WorldWide Drilling Resource

Northern Plains Chapter of the ISEE President: Ron Eastman Tel: 307-680-8805 www.npcisee.org to map out proven mineral resources all across the territory. This serves as an opportunity for Groundtruth to cus- tomize the technology for exploration of different types of ore deposits and show these methods work. Results of the company’s research could be a game changer for the global mining exploration industry. Yukon’s Eye in the Sky Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Though research in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has been on t he rise since the late 1980s, its app l i ca t i ons we r e ma i n l y f o r m i l i t a r y p u r p o s e s . Howeve r, i n recent years d r ones and t h e i r m a n y u s e s h a v e attracted the a t t en t i on o f i n d u s t r i e s such as mining exploration. GroundTruth Explorat ion, a Dawson City-based mineral exploration company, is revolutionizing the Yukon mining industry with UAV technology. The company is taking advantage of UAVs, also known as drones, to aid in the search for potential mineral deposits and saving time, money, and distur- bance to the environment in the process. Research companies have the abil- ity to locate areas potentially having gold with wel l-tested soi l-sampl ing techniques; but turning a potential area into a proven resource was once a gru- eling process. With the help of UAVs from Switzerland, the first of their kind in Canada, Yukon prospectors have the ability to acquire detailed aerial pic- tures and topographical maps from just one half-hour drone flight. Work that could otherwise take up to a year and a half to complete can now be done within two to three weeks. The data col lected from drone flights and advanced geophysical sur- veys is entered into a computer which generates a 3-dimensional map with valuable information enabling miners to precisely target where drilling pro- grams should occur. UAVs could potentially excel in a number of Yukon mining operations due to their unique abilities such as: Q Ability to map out tracts of dis- tant terrain and explore for poten- tial mineral deposits. Q Ability to conduct missions at low altitudes and air speeds, and at night. Q Ability to reduce maintenance and staffing costs of helicopters and light aircraft; UAVs require less to launch, mobilize, set up, relocate, and refuel. Q Ability to reduce the environ- mental footprint of mineral explo- ration; UAVs require less materials to build, use less fuel to fly, emit less pollution, and are easier to dispose of at the end of service. Groundtruth Exploration’s use of UAV technology has even captured the attention of the Yukon government which hired the company to use drones 27 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® FEBRUARY 2014 Photo of UAV technology from Switzerland cour- tesy of sensefly.com