In a year marked by tremendous growth, Major Drilling capped a memorable 2024 with a solid financial position, record safety achievements, innovative new tools for drillers and customers, exciting new technology partnerships, and a greatly expanded workforce and fleet. All are indicators of Major Driling’s position of leadership in the specialized drilling market with a desire to meet the increasing demands of valued customers. Addressing rising needs for efficiency, productivity and safety are foremost concerns.
“As we reflect on this year of strong progress, we see how our accomplishments in 2024 are some of the best steps we can take to secure Major Drilling’s sustainability and drive our leading role in the mining industry today and in the future,” Denis Larocque, Major Drilling President and CEO, said.
Enjoy these stand-out “Top Five Stories From 2024.”
5. Continued Financial Stability
As fiscal year 2024 ended in April, Major Drilling reported a recorded revenue of $706.7 million, the third highest in the company’s nearly 45-year history. This record comes on the heels of the company’s highest revenues in 10 years reported in the second quarter of 2023.
Strong revenues continued as fiscal year 2025 opened, especially in Chile and Australia (McKay Drilling). “Supported by our strong financial position, successful recruitment and training efforts, and technological advancements, we continue to be the operator and employer of choice in our industry,” Larocque said.
McKay Drilling autonomous RC rig, the first of its kind in Australia.
4. Safety Achievements
The Major Drilling Canada team is the recipient of the Safe Day Everyday Gold Award from the Association for Mineral Exploration, Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, and Canadian Diamond Drilling Association. The team achieved over 1,146,000 hours without a lost time injury, a record that demonstrates ongoing dedication to maintaining high safety standards across all projects around the world.
This news follows fiscal year 2024 ending with a Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate of 1.14, a new record in the company’s history. This safety metric measures workplace safety performance as an overarching rate calculation that includes small incidents as well as lost time injuries. Major Drilling’s low TRIFR shows the positive results of commitment to its teams by supporting them with world-class safety training and programs that empower them to stay safe every hour of every shift, every day. Canadian surface and underground drilling teams also received CDDA awards for safe work completed in 2023, both on the surface and underground.
Major Drilling Canada will receive the Safe Day Everyday Gold Award at the Association for Mineral Exploration Roundup Awards Gala in January 2025.
Major Drilling won the Safe Day Everyday Gold Award for three years in a row for LTI-free hours completed in Canada during 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Other notable 2024 safety achievements surfaced on three more continents. Major Drilling Chile teams received recognition of their excellent safety performance by from the HSEC department of EMSA, the exploration arm of mining partner Coldeco Chile. Major Drilling Indonesia achieved 1 year (1,132,117 hours) working LTI free as the team performaed safetly during challenging operations in remote locations. South Africa teams also achieved 1 year (159,536 hours) working hours LTI free and received an award as the branch welcomed new General Manager Raymond Botha.
3. Drills for the Future of Mining
In the last 10 years, Major Drilling has made great progress in technology around its drill sites and the tools it provides employees. The company is and has historically been a leader in drilling technology, helping customers build the mines of today and of the future.
For senior mining customers, the U.S. Division in Salt Lake City, Utah, demonstrated a Smart 8 drill, outfitted with a sleek robotic arm using high-powered magnetic, hands-free technology to lift and load drill rods. Teams also displayed a mobile 6M underground core drilling rig equipped with a rod presenter, an Apex 100 ultra-advanced RC mineral exploration rig with hands-free rod handling and the LF90 conversion rig also with hands-free rod handling. The 6M rig was one of several added to the growing underground fleet supporting key customers in Canada and the U.S.
Guests assemble at the Major Drilling USA workshop to view a new high-powered magnetic hands-free robotic rod handler affixed to a Smart 8 underground drill.
In 2024, Major drilling established new partnerships and avenues to deliver the TrailBlazer SafeGrip automated rod handler, a technology developed by the Major Drilling Innovation Team. Along with Rock5, AquaLink and MTB Mobile, SafeGrip is part of the TrailBlazer group of innovations that enhance drill team and customer safety, productivity and efficiency.
“Rod handling is the part of drilling that we historically have seen having the most impact on improving safety at the drill site,” Marc Landry, Major Drilling Chief Technology Officer, said. “Major Drilling is committed to developing innovative tools like our TrailBlazer SafeGrip for our customers’ projects as we continue to find new ways to reduce risk for our employees. We are pleased to see SafeGrip in the field as a solution that really works.” Learn more here.
2. Key Innovation Partnership With DGI/KORE
Major Drilling is bringing AI to drilling by investing in a strategic partnership with premier downhole technology company DGI Geoscience Inc. and its affiliate company, artificial intelligence-powered core logging tech innovator, KORE GeoSystems.
This partnership positions Major Drilling at the forefront of AI advancements in the drilling industry. By adding geological solutions to existing specialized drilling services, Major Drilling will provide a unique service offering that encompasses the latest advanced technology. This investment supports the efforts Major Drilling makes to position itself as the contractor of choice to the drilling industry by providing solutions to help accelerate customers’ projects with timely and quality data contributing to their geological model.
Major Drilling, DGI Geoscience and KORE GeoSystems team members meet at the KORE office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
“I am thrilled about our new partnership, which positions Major Drilling at the forefront of technological advancements in the drilling industry,” Larocque said. “The value of this transaction lies in integrating geological solutions, including AI, with our specialized drilling services, creating a unique offering that incorporates the latest advanced technology. This move continues our progression in drilling innovation and aligns with our growth strategy as we invest in the future of mining. We believe that combining these services, including our Rock5 technology, will solidify our position as the preferred contractor for mining companies.”
To deliver on these services, Major Drilling is developing a new innovative suite of solutions that is revolutionizing the use of artificial intelligence, survey tools and data analytics. TrailBlazer Rock5 drill data analytics is a system and console being installed on drills fleetwide. Rock5 gathers real-time data that enhances drill team and customer safety, productivity and efficiency—a key part of Major Drilling’s package of geosolutions delivered drillside with innovation partners DGI Geoscience Inc. and KORE Geosystems.
For more about Major Drilling’s innovations, visit majordrilling.com/GEOSOLUTIONS. Learn how partnership, leadership and cutting-edge technologies are combining to enhance customers’ safety, productivity and efficiency as the industry moves into the future of mining.
1. Explomin acquisition
With the acquisition of leading South American specialty driller Explomin Perforaciones, Major Drilling moves into an era of growth opportunities in new jurisdictions, a diversified revenue source with additional underground operations, and an expanded senior customer base with high operational standards with 5,400 employees and over 700 drills.
In 2025, the company will focus on the integration of Explomin and its operations in Peru, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Spain. After a warm welcome to the Explomin team and deep acknowledgement of Explomin’s long-standing reputation, strong base of senior mining customers, and focus on specialized drilling, with its well-maintained fleet of rigs, the acquisition will be a great complement to existing operations and offer further potential growth opportunities in South America. Peru is the second largest copper producer after Chile, so the addition of Explomin solidifies Major Drilling’s South American presence and supplements existing operations in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and throughout the Guyana Shield.
Enjoy seeing our year in review? Read news from recent years and learn how Major Drilling is advancing the mining industry with a non-stop commitment to innovation and improving services.
2023 Top Stories
2022 Top Stories
2021 Top Stories
2020 Top Stories
2019 Top Stories
Follow Major Drilling on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram to receive the latest company news and updates. Major Drilling Group International Inc. is the world’s leading provider of specialized drilling services primarily serving the mining industry. Established in 1980, Major Drilling has over 1,000 years of combined experience and expertise within its management team. The Company maintains field operations and offices in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Major Drilling provides a complete suite of drilling services including surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water-well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive/longhole drilling, surface drill and blast, a variety of mine services, and ongoing development of data-driven, high-tech drillside solutions.
