Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are reshaping mining explorations—but not without turbulence, according to Enmintech Director Myke Jones.
Jones said this as he served as one of the speakers at the 82nd Philippine Mining Club (PMC) Luncheon on Friday, February 13, at the Makati Shangri-La.
He kicked off the discussion by examining the current state and future of geophysical aerial surveys, highlighting what he called “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of drones in exploration.
Since 2016, Jones has noted that the survey drone market has grown from about $2.8 billion to $36 billion by 2025, with around 800 manufacturers. It is projected to reach $53 billion by 2030, with Chinese manufacturers still leading but increasing competition from companies in France and the United States.
Jones emphasized several advantages of using UAVs in exploration, noting their high-performance sensors, cameras, batteries, and navigation systems.
“It’s very quick to mobilize. Your security clearances are minimal. You’re getting very fast, amazingly accurate results,” he said.
He added that survey costs have fallen significantly in recent years, compared with the roughly $3,500 per hour companies once had to pay for helicopter-based LiDAR imaging.
However, using UAVs in exploration presents challenges, particularly in countries with tropical climates, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, where high humidity and frequent rainfall can affect electronics and battery performance.
“The sense of performance, moisture is the enemy of electronics. The extreme topography we’ve got here in the Philippines and Indonesia, accessing areas where we can launch our UAVs is difficult,” Jones shared.
Jones further warned of the “ugly” side of UAV use, explaining that civilian drones are complex systems, manufacturer claims can be misleading, and substandard providers or untrained operators may produce inaccurate data, potentially costing millions in downstream mining decisions.
“The battery performance, one cell in a hundred fails, the UAV lands wherever it wants. We’ve had incidents of them landing in the middle of a lake, in the middle of a jungle—no reason but because of that, and just unexplained crashes,” he said.
Overall, Jones said the future of UAV-based geophysics is promising, driven by technological and software innovation.
“We’ve got growth drivers like regulatory advancements, tech innovations. Everything’s getting smaller and working better, the batteries are working better,” he stressed.
Jones continued, “UAVs and geophysics, it’s mostly good, but there are definitely little bits of bad and ugly in there. So, when you’re looking for a survey, be circumspect and ask the questions.”
As UAVs become more complex, what strategies can ensure operators are properly trained to avoid costly mistakes in mining exploration?
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