement and lifelong learning.

Mine surveyors are responsible for preparing and updating the entire surface and
underground plans of a mine. They plan the direction and extent of all underground
workings, and use advanced surveying techniques and instruments to give these
directions underground. Mine surveyors undertake both underground and surface surveys
designed to produce information for the construction of mine plans.

Their work has to be very accurate at all times. Mine surveyors work underground most
mornings of the week, giving direction lines for the miners to follow, or taking samples of
the reef.

Duties of mine surveyors

• Ensure that accurate and up-to-date plans of the mine are prepared in accordance
with the Survey and Drafting Directions, and
• Prepare or cause to be prepared a mine workings plan for the mine, and
• report to the appropriate mining officials at the mine any neglect to follow, or any
deviations from, the mine workings plan of which the surveyor becomes aware, and
• Notify the mine manager if the surveyor cannot perform his or her duties or has
any doubt about the accuracy of any plans of the mine.

SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS

Department of Mining Engineering,
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro
Prepared by: I z h a r M i t h a l J i s k a n i – 09 MN 98

WHAT IS A MINE SURVEYOR?

Different definitions

A Mine Surveyor measures underground and open-cut mine workings in full detail. Their
measurements enable new mine works to avoid older and possibly flooded ones, and
allow connections to be made between different underground passages. Mine surveyors
also establish the boundaries of mining claims in some states and territories.

Mine surveyors undertake both underground and surface surveys designed to produce
information for the construction of mine plans.

Mine surveyors are responsible for preparing and updating the entire surface and
underground plans of a mine on a monthly basis. They plan the direction and extent of all
underground workings, and use advanced surveying techniques and instruments to give
these directions underground. Each month they measure the quantity of work done by the
mining contractors underground, and calculate their contract earnings.

Their work has to be very accurate at all times. Mine surveyors work underground most
mornings of the week, giving direction lines for the miners to follow, or taking samples of
the reef. During the afternoons they do calculations in their offices.

Senior survey personnel perform management functions, as well as managing the

underground "ore" reserve.

Conducts surveys at surface and subsurface mine workings, tunnel and subway sites, and
underground storage facilities to control direction and extent of mining. Takes instrument
readings of sun or stars and calculates longitude and latitude to determine mine location.
Directs survey technicians and helpers in use of electronic surveying equipment, light
emitting systems, or plumb bobs to transfer surface survey positions and directions to
underground areas. Computes data necessary for driving and connecting underground
passages to control direction and extent of mining operation. Computes volume of coal or
ore in portions of mine, using survey notes. Surveys and calculates volume of material in
dumps, spoil piles, or veins, and amount of overburden to be removed. Drafts maps of
mine workings.

SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS

Department of Mining Engineering,
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro
Prepared by: I z h a r M i t h a l J i s k a n i – 09 MN 98

Mine Surveyors are responsible for maintaining an accurate plan of the mine as a whole
and will update maps of the surface layout to account for new buildings and other
structures, as well as surveying the underground mine workings in order to keep a record
of the mining operation.

More importantly, the surveyor is involved in the measuring process to calculate ore
production, in volume or mass units, from the mining operation. In addition to this, the
volume of the dumps of waste accumulating on the surface of the mining property will
also be surveyed. This aspect of the work has turned the Mine Surveyor into a manager of
the ‘resources’ of the mine.

Since valuable minerals occur in a variety of concentrations in the ore, the resource
manager, in cooperation with the geologist, is responsible for dividing up the ore body
into blocks where the average grades of the ore are known. This allows the Mining
Engineer to decide which blocks are economical to extract and which are not. As a result
of this information a plan for the extraction of a blended mixture of low and high grade
ores can be made. This planning ensures that the mining process is prolonged, the
removal of ore is optimized and the metallurgical processing plant, which will not work
well if there are large grade variations, is able to operate at consistently high levels of
efficiency.

The official at a mine who periodically surveys the mine workings and prepares plans for
the manager. Formerly, the mine surveyor carried out many of the duties now performed
by the planning department.

One who applies special knowledge and techniques gained through experience or
training to make surface and underground surveys at a mine, locating himself/herself on
the Earth's surface by taking instrument shots on the sun or stars and making necessary
calculations, surveying and calculating the volume of material in dumps, carrying survey
lines underground by shaft plumbing (cord or wire with attached bob is suspended from
the shaft surface) and instrument shots taken on the bob at a shaft station, controlling by
underground surveys and calculations the driving and connection of underground
passages on and between various levels, computing the volume of coal in portions of the
mine from survey notes, and drafting maps of the mine workings.
Also called spud setter; underground surveyor.

SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS

Department of Mining Engineering,
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro