Case Study: Optimizing Underground Mining Operations with Nexys

Challenge: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Underground Operations and Stockpile Surveys

Canadian Royalties Inc., a private mining company based in Montreal that operates underground copper and nickel mines in Nunavik (province of Quebec), faced significant challenges in surveying and mapping their underground production voids, or stopes, in their mining operations. Canadian Royalties’ stopes are 30 meters high by 20 meters deep by 20 meters wide, making them challenging to inspect for surveyors.

In addition to regular void analysis of production stopes, surveyors are responsible for monthly stockpile surveys reporting to management and government regulators. The CMS systems currently in use posed safety risks, as surveyors had to walk on large mounds of unstable material to collect the data. To address these challenges, Canadian Royalties needed a safer, more efficient, and more accurate method for underground volumetric analysis and aboveground stockpile monitoring.

“ One of our key use cases is void calculation—comparing the blasted volume to what was planned, and deciding whether it’s worth going back in to recover leftover material or move on. With our previous CMS system, the process was slower, less precise, and required a lot of post-processing. Now, we get far more data points and better accuracy in a much shorter time, which quickly gives us a clearer understanding of drilling and blasting performance with much less manual effort.”

- Marin Brochu-Baekelmans, Mining Chief Engineer, Canadian Royalties, Inc.

Solution: Implementing Exyn Nexys on a Drone and Handheld

In 2021, Canadian Royalties initially adopted Exyn’s full drone package for underground stope monitoring, a decision driven by the company’s chief engineer at the time. Recognizing the benefits, when Chief Engineer Marin Brochu-Baekelmans moved to another mining operation, he introduced Exyn’s handheld scanner at his new site. Upon returning to Canadian Royalties, he reevaluated the company’s needs and determined that a combination of the Exyn Nexys, paired autonomously with a drone and used as a handheld and vehicle mounted scanner, would offer the most versatile and cost-effective solution.

Interested in learning more about Nexys' ability to drive versatility and cost-effective mapping underground in even the most challenging environments?