Integrating GPS technology into the management and operation of Highland Valley Copper

Highland Valley Copper is a large open pit copper mine in the southern interior of British Columbia. GPS technology was first acquired in mid-1995 with the rental of two survey instruments. This was followed in January 1996 by the purchase of a GPS base station and two survey instruments. With the purchase of a new blasthole drill in mid-1996, the opportunity was taken to equip it with a GPS-based navigation system. This proved to be very successful and further systems were installed on the mine's other drills and a shovel. A three shovel test of Caterpillar's CAES system was initiated in late 1999. In the next few years, automation and increasingly sophisticated monitoring and control will become an integral part of mining equipment. The integration of these separate systems will be critical to Highland Valley Copper's ability to take full advantage of the benefits that this technology has to offer. This paper reviews some of the critical issues surrounding these systems and how they will be integrated into the management and operation of the mine.