Innovative Driller Pushes New Frontiers

Singapore, Singapore, June 24, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Since managing director John Horne and Business partner Joe Fisher bought out the company’s board in 2010, Indodrill has established a reputation as an innovative, professional, safe, cost- and time- efficient drilling contractor operating out of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos, with Horne based in Singapore.

While Horne, originally from the place known locally as “the kingdom of Fife” in Scotland, joked that basing Indodrill’s Northern Hemisphere operations in Alloa was about “going back to my home roots.”

Alloa is in Scotland’s Central Lowlands region where Mel Gibson’s 1995 Oscar-winning movie Braveheart was set and is where Indodrill is set to lead what will no doubt lead a more successful revolution and expertise – across Europe and its other targeted regions.

The company’s new outfit will be called Indodrill (EMEA) Ltd (Europe, Middle East and Africa), reflecting its focus on regions where opportunities are arising and where Horne believes his company offers a greater level of innovation, professionalism and cost efficiency than the status qou.

In some emerging Asian countries, the economies are also still developing their mining regulations, so Indodrill, with its in-country experience, also assists its mining clients with dealings with government and other relevant local channels.

It will also be the case in the Middle East, and it has targeted regions where discussions with local miners show they are looking for a “really good drilling contractor with the professionalism” that Indodrill can provide.

“I see a few opportunities for our knowledge to be transferred into these areas, especially Africa and the Middle East, whose countries are very much still developing,” Horne told RESOURCESTOCKS at Mines and Money Hong Kong – part of his strategy of ramping up Indodrill’s expansion.

Horne also stated, “In Europe we find there are a few Canadian and UK-listed companies, but at the moment, having spoken to several juniors operating there, they feel that what we offer them is better that what they’re being given by the contractors in their respective countries.”

He added, “There are a few countries now starting to become relatively pro-mining, like Spain and Portugal, while Turkey is very good on its mining laws. Other like Romania and certain parts of Europe have become easier to trade in, especially with the European Economic Community.”

Horne also said that he feels that places like the Middle East and parts of Africa are relatively unexplored, and there is quite a bit of interest by foreign-listed juniors and state-owned entities, yet he believes that many of the big mining companies are there.

Indodrill has already shown leading-edge innovation with the recent addition of sonic drilling to its repertoire. Through a partnership with Geosonic Drilling Scotland, Geosonic has 14 sonic drills currently working all over the UK and other parts of Europe.

Sonic drills do not use any fluids, unlike other more conventional methods, which can be contentious in built-up areas, which is a big deal in several Eropean countries.

The sonic drill can be used to check old tailings, dams and for mineral sands –anywhere where it is hard to get the recovery rate up. There is also an opportunity for sonic drilling given Europe’s recently booming construction industry.

It has been a rapid and entertaining journey for Indodrill since Horne and his Jakarta-based co-director Fisher bought out the old management in February 2010. They have since expanded the company from 23 drill rigs to 85 with an impressive rigs availability of about 95% due to its back-up systems, spare parts, personnel and expertise.

Indodrill’s expansion has also led it to expand and operate with 21 underground drills, 18 of which are the largest depth capacity underground rigs available on the market.

“We now have an expertise in drilling very deep holes over 2000m, which we’re currently doing for some clients in Indonesia, and we’re a great success and have very happy clients,” Horne said.

Horne also mentioned, “We’ve also designed and developed what we believe will be the largest heli-portable rig in the world, which will go over 2200m. It’s still in R&D phase but should be out by the time this magazine goes to print [June]. It will have a maximum weight of 500kg per single unit. You still have some mobilisation and de-mobilisation costs from where ever it’s been flown to the mine or exploration area, but you don’t need to worry about roads on the exploration property as you can go to places where there is no access.”

Indodrill’s two biggest operations at the moment are Indonesia and the Philippines.