Connors Drilling LLC offers clients in the western United States, Alaska and Australia surface and underground diamond drilling, and underground reverse circulation drilling. The company’s goal is to find new drilling techniques for underground mining and new approaches to ensure ongoing success.

Premier Business Partners:

American Diamond Sundance Trucking Elko Tool & Fastener

Since 1952, independent contractor Connors Drilling LLC has been providing drilling services to the mining industry. From its Montrose, Colo., headquarters, the firm works with clients in the western United States, Alaska and Australia. Its services include surface and underground diamond drilling, and underground reverse circulation drilling.

Exploration + Processing spoke with Operations Manager Rusty Church and Purchasing Agent Chris Morris about the company’s successes and future goals.

Exploration + Processing: What are the biggest challenges the company faces today?

Rusty Church:  One of the biggest issues is finding qualified employees. There just aren’t as many people who are trained to run drills. So, we put a lot of efforts into recruiting, as well as offering good benefits and pay to keep the guys we have. We strive to bring our people up through the ranks and make them the best drillers they can be.

We also hold job fairs and often target the farming and logging communities. Guys that come from that field know how to work and are often very successful in the mining industry. The logging industry doesn’t pay as well as mining, so it’s an attractive switch to make. Our personnel director conducts extensive interviews and we’ve been able to attract some real talent.

E+P: How has offering underground, surface and reverse circulation drilling benefited the company?

RC: When gold was down to about $250 an ounce in 1999, our boss, Phil Edwards, decided to move into reverse circulation underground drilling. It worked out well for us because it opened up a whole new field for us. No one else does reverse circulation underground drilling like we do. And, now that gold has gone up to $950 an ounce, we’re benefiting even more.

E+P: What are some of the jobs the company has been working on lately?

RC: With higher gold prices and precious metal prices, we continue to have a lot of work with the bigger companies. We’ve been out at some big mines in Nevada and Alaska for 12 or 13 years.

The juniors are also looking to test the ground, so we’ve been working with them in New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Alaska – all over. It’s been steady with the juniors for the last couple of years. We’re willing to travel anywhere that they want to drill.