What Alford Drilling does

Alford Drilling, LLC is a privately held mineral exploration drilling contractor headquartered in Elko, Nevada, founded and owned by Steve and Laura Alford. The company provides Reverse Circulation (RC) and diamond core drilling services to mining and exploration clients across the Western United States, operating a mobile fleet of truck-mounted and track-mounted rigs including Foremost Explorer 1500, Foremost Apex 65, Schramm 685, Foremost MPD 1500, Longyear LF90, EF-75M, and Atlas Copco/Epiroc CT20 units with depth capacities ranging from 1,500 to 8,839 feet. It also offers ancillary services such as water well, piezometer, mud rotary, flooded reverse, and monitor/dewatering well drilling, supported by licensing in ten Western U.S. states (Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, California, Washington, New Mexico).

The business model is project-based service contracting on a per-foot or per-program basis, with quote-based pricing and no published rate cards. Go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales supplemented by competitive bidding; the website functions primarily as a digital front door via a Request a Quote funnel. Customer segments span small exploration juniors (e.g., Konnex, Eminent Gold), mid-tier producers (Calibre Mining, Fiore Gold, Antler Operations), and multinational majors (Freeport-McMoRan). Alford differentiates on sample quality (uncontaminated RC samples, clean core recovery), transparent pricing, a zero Lost-Time Injury safety record, and the positioning that its mid-sized scale allows more attentive client service than larger competitors.

Recent commercial activity includes a 10,000-meter RC drilling contract with Eminent Gold Corp. at the Otis target in Nevada commencing approximately April 15, 2026, which introduces photon assaying as an alternative to fire assays. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no institutional investors; ownership is family-based. There is no evidence of AI/ML, software, or digital product capabilities — the competitive moat is operational rather than technology-driven.

Name

Alford Drilling

Legal name

Alford Drilling, LLC

Website

https://alforddrilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alford Drilling is a privately held Elko, Nevada-based mineral exploration drilling contractor providing reverse circulation and diamond core drilling services to junior, mid-tier, and major mining companies across the Western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mineral Exploration Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Mineral exploration drilling
• Reverse circulation drilling
• Diamond core drilling
• Water well services
• Exploration drilling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Elko

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Drilling Services Contract Revenue: Alford Drilling generates revenue through service contracts for mineral exploration drilling. Services include Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling, diamond core drilling, water wells, mud rotary, flooded reverse, and related borehole services. Revenue is earned on a per-foot or per-project basis as drilling programs are completed. The company bids on drilling programs and is described as maintaining 'low and competitive' costs while delivering projects on time and under budget.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Alford Drilling is a contract mineral exploration drilling firm that provides reverse circulation (RC) drilling, diamond core drilling, and water well services (piezometers, monitor and dewatering wells) using a fleet of truck-mounted and track-mounted rigs. It deploys these rigs directly to client project sites across 10 Western U.S. states for mining and exploration clients ranging from junior explorers to multinational majors.

Product overview

Alford Drilling is a mineral exploration drilling company offering a unified portfolio of drilling services throughout the Western United States. The core service lines include Diamond Core Drilling (for precise geological analysis), Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling (for fast mineral exploration), and Water Well Services (for monitoring and dewatering). These services are supported by the company's fleet of specialized drilling equipment, including multiple RC rigs (truck and track-mounted with depths up to 3,000') and diamond core rigs (with depth capacities ranging from 1,500' to 8,839' in various configurations). The company holds licenses in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, California, Washington, and New Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diamond Core Drilling A precise drilling method that extracts continuous cylindrical rock samples (core) from beneath the surface using diamond-tipped drill bits, preserving rock structure for detailed geological analysis and resource evaluation. Used by mining clients for mineral exploration, geotechnical analysis, and resource definition.
• Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling A fast, efficient drilling method using dual-wall drill rods and compressed air to collect high-quality rock samples from deep below the surface with minimal contamination. Designed for mineral exploration, grade control, and resource definition in hard rock environments.
• Water Well Services Drilling services for piezometers, monitor wells, and dewatering wells supporting various industrial and exploration applications, provided by Alford Drilling's rig fleet.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero Lost-Time Injuries across all operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Eminent Gold Corp.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 March 2026Eminent Gold Corporation partnered with veteran Nevada driller Steve Alford and Alford Drilling LLC to conduct a 10,000-meter reverse circulation drill program at the Otis target within the Hot Springs Range Project in Nevada. The program commenced approximately April 15, 2026 and tests extensions of a prior 9.2-meter intercept grading 3.2 g/t Au. Alford Drilling provides all drilling services including photon assaying as an alternative to fire assays.
• Eminent Gold Corp.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 March 2026Eminent Gold Corp. signed a drilling contract with Nevada-based Alford Drilling LLC for a 5,000-10,000 meter reverse circulation drilling program at the Otis target within the Hot Springs Range Project. The program tests extensions of mineralization from previous drilling including a 9.2m intercept at 3.2 g/t Au, and utilizes photon assaying for faster, more environmentally friendly results. Eminent Gold states it is well-funded for this expansion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Major Drilling Group International: Largest publicly listed mineral exploration drilling contractor globally, offering RC, diamond core, and directional drilling services to junior, mid-tier, and major mining companies. Direct competitor on the same Western US project set Alford serves, but with materially larger fleet and balance sheet.
• Boart Longyear: Integrated drilling services and equipment provider offering core drilling, RC drilling, and downhole tooling to the global mineral exploration market. Competes directly with Alford on multi-rig programs and provides comparable surface and underground drilling services.
• Midwest Drilling & Exploration: US mineral exploration drilling contractor providing RC, core, and rotary drilling services to mining clients. Comparable size, fleet composition, and customer mix to Alford, and competes for the same junior and mid-tier exploration programs.
• Cascade Drilling: US-based drilling contractor providing environmental, geotechnical, and exploration drilling services across the Western US. Comparable service mix (RC, core, water well) and customer profile to Alford, with similar regional licensing footprint.

Regional players

• Schumacher Drilling: Regional drilling and excavation contractor in the Western US offering mineral exploration and water well drilling. Comparable in scale and service mix to Alford but with a different regional footprint; useful as a peer benchmark for Western US mid-sized operators.
• Northspan Explorations: Western US-focused mineral exploration drilling contractor offering RC and core services to junior and mid-tier mining clients. Similar customer profile (junior explorers) and service offering to Alford, with overlapping geography in Nevada and adjacent states.

Broad incumbents

• Layne (a Granite Company): Large, diversified drilling and water-well services provider now part of Granite Construction. Overlaps with Alford's water well services and rotary drilling capabilities, but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple end markets.
• Epiroc: Global mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer (including the CT20 core rigs Alford operates) that also offers drilling services and contract mining. Comparable technology stack but vastly larger scale and broader service portfolio than Alford.
• Atlas Copco: Global industrial equipment manufacturer whose CT-series core rigs are deployed by Alford. Provides both equipment sales and contract drilling services through its Power Technique and Mining & Rock Excavation divisions, overlapping with Alford at the equipment-supplier level and on large contract programs.

Others

• Foremost Industries: Manufacturer of the Foremost Explorer and Apex RC drill rigs used by Alford. Not a direct competitor in services, but a key equipment supplier and a useful comparable for fleet economics and rig depreciation in the RC drilling segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alford-drilling-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alford Drilling