The Southern Cross Operation (SXO) is an open cut gold mine owned by Barto Gold Pty Ltd and managed by Minjar Gold. The SXO is located at Marvel Loch, 330 km east of Perth, and 32 km south of the town of Southern Cross, Western Australia.
The SXO covers an area of 82,059 ha across 226 tenements with 35 main project areas. Barto has rehabilitated more than 40 Waste Rock Landforms (WRL) and Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF), and 28 open pit abandonment bunds, with a total area of ~1,310 ha. Over this sized area traditional field-based monitoring techniques, such as Landform Function Analysis (LFA), are cost-prohibitive and time consuming. Barto decided to adopt a monitoring approach using remote sensing data and the Ecoda platform.
To make best use of existing data, Ecoda retrospectively analysed past aerial data captured by manned aircraft for operational purposes. The data was useful to assess the as-built design criteria for landform geometry. However, the coarse resolution of the data meant that erosion gullies below a certain depth and width were unable to be detected, and results for vegetation cover and height were not optimal.
Barto needed a cost-effective solution that enabled them to capture high quality, high resolution aerial data that would provide accurate rehabilitation monitoring data to inform their management decisions.
Options were considered for the aerial data capture, including contracted manned aircraft or drone survey, or self-capture drone survey. Barto decided on Ecoda’s Self-service subscription package, which includes an Ecoda-ready DJI Mavic Pro drone and accessories, on-site training by our data partners Multi Scan, and ongoing technical support.
The DJI Mavic Pro included in the package was modified to include a full spectrum camera capable of delivering both Red-Blue-Green (RGB) imagery and False Colour Infrared (FCIR), used for vegetation health and cover assessment. The package also featured a multi-constellation/multi-frequency survey grade GNSS receiver to provide sub-5 cm accuracy orthoimagery and Digital Surface Models with the use of ground control points and a base station.
Barto transfers the data to Ecoda for processing and analysis to produce our full suite of geometry and stability metrics, vegetation cover and vegetation height. Results are uploaded to Barto’s Ecoda workspace.
Barto Gold adopted Ecoda’s self-serve subscription model, with the aim of using a drone to capture their own survey-grade remote sensing data on their own schedule.
We supplied an Ecoda-ready drone package, which included a fully calibrated and tested drone with accessories, on-site training by our partner Multi Scan, and ongoing technical support.
Barto Gold site personnel now capture the aerial data for their rehabilitation areas and provide to Ecoda for analysis on a schedule that suits their operations and budget.
The full suite of Ecoda’s geometry and stability metrics are produced, along with vegetation cover and height, allowing Barto Gold to monitor and manage their landform structures and track rehabilitation performance.
The Ecoda-ready drone package and training allow Barto personnel to capture data as needed on their own schedule and using their own resources, making the best use of their time and budget. The data is also of higher resolution and accuracy, allowing detection of smaller erosion gullies through remote sensing analysis. This means that Barto can implement management actions sooner and prevent further potential impact and costs.
On the Ecoda platform the Barto environment team can interact with multiple metrics and data overlays, and gain insights into areas requiring additional management and factors contributing to the success of rehabilitation. They can compare results between landforms and, as they capture more data, will be able to compare data between years and monitor progress towards completion criteria targets.
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