What Topdrill does

Topdrill is a privately held Australian exploration drilling contractor founded in 2006 by Tim Topham in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The company provides RC (Reverse Circulation), diamond, grade-control, geotechnical, water-well, and tailings-dam drilling services to Australia's mining sector, operating a fleet of 25+ Schramm and Sandvik rigs and employing 350+ people as of 2023 across Kalgoorlie (HQ), Perth (Subiaco), and Karratha. Its disclosed customer base spans 20+ enterprise miners including Northern Star, Gold Fields, Newmont, Spartan Resources, Sandfire Resources, Capricorn Metals, Westgold, and Ramelius Resources, with project credentials anchored by the 2008 discovery that formed Sandfire's Degrussa copper-gold mine.

The company's technology stack centres on Toplytics, a proprietary in-house digital analytics platform launched in April 2024 that provides real-time safety, compliance, and performance dashboards and automates client reporting across drill programs. It is complemented by an industry-first integrated safety ecosystem combining hands-free rod handling (pioneered in Australia in 2014), dual hydraulic breakout systems, and MX3 saliva-based hydration monitoring deployed since 2020. Capital intensity is significant: a $5M, 4,000 sqm Kalgoorlie workshop and office complex opened in 2020, with continuous fleet refresh into late-model rigs. The company holds triple ISO certification (9001, 14001, 45001) achieved in 2023.

Topdrill operates within the Togproup diversified group, alongside wholly-owned subsidiaries JB Contracting (roading and civils), Tophire (recruitment), and Topcamps (accommodation), enabling end-to-end exploration program delivery spanning pad preparation, drilling, camp logistics, aviation support, and site rehabilitation. Revenue is generated on a project-based, per-metre professional-services model via direct enterprise field sales, with pricing negotiated per contract. Marketing and business development leverage industry event participation (Diggers and Dealers, KBCCI events, the annual Resources Industry Charity Sundowner with 350+ guests) and a deliberate regional community-investment posture, including RFDS fundraising exceeding $630,000 over four years.

Name

Topdrill

Legal name

Topdrill

Website

https://topdrill.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Topdrill is a privately held Australian exploration drilling contractor (founded 2006, Kalgoorlie) delivering RC, diamond, grade-control, and geotechnical drilling services to 20+ top-tier mining clients via a 25+ rig fleet and proprietary Toplytics digital analytics platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exploration Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Dewatering & Water Management Services (Pumping, Treatment, Tailings Water Return) (IMAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Exploration drilling services
• RC drilling
• Diamond drilling
• Grade control drilling
• Geotechnical drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Kalgoorlie

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Exploration Drilling Services: Topdrill generates revenue through providing exploration drilling services to mining companies. Services include RC (Reverse Circulation) drilling, diamond drilling, grade control, geotechnical drilling, well drilling, and tailings dam solutions. Revenue is project-based, dependent on drilling metres completed and contract terms with clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Topdrill is an Australian exploration drilling contractor that provides RC drilling, diamond drilling, grade control, geotechnical, water well, and tailings dam drilling services to mining companies. The company operates a fleet of more than 25 Schramm and Sandvik drill rigs from its base in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and supports its operations with a proprietary digital analytics platform called Toplytics.

Product overview

Topdrill is a specialized exploration drilling services company operating as part of the Togproup conglomerate (encompassing Topdrill, JB Contracting, Tophire, and Topcamps). The core portfolio centers on RC and diamond drilling services for mineral exploration, supplemented by grade control, geotechnical, water well, and tailings dam drilling capabilities. A key differentiator is the proprietary Toplytics analytics platform providing real-time safety, compliance, and performance dashboards. The service offering extends through Togproup subsidiaries to include pad and site preparation, camp solutions, core processing, site rehabilitation, and aviation support—delivering end-to-end exploration program management. Safety innovation is emphasized through the hands-free rod handling systems and MX3 hydration monitoring technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Toplytics: A digital platform designed and built in-house by Topdrill's Digital Transformation team. It provides real-time safety, compliance, and performance analytics dashboards for clients, enabling transparent monitoring of drill programs.

Products and services

• RC Drilling (Reverse Circulation)
• Diamond Drilling
• Grade Control Drilling
• Geotechnical Drilling
• Water Well Drilling
• Tailings Dam Drilling
• Toplytics (Digital Analytics Platform)

Quantifiable outcome

• Australia's deepest Reverse Circulation (RC) drill hole achieved
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• TopgroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTopgroup is the parent company encompassing Topdrill, JB Contracting, Tophire, and Topcamps. This integrated service capability provides end-to-end solutions including pad and site preparation, full camp solutions, roading and civils, water carting, site logistics, rehabilitation, aviation support, and core processing services.
• MX3 DiagnosticscoreTechnology or IntegrationMX3 provides portable saliva-based hydration testing technology for real-time monitoring of field worker hydration levels, replacing standard refractometer for improved worker safety, privacy, and comfort.
• Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)flagshipOthersRFDS is Topdrill's charity of choice. Topdrill hosts annual Resources Industry Charity Sundowner raising funds for RFDS, has raised over $630,000 in four years, and supports RFDS Flying Doctor Day initiatives.
• JB ContractingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Topgroup, JB Contracting provides civil and construction services supporting Topdrill operations including roading, site preparation, and civil works.
• MLG OzminorOthersCommunity partnership supporting Goldfields Young Heroes Tour for mental health programs in schools; co-sponsored mental health initiatives with Topdrill.
• zero2herominorOthersYouth mental health charity partnering with Topdrill and MLG for Goldfields Young Heroes Tour delivering mental health programs to primary and high school students.
• KBCCIminorOthersKalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry partnership for business networking events including Business After Hours hosted at Topdrill headquarters.
• Full Circle TherapiesminorOthersGoldfields-based paediatric allied health services organization; beneficiary of 2023 Resources Industry Charity Sundowner raising funds for attracting and retaining allied health practitioners in regional areas.
• Unicorn Risk SolutionsminorOthersCorporate sponsor donating $20,000 to RFDS at Topdrill's 2022 Resources Industry Charity Sundowner event.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DDH1 Drilling: DDH1 Drilling is an ASX-listed (until recent corporate activity) Australian exploration and production drilling contractor with a large fleet of RC, diamond, and grade control rigs. It is the most directly comparable Australian counterpart to Topdrill in terms of services, customer base, and geography.
• Foraco International: Foraco is a global drilling services company focused on mineral exploration and mine-site drilling. It is directly comparable to Topdrill in service mix (RC, diamond, grade control), though it operates across multiple continents rather than being concentrated in WA.
• Orbit Drilling: Orbit Drilling is an Australian exploration and RC/diamond drilling contractor that competes with Topdrill in the Goldfields and Pilbara for the same Tier-1 mining clients.
• Major Drilling Group International: Major Drilling is a TSX-listed global drilling services contractor specializing in mineral exploration and mine-site drilling. It competes with Topdrill for the same Tier-1 gold and base-metal customers and offers a directly comparable service line-up, although at significantly greater global scale.
• Capital Drilling: Capital Drilling provides exploration, grade control, and production drilling services to mining companies across Africa, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Its service portfolio and target customer base (mid-tier and major miners) closely mirror Topdrill's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Perenti Group: Perenti (formerly Ausdrill) is one of Australia's largest diversified mining services contractors, offering surface and underground drilling, production, and full mining services across multiple commodities. As a much larger incumbent, Perenti is the natural scale benchmark for Topdrill's growth path, even though it is far broader in scope.
• Macmahon Holdings: Macmahon is an ASX-listed Australian mining services contractor offering drill and blast, load and haul, and full mining services. While its primary focus is production-side mining services, it overlaps with Topdrill in drill-and-blast and mining infrastructure contracting for the same Australian gold and base-metal clients.
• Boart Longyear: Boart Longyear is a global drilling services and equipment manufacturer serving exploration, production, and geotechnical markets. It is comparable to Topdrill as a drilling services competitor while also being substantially larger and vertically integrated into rig manufacturing.
• NRW Holdings: NRW Holdings is an ASX-listed diversified mining and civil contractor with surface mining, drill and blast, and civil capabilities. It competes with Topdrill-affiliated JB Contracting for civil works supporting Australian mining projects and reflects the broader mining-services competitive landscape in WA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/topdrill
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/topdrill-exploration
• Instagraminstagram.com/topdrillkalgoorlie

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Topdrill