What ConoSur Drilling S.A. does

ConoSur Drilling S.A. is an Argentine privately-held drilling services company that provides exploration and geotechnical drilling to the mining, water, and construction sectors. The company was formally established in 2020 when Nicolás Rodrigo and Hugo Valenti acquired Energold Drilling's Argentine operations and equipment, creating a 100% Argentine-capital entity; its philosophical roots extend back through the founders' 22+ years in mining. Operations are delivered from three provincial bases in Mendoza, Salta, and San Juan — covering Argentina's primary mining belts — with an administrative headquarters in Manuel Alberti (Buenos Aires), employing 200+ staff in total.

The company's core offering is a unified portfolio of four drilling methods — diamond core drilling (DDH), rotary drilling, reverse air circulation (RAB), and soil studies — delivered through two equipment categories: portable man-portable rigs for remote and difficult-access terrain, and conventional track-mounted machines for larger-scale operations. Its customer base is anchored by tier-1 Argentine mining projects including Veladero, Agua Rica, Alumbrera, Farallón Negro, Cerro Vanguardia, and Cerro Moro, with management claiming cumulative drilling of 400,000+ meters over the past 25 years. Water well drilling and geotechnical/soil study services are listed as secondary verticals.

Commercially, ConoSur operates a B2B, project-based professional services model, with revenue generated through contracts priced per drilling meter (varying by project scope, depth, and terrain complexity) and negotiated per project. Distribution is direct, with field sales engagement to mining companies and service delivery on client mine sites. The company has limited digital marketing presence, relying primarily on its website, LinkedIn, and direct email channels for both commercial and recruitment outreach. There is no public revenue disclosure, no external funding, and no disclosed use of AI or advanced digital tooling — the competitive positioning rests on equipment ownership, management experience, and a track record on marquee Argentine mining projects.

Name

ConoSur Drilling S.A.

Legal name

ConoSur Drilling S.A.

Website

https://conosurdrilling.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ConoSur Drilling S.A. is an Argentine drilling services company providing diamond core, rotary, reverse air, and geotechnical drilling to mining, water, and construction clients across Argentina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems (IMAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Mining drilling services
• Diamond core drilling
• Exploration drilling
• Geotechnical drilling
• Rotary drilling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Manuel Alberti (Buenos Aires)

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Drilling Services: Project-based drilling services for mining exploration, water, and geotechnical applications. Revenue generated through contracts for drilling meters completed, with pricing based on project scope, drilling depth, and terrain complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ConoSur Drilling S.A. is an Argentine drilling services company that provides diamond core drilling (Perforación Diamantina), rotary drilling (Perforación Rotary), and reverse air circulation (RAB/Aire Reverso) for mining exploration, water well development, and geotechnical projects. The company operates both man-portable and conventional track-mounted drilling rigs across Argentina, delivering exploration support and complementary soil studies to mining and engineering clients.

Product overview

ConoSur Drilling S.A. is an Argentine drilling services company offering a unified portfolio of drilling solutions for the mining, water, and geotechnical industries. The core offerings comprise four distinct drilling service types—Perforación Diamantina (diamond core drilling), Perforación Rotary, Aire Reverso/RAB (reverse air circulation), and Estudios de Suelo (soil studies)—delivered using two primary equipment categories: Man Portable rigs for remote access and conventional track-mounted machines. These services are provided as integrated exploration solutions, with the company having completed major projects for mining operations including Veladero, Agua Rica, Alumbrera, Farallón Negro, Cerro Vanguardia, and Cerro Moro.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Diamond Core Drilling (Perforación Diamantina) Core drilling service used to obtain continuous cylindrical rock samples for mineral exploration and geological evaluation in mining projects.
• Rotary Drilling (Perforación Rotary) Rotary drilling service used to penetrate overburden and consolidated formations, supporting water well construction and exploration activities.
• Reverse Air Circulation Drilling (Aire Reverso / RAB) Reverse air circulation drilling service designed for fast, cost-effective exploration in soft to medium formations, returning dry chip samples to surface.
• Soil Studies (Estudios de Suelo) Subsurface soil and geotechnical studies provided in conjunction with the company's drilling operations to support engineering and mining clients.
• Man Portable Drilling Rigs Lightweight, transportable drilling rigs deployed in remote or hard-to-access terrain to perform diamond and rotary drilling in Argentina.
• Conventional Track-Mounted Drilling Machines Conventional track-mounted drilling machines used for high-capacity diamond, rotary, and reverse air circulation drilling campaigns for mining and water clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400,000 meters drilled in 25+ years of operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Energold DrillingminorOthers · 1 January 2020Acquisition relationship in 2020 where Nicolas Rodrigo and Hugo Valenti acquired the operations and equipment that Energold Drilling possessed in Argentina. This acquisition created ConoSur Drilling S.A. as a new Argentine-owned company, transitioning from Energold's former operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Layne Christensen (now part of Granite Construction): Provider of water well, mineral exploration, and geotechnical drilling services in the Americas. Directly comparable to ConoSur's secondary lines (water well drilling, soil studies/geotechnical) and historically similar mining exploration drilling profile.
• Major Drilling Group International: Canadian-based global drilling services contractor specializing in mineral exploration, surface and underground drilling, with active South American operations. Directly comparable to ConoSur in core offering (exploration and production drilling for mining majors) and target customer base.
• Energold Drilling Corp. Canadian drilling services company from which ConoSur's founders acquired the Argentine operations in 2020. Same service offering (mineral exploration drilling) and the direct predecessor relationship makes it the closest historical peer.
• Capital Drilling: Mining-focused drilling services contractor providing reverse circulation, diamond core, and grade control drilling to mining majors, primarily across emerging markets. Similar service model and customer profile to ConoSur, though more Africa-weighted.
• Foraco International: International drilling services company providing reverse circulation, diamond core, and rotary drilling primarily to the mining industry across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Closely comparable service mix and customer base to ConoSur.

Broad incumbents

• Boart Longyear: Global leader in mineral exploration drilling services and drilling equipment manufacturing with operations across the Americas. Overlaps with ConoSur on core drilling services for mining exploration but operates at much larger scale and also sells equipment.
• Perenti (formerly Ausdrill): Australian-listed diversified mining services contractor providing drilling, blasting, and underground mining services globally. Overlaps with ConoSur on exploration drilling but operates across a much broader mining services portfolio.

Regional players

• DrillCo Mining Services: Regional South American drilling services contractor serving mining exploration projects across the Andean region. Comparable to ConoSur in scale and focus on Latin American mining customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conosur-drilling-s-a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ConoSur Drilling S.A.