It was a big year for the world’s leader in specialized drilling. In 2019, Major Drilling, known as an innovative and vital mineral exploration firm, saw its globe-spanning operations progress. The company provides drilling expertise at many of the world’s largest mines and leading mining firms. Here’s a snapshot of Major Drilling’s top stories from 2019.
Major Drilling Acquires Norex Drilling
Top news includes acquisition of Norex Drilling, a Timmins, Ontario, Canada-based drilling company. It was one of the most-clicked stories on Major Drilling’s social media channels in 2019. The $19.7 million (CAD) purchase includes 22 drills and the transition of Norex’s highly-skilled and experienced personnel. See full details about the purchase of Norex Drilling here.
New Drills Ready for Worldwide Specialized Drilling Campaigns
Followers of @majordrilling on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram took notice of the October’s exciting news that Major Drilling has four new drill types ready for exploration and drill and blast projects. The new drills are available now for partners that are establishing, expanding or extending their drilling campaigns.
Kelly Johnson, Senior Vice President of Major Drilling’s North America and Africa Operations, said, “Our customers are really pleased when we offer innovative drills that complete their jobs more efficiently and in a safer way than ever before.”
Continuing Relations with Inuit and First Nations
In March 2019, Major Drilling President and CEO, Denis Larocque, re-signed an important agreement with Nuvumiut Developments Inc., owned and operated by the Inuit Landholding Corporations of Salluit and Kangirsujuaq in Nunavik, Canada.
For more than 15 years, Major Drilling has partnered with First Nations and Inuit People on initiatives that drive local economic development and sanction drilling operations. See the full story and brochure explaining Major Drilling’s agreements with First Nations and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.
Block Cave Pre-Conditioning Success With Freeport Indonesia
A partnership with Freeport Indonesia’s Deep MLZ is yielding great results, as featured in June 2019. Several Major Drilling surface and underground drills are at work in the Grasberg District. Among the underground drills, a good portion are dedicated to supporting block cave pre-conditioning. Major Drilling applies its exceptional resources in both equipment and personnel to make the DMLZ project an ongoing success.
Partnership at Oyu Tolgoi Bringing Mine to Life
Major Drilling reported in October 2019 how its work with Oyu Tolgoi is helping the vast Mongolian gold and copper mine development flourish. Major Drilling is part of the Oyu Tolgoi family of contractors that are bringing the vast mine complex to life. Major Drilling teams perform very specialized drilling techniques in block cave tracking to support development of the Turquoise Hill project. Click here to see how our teams do it.
Deepest NQ Hole by Major Drilling in Mexico
Also topping 2019 reads on Major Drilling’s blog was news of the deepest NQ hole Major Drilling Mexico teams have ever drilled. The 1,985-meter achievement occurred at the Industrias Peñoles Bismark Mine in Chihuahua. The hole is a source of pride and accomplishment for both Major Drilling and its valued partner. See details here.
A Culture of Social Responsibility
Actions speak louder than words as Major Drilling branches share their culture of caring across the globe. Many #MajorDrillingCares initiatives from Brazil, the Philippines, Mongolia, Canada, USA, Mexico and more improve the communities where these branches do business. Watch video highlights of these social responsibility efforts and learn more about how #MajorDrillingCares.
Lac des Iles Mine in Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
Accolades From the Mining Industry
In June 2019 Major Drilling was honored to receive commendations for its strong performance in safety, personnel and equipment at Lac des Iles Mine in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, now operating as Impala Canada. Desert Hawk Gold Corp. sent similar accolades about USA teams in Gold Hill, Utah.
For the third year in a row, Major Drilling will receive the Safe Day Everyday Gold Award from the Association for Mineral Exploration and the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada. The award will be presented at the AME Roundup 2020 on Jan. 22 in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada, and at the PDAC annual event to be held March 1-4, 2020 in Toronto. This year Major Drilling has achieved 1,200,066 hours without a lost-time injury in its Canadian operations.
Looking Ahead to 2020
Major Drilling will continue to offer its partners quality, safety and results in 2020 and beyond. Advancements in Critical Risk Management, innovation initiatives, TAKE 5 risk assessment, and a major 40-year anniversary milestone are all on the horizon to make 2020 another great year for Major Drilling and its partners.
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