Minex surveying continues to expand. The company recently added a fourth surveyor, Ross Hoffmann in order to keep up with customer demands.  The other crew members include, Adam Johnson, Lynne Nielsen and Parker Backstrom.

“I really enjoy being outside and the work allows me to continue utilizing my geology degree,” said newly hired surveyor Ross Hoffmann. “When I moved to Ely, I left my mapping business and was introduced to Minex.”  The sentiment of being in the outdoors and the spontaneity of the work, is shared by all team members. 

A surveyor is an ‘on call’ position and is called out to a drill site upon completion of drilling a hole. Their job is to reveal the true location and route of the hole. The information that is extracted provides the geologist and customer an underground view of the hole. At Minex, the surveyors are trained on-site by the more experienced technicians until they are able to perform a survey independently.  Depending on the depth of a hole, the total survey usually lasts between 2 to 3 hours.

Currently, the crew utilizes the Trimble GPS system, which connects to a GPS satellite network, to get an accurate starting direction for the drill hole.  This data is then plugged into the Reflex Gyro, which performs the down-hole survey.  The Reflex Gyro uses small internal MEMS Gyro technology, which employs inertial sensing to orient itself within the hole; this allows for accurate readings, regardless of the magnetic interference.

The information that is collected during the down-hole survey is extremely important to the customer. “When the hole depths exceed 1000 feet, the ability to survey the trace of the drill hole is a necessity so the location of mineralization encountered is a known , and not extrapolated or guessed at,” said David Oliver, Twin Metals Minnesota Special Projects Manager, a current client of Minex.  “For Twin Metals Minnesota and all operators in the region, the diligent Minex survey crews have provided prompt service and accurate downhole data, which is a critical and fundamental part of the copper nickel exploration programs.”

Minex survey technicians handle a variety of responsibilities. Examples of these are the manufacturing of the Winkie Core Drill, a Minex product that is sold worldwide; and the marketing of Minex goods and services. “Being around the drill rigs is fun and I am intrigued by the mechanics of things,” explains Adam Johnson. “Although I have a degree in geology, working at Minex allows me to go beyond just the science aspect of things.” 

Minex Crew standing outside at Minex headquarters in Virginia, MN. Pictured from left to right is Doug Backstrom, Parker Backstrom, Adam Johnson, Ross Hoffmann, and Lynne Nielsen.