​Major Drilling Canada works with Vale out of Thompson, Manitoba in Central Canada. Our 50 years plus relationship of providing them with a quality core sample in a timely fashion is only part of what we deliver.  What adds value to our partnership is the great customer service we provide with qualified people and equipment.   We extend that same value every day to our other customers in over 19 countries around the world.  

Vale has been mining nickel around the world for over 100 years.  Nickel is an essential ingredient in the products we use every day, including electronics, construction materials and medical equipment. Vale has more than 12,000 employees working worldwide, and our crews work closely with Vale’s Thompson group every day. 

Marvin Clemons, a long-term employee with Major Drilling who currently holds the position of foreman in Thompson, had this to say, “I’ve been with Major for more than 30 years and I’ve spent most of my career working with Vale in Thompson. I can honestly say that it’s been an excellent experience because of the people. The Vale geologists are great to work for because we are honest with each other and we’ve created a professional partnership." 

Major Drilling renewed the most recent underground contract with Vale in January 2009 and the surface contract in 2010.  We operate at three mines for Vale, T1, T3 and the Birchtree Mine.  We have more than 50 Major Drilling employees dedicated to achieving safe efficient production.  We have mobilized an entire modernized drill fleet, along with support equipment.  At our peek for this project, we operated ten diamond drills consisting of the Atlas Copco U6 and U8 underground rigs and AVD 5000 surface rigs, to manage the 330,000 foot program.  

We are proud to say that we have an excellent safety record on the project to-date.  Production has been right on target, and the open and direct relationship between the companies lends itself to the ongoing success of this project.  Our goal is to partner with Vale on site to deliver results.   

We’d like to have the opportunity to prove that we can do the same for you and your drilling project.