Service

Opencast Mining Surveys

End-to-end survey for open-pit and surface operations — from the first greenfield topo before a dozer turns, through to monthly volume reconciliation.

What it is

Opencast Mining Surveys — engineered for accuracy.

Opencast mining lives and dies by accurate ground models. Survey House establishes the survey programme from the very start: capturing the greenfield (original) topography before any work begins, setting out the ground control the operation will reference, and recording the Original Ground Level (OGL) that everything is measured against.

As mining advances, successive surveys are compared against OGL to quantify what has been moved, measure progress and reconcile volumes for planning and payment — the heart of opencast reconciliation. Pit, bench and dump surveys, stockpile volumetrics, haul-road and infrastructure set-out, and drill-and-blast control all sit within the programme.

The work is delivered with whichever method best fits the site — GNSS control, aerial/UAV capture and 3D laser scanning — and increasingly from a safe standoff: scanning a pit edge or stockpile removes the old hazard of a surveyor working close to the edge, and is both quicker and more accurate.

It is a sector built from our GNSS, aerial and volumetric disciplines, delivered as one coordinated surface-mine programme.

Where it's used

Typical applications

Greenfield / OGL baseline survey
Pit, bench & dump survey
Stockpile & mined-volume reconciliation
Haul-road & infrastructure set-out
Drill-and-blast control
Monthly progress & reconciliation

What you receive

Typical deliverables

OGL & progress survey models
Volume & reconciliation statements
Pit / bench / dump surveys
Set-out & control data

FAQ

Opencast Mining Surveys — frequently asked questions

Clear answers to the questions clients and search engines ask most about this service.

What is opencast (open-pit) mine surveying?

It is the full survey programme for a surface mine — establishing ground control and the Original Ground Level baseline, then surveying progress, volumes and infrastructure as the pit develops, to drive production and reconcile what has been mined.

What is an OGL survey?

OGL stands for Original Ground Level — the survey of the natural ground before mining begins. It is the baseline every later survey is compared against to measure how much material has been moved.

How are opencast volumes reconciled?

By comparing successive surveyed surfaces — for example OGL against the current survey — and computing the volume between them using GNSS, aerial and laser-scan data, then reconciling against plan for the month.

How often should an open pit be surveyed?

Typically monthly for production reconciliation, with extra surveys for specific events such as topsoil removal, design changes or audits. We tailor the frequency to the operation's reporting needs.

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