Capital Drilling, the emerging and developing markets drilling company, has been awarded two further contract wins and extensions. Capital Drilling Mauritania has recently been awarded a new development drilling contract with Kinross Gold in Mauritania, which represents a further expansion of activity at the Tasiat gold mine, where Capital Drilling has been drilling since 2010. The new contract is for two reverse circulation (RC) rigs, one of which has been sourced internally with the second newly purchased. Both rigs are expected to commence drilling in the first half of 2012. Elsewhere, Capital Drilling Chile has been awarded a contract extension in the form of additional rigs for development drilling at the Cerro Colorado mine in Chile. Capital Drilling commenced drilling for BHP Billiton in 2011.  The extension calls for an additional two diamond rigs, which have been acquired and mobilised to site, with drilling expected to commence in January 2012.

These new rig additions have increased the company’s year-end rig fleet to 85 rigs from Atlas Copco, Schramm, Sandvik and other manufacturers, despite Capital having recently sold one rig and decommissioned a second rig, as part of the ongoing program of fleet management. Commenting on the new contracts, Jamie Boyton, Executive Chairman, said: “We are pleased to announce these new contracts today which demonstrate the continuing development of relationships with our existing customers. The current expansion of the fleet displays our strategy of organic growth working on long life assets with blue chip and major mining companies.” The company began operations in the Lake Victoria goldfields region of Tanzania and has since expanded into Zambia, Egypt, the DRC, Pakistan, Armenia, Serbia, Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Hungary, Eritrea, Chile and most recently Mauritania. Over this time the workforce has expanded to more than 800 full time employees.