During four non-stop days each year, Major Drilling joins the worldwide mining industry to do business, connect, and showcase its experience and expertise at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention in Toronto, Canada. The signature PDAC event attracted more than 23,000 industry professionals from 135 countries.
Known as the leader in worldwide specialized drilling, in 2020, Major Drilling returned as a Premier Sponsor bringing innovative and quality features to PDAC 2020, held March 1-4. A special addition to the sleek Major Drilling booth (330) was the Innovation Centre. It was the debut of the Trailblazer Analytics program showcasing a system designed to digitize and automate drilling solutions for a better future. Using virtual reality goggles, attendees saw, in 3D, Major Drilling’s impactful technologies at work.
“Sharing how Major Drilling is committed and adapting to an ever-changing digital world for our clients is just one of our innovations we showcased at PDAC 2020,” Kevin Slemko, Corporate Business Development Manager, said.
Slemko had the floor at the Technical Program during the supply and services market potential learning session. He shared how Major Drilling establishes trust in exploration drilling to succeed in any market condition through innovation, competitiveness, demonstrating the importance of cost v. price, long-term planning, and partnership. The session was a meaningful look at preparing for tomorrow’s upturn in today’s market conditions, from a leading worldwide specialized drilling company perspective. Technical Programs are provided so industry experts like Slemko can share timely insights with PDAC 2020 attendees who learn next and best practices that can be applied to their work right away.
Major Drilling’s timely commitment to innovation was on display at the PwC Canada #artofmining photo contest reception during PDAC 2020. Major Drilling was one of 29 companies selected to show in pictures how the mining industry is adapting to an increasingly digital age. Major Drilling’s photo showed the interior of a drilling rig that is hooked up to monitors with analytics equipment designed to track drilling data for clients.
Other impactful accomplishments at the convention include recognition at the Opening Ceremonies as a Safe Day Everyday Gold Award recipient, alongside Rio Tinto. The award is a joint honor from PDAC and the Association for Mineral Exploration. It recognizes Major Drilling Canada teams for 1,200,066 hours without a lost-time incident. It is the third consecutive Safe Day Everyday Gold Award for Major Drilling.
Major Drilling enhanced PDAC 2020 through its Premier Sponsorship of the Headshot Station, the Food Pavilion, and its well-positioned booth staffed with specialized drilling experts. These experts made important connections with PDAC Students, clients, suppliers and more.
An exciting last-minute addition to the booth included a drill bit used during Major Drilling’s achievement of the longest diamond drill hole in Canada, at 3,467 meters, for client Osisko Mining. The record occurred Jan. 26, just weeks prior to PDAC 2020.
PDAC is the leading voice of the mineral exploration and development community. With more than 7,500 members around the world, PDAC’s mission is to promote a globally responsible, vibrant and sustainable mineral sector that encourages leading practices in technical, operational, environmental, safety and social performance. Major Drilling values its members with PDAC and its participation in the annual PDAC Convention, a true convergence of the organization’s membership and mission.
“We are very pleased with the quality of what Major Drilling brought to the PDAC and the quality of mining industry connections we made this year,” Slemko said. “Already we’re looking forward to PDAC 2021 and sharing the steps we’ve taken toward even more innovation, inclusion, and exploration.”
In 2020, Major Drilling celebrates its 40th anniversary of expansion and worldwide specialized drilling dominance from 1980-2020 as well as the 25th anniversary of its Toronto Stock Exchange initial public offering listing. The company’s experience and expertise have shaped Major Drilling’s presence in the mineral exploration and mining industry, ensuring continued growth and success.
An updated professional headshot is essential in today’s world. Major Drilling sponsored this station at PDAC 2020 as part of its Premier-level Sponsorship.
Lunching and learning about the world’s leader in specialized drilling is made possible at the Major Drilling-sponsored Food Pavillion.
Kevin Slemko, Corporate Business Development Manager, gives a speech during the PDAC 2020 Technical Program titled, “Preparing for the Upturn in Exploration Drilling, Lessons from the Downturn.”
Major Drilling President and CEO, Denis Larocque (third from left), presents a bit used to drill the history Discovery 1 deep drill hole, now the longest diamond drill hole in Canada, to Osisko Mining President and CEO, John Burzynski, during the Major Drilling client dinner March 2.
Representatives from Major Drilling, Wahgoshig Resources and Black Diamond Drilling, a fully-owned First Nation drilling company owned by WRI, meet to sign partnership agreements during PDAC 2020. Standing, back row (l-r): Kelly Johnson, Senior VP - North America & Africa, Major Drilling; Barry Zerbin, GM Canadian Operations, Major Drilling; Serge Gagnon, Area Manager, Major Drilling; Lance Black, WFN Band Negotiator; John Stringer, Canada Area Business Development Manager, Major Drilling; George Pirie, Mayor of Timmins, Ontario, and Board of Director member of WRI. Seated (l-r): Marc C. Bilodeau, General Manager – WRI / President of Black Diamond Drilling Inc.; Denis Larocque, President & CEO, Major Drilling; Paul MacKenzie, Former Chief, now Councillor for WFN.
Major Drilling is pioneering paths to the future of drilling automation and digitization as seen in this entry for the PwC Canada #artofmining photo contest.
From left to right, during PDAC 2020, Denis Larocque, Major Drilling President and CEO; John Burzynski, Osisko Mining President and CEO; Kelly Johnson, Major Drilling Senior VP – North America and Africa celebrate Major Drilling’s historic achievement of the longest diamond drill hole in Canada at 3,467 meters, at the Osisko Mining Discovery 1 hole.
Members of the Major Drilling booth 330 set-up team pictured (l-r) Chantal Melanson, Executive Assistant to President and CEO, Denis Larocque; Meghan Thebeau, Marketing Coordinator; Kevin Slemko, Corporate Business Development Manager; Ben Graham, VP - HR & Safety.
The Multi-Power Products Ltd. booth displays the track mounted RC/RAB drill at #PDAC2020 with Area Managers, Denis Desrosiers and Kevin Norberg.
The sleek and welcoming Major Drilling booth is where PDAC 2020 attendees connect with Major Drilling experts.
This bit is a piece of Major Drilling’s history. It was one of the bits used to drill the longest diamond drill hole in Canada at 3,467 meters, at the Osisko Mining Discovery 1 hole.
Kevin Buttimer (right), Major Drilling Canada Area Manager, presents Discovery Drill Manufacturer Ltd. one of the drill bits used to achieve the Canadian record of 3,467 meters with the EF-100 drill.
These PDAC Student geologists-in-training are learning from Ben Graham, VP - HR & Safety, how exploration drilling is a critical part of the mineral exploration process.
Using virtual reality goggles, attendees saw, in 3D, Major Drilling’s impactful Trailblazer Analyics technologies at work.
Follow Major Drilling’s 40th Anniversary and continued progress in specialized drilling on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
If you missed the Major Drilling team at PDAC 2020, contact Kevin Slemko to discuss your next specialized drilling project today.
