38 | CONTRACTING Alton Drilling T T Richard Loader ‘Can-do’ ethos underpins success Alton Drilling has flourished as both a drilling contractor employing 180 staff and a fleet of 40 plus rigs. Celebrating forty years in business this October, Alton Drilling’s journey started in a shed on the remote South Island’s West Coast, initially cable tooling alluvial gravels and progressing into the coal and gold industry. True to its pioneering origins, the company became one of the first to venture into diamond core drilling on the Coast, catering for the region’s plentiful coal fields. Weathering the highs and the lows of the industry, the GFC, a pandemic and fluctuations in the price of gold, Alton Drilling has flourished as both a drilling contractor employing 180 staff and a fleet of 40 plus rigs, and a manufacturer of drilling rigs with global sales. Managing Director Cory Ibbotson bought Alton Drilling in 2006, and says he is passionate about the company, the industry and the environment that we work in. “I’m privileged to have such a team of this skill set who are continually excelling with the day-to-day challenges. Our success has been about a can-do attitude and meeting our clients’ specific requirements. No two clients are the same, and you have to be able to turn your hand to anything. It has been having that ‘yes’ attitude — nothing cannot be done.” That positive, can-do ethos has been rewarded with results. Within the past four years Alton Drilling has not only tripled in size but also expanded its capabilities. The company has evolved as a one-stopshop for all aspects of the drilling sector specialising in drilling services, consumable supply, and the design and fabrication of rigs. “Alton Drilling has always manufactured its own rigs and equipment,” says Cory. “We’re designing and manufacturing ground up diamond drilling rigs including heli-portable, track mounted, and on skids. About fifteen years ago we began exporting our rigs and we’ve now exported to about twenty countries, including Congo, PNG, Sir Lanka, Serbia, Bulgaria and Mongolia to name a few. We also manufacturer a lot of plant and equipment to stock our own shelves to keep our drilling rigs operating, twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week.” Two decades ago, Alton Drilling relocated its headquarters to Waihi to be closer to OceanaGold’s gold mining operation, where the company continues to provide specialised drilling services. “Our management and manufacturing team are based in Waihi, and we have our warehouse stores there. We also have depots in Reefton, Cromwell, and Westport that enable the company to provide drilling services to customers throughout the country. “Our rigs are used in mineral exploration, so our core customer is anyone who has anything to do with the mineral sector including gold and coal. We spent six years in Australia drilling copper in Queensland. New Zealand is in a very fortunate place at the moment where we have three of the biggest untapped gold reserves in the world. We have WKP — an OceanaGold run mine, Santana in Cromwell, and Federation which is Snowy River in Reefton.” Cory acknowledges the skill sets of his drilling team has been a key factor in the success of the business and says the country has never had the kind of highly skilled drilling team that Alton Drilling has assembled. “Some of the holes we drill are 600 – 700metres below ground surface, and that requires a lot of skill. We’re not necessarily drilling vertical, some of the holes are -20° off horizontal. “We have to steer the specialised tooling to get within a two or three metre circumference target that is 600metres away. “ Our focus is to promote growth within our team, giving our team members the opportunity to up-skill through training. “Our management team has 400 years plus of experience in all aspects of drilling, enabling new employees to be brought through to experienced drillers, drilling supervisors and project leaders. “It’s a very specialised trade and because of New Zealand’s ground conditions it is very difficult drilling. New Zealand drillers are highly sought after world-wide. It you can drill in New Zealand you can drill anywhere.” “Alton Drilling has always manufactured its own rigs and equipment.” Quality Machining Ltd excels in its ability to expertly prototype solutions for your problems. With over 30 years’ experience supporting the drilling industry, Our well-equipped modern workshop consists of CNC mills, Multi axis machining centres, CNC Lathes, wire EDM, a range of manual machines and fabrication facility. Supported by the latest CAD/CAM software and years of experience, our team is here to help you with your next project. PRECISION MACHINING MODERN WORKSHOP HELICOPTER LANDING PLATFORMS GEARBOX DESIGN & REPAIR 03 768 0540 sales@qml.co.nz www.qml.co.nz 57 Prestons Road, Greymouth
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