Specialty mining industry driller Energold Drilling has announced expansion plans in South East Asia, with a goal of capitalizing on the rapid growth in the region’s mining sector.
There has been increasing interest in coal, gold, silver, copper, nickel and tin resources in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, which the company says means higher demand for mining services including drilling.
Energold’s investor relations manager Jerry Huang says, “What we say to investors is that they’re not investing in the mining project, they’re investing in the guys with the picks and shovels. We’re definitely expanding in this region.”
The company has around 250 drill rigs in 22 countries around the world. Its customers include BHP Billiton, Vale SA and Rio Tinto. While its dominant market is South America, Energold has established activities in the coal sector of South East Asia. The company has also expressed an interest in Myanmar, despite its mining industry remaining at a very early stage.
“It’s only now emerging as a mining region due to a lack of investment in recent years during the country’s military dictatorship. It’s an interesting area that we’re looking at, we’re assessing opportunities there,” says Jerry Huang.
Energold provides a niche service to the mining industry, specializing in taking drilling equipment into challenging terrain. This skill is expected to increase demand for its services in a country such as Indonesia, where many coal mines are located on remote islands with difficult terrain. “There are less and less mines just sitting by the side of the highways these days,” says Jerry Huang.
Energold took out the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2012 and was named one of Canada’s fastest growing companies for five years in a row from 2007.