At Echo Mine, the dynamic geology makes highwall stability challenging. With 34 people working on-site, even routine inspections over unstable ground carried a serious safety hazard. Traditional monthly surveys and manual checks were too slow to catch sudden changes, leaving critical gaps in monitoring that could have dire consequences.
Francis Mining Company Ltd, a leading producer of high-quality industrial coking and steaming coal in New Zealand, operates Echo Mine near Reefton, which has been part of the region’s mining landscape since 1987. Coal mining in the area dates back to 1890, and the current pit has been active since 2008, producing low-ash semi-soft coking coal used in steel and silicon metal production.
At Echo Mine, the dynamic geology makes highwall stability challenging. With 34 people working on-site, even routine inspections over unstable ground carried a serious safety hazard. Traditional monthly surveys and manual checks were too slow to catch sudden changes, leaving critical gaps in monitoring that could have dire consequences.
To address the highwall risk, Francis Mining invested in a RIEGL VZ-2000i scanner, the CB23 communications box, and RIEGL monitoring applications. A custom shelter was airlifted to the observation site, where the scanner was permanently mounted, allowing the entire highwall to be monitored safely and in real time.
The pit walls at Echo mine were shifting regularly, creating a major safety hazard and protecting the health and safety of the staff was the top priority. Manual inspections required workers to traverse unstable areas, exposing them to risk, while monthly surveys were too infrequent to detect rapid movement. Francis Mining needed a real-time monitoring system that could detect wall movement in real time, trigger automated alerts when thresholds are exceeded, and enable safe, proactive decision-making.
The urgency of the situation became clear during the initial site visit when a section of the highwall collapsed in an exclusion zone overnight while no staff were present - a stark reminder of the risks involved.
Francis Mining’s key goals were to:
The system needed to be not just effective, but flexible enough to adapt to evolving pit conditions.
Synergy Group implemented a tailored system using the RIEGL VZ-2000i scanner, CB23 communications box, and RIEGL monitoring applications, providing comprehensive real-time monitoring and automated alerts.
Francis Mining airlifted a custom shelter to the observation site, where the scanner was permanently installed. The Synergy team worked closely with the team on site selection, setup, and hands-on training, completing the full deployment in just three days with minimal operational disruption.
Conventional prism-based monitoring systems were evaluated for the application and were found to be unsuitable for the dynamic conditions at Echo Mine:
The RIEGL VZ-2000i offered several advantages:
The RIEGL VZ-2000i system enabled continuous, real-time monitoring with unprecedented accuracy, with scans conducted for:
Overall, the implementation delivered measurable safety and efficiency gains across the site. Staff are no longer exposed to hazardous areas, while management can now respond immediately when movement thresholds are exceeded. Automated, real-time monitoring replaced time-consuming manual inspections, leading to faster and safer workflows. Most importantly, continuous monitoring has provided early warning of potential hazards—giving both management and staff greater confidence in the safety of daily operations.
It's just that peace of mind. I'll sleep easier at night now."
Francis Mining plans to continue using the RIEGL VZ2000i at the Echo mine for at least 18 months, with the potential for an extension if further coal seams are discovered. Once operations at Echo conclude, the scanner will be redeployed to another mine, maximising the long-term value of the investment.
With over 30 years of experience across Australia and New Zealand, Synergy Group delivers smarter, safer, and more efficient projects across mining, transport, construction, and public safety through advanced reality capture solutions.
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