Zenex Drilling

What Zenex Drilling does

Zenex Drilling is a Papua New Guinea-based drilling services contractor specialising in exploration, mine production, and geotechnical drilling for the resources sector. Founded circa 1995 by Wal Fick in partnership with the Lihir Landowner Group, the company operates a fleet of 13+ specialised drill rigs spanning Sandvik (UDR650, UDR1200HC), Epiroc (DML), Atlas Copco (CS 1500FS, CS 1000), Schramm (T130XD), a proprietary HD 250, and two recently added Eijkelkamp sonic rigs (LRS275 Duo, MRS 200 Sonic Duo). It serves Tier 1 mining and exploration clients including Anglo American, BHP, Barrick, Newcrest Mining, Newmont, GKL Resources, Adyton Resources, and Great Pacific Gold Corp across PNG (Lae and Lihir Island operational bases), with a recently expanded footprint in Queensland, Australia.

The company's offering spans air drilling (RC/AC/RAB), diamond coring, geothermal drilling, blast-hole drilling, horizontal/highwall drainage, heli-portable operations, geotechnical testing (CPT, SPT, DMT), and integrated sonic drilling with CPT — the latter being a first-of-its-kind regional capability delivered from a single rig. Ancillary services include a Piacentini 130t Low Loader for heavy equipment mobilisation and ancillary equipment (kill pumps, BOP, gensets, service trucks).

Zenex generates revenue primarily through professional-services drilling contracts with custom, quote-based B2B pricing, supplemented by managed drilling support arrangements and a recently opened equipment sales/rental channel. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales led by General Manager Emmanuel Bonte and Managing Director Cindy Fick, combined with active participation at major industry conferences (PDAC, IMARC, Future Minerals Forum, MiningNews Select, PNG Investment Week). The company is part-owned by the Lihirian Landowner Group, and its 'Way We Work' safety leadership programme underpins a 5.1+ million hour lost-time-injury-free record and 85% average monthly operational availability on the Epiroc DML fleet — both central to its reputation with Tier 1 procurement organisations.

Name

Zenex Drilling

Legal name

Zenex Drilling

Website

https://zenexdrilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zenex Drilling is a Papua New Guinea-based drilling contractor providing exploration, mine production, and geotechnical drilling services for Tier 1 miners including Anglo American, BHP, Barrick, and Newmont. The 88-employee firm operates 13+ specialised rigs and is expanding into Australia.

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

Mine Operations Contracting (Open-Pit & Underground Development, Production, Load/Haul) (IMAKAKAD)

Keywords

• Mining drilling services
• Exploration drilling
• Geotechnical drilling
• Sonic drilling services
• Drill rig contractor

Headquarters

HQ city

Lae

HQ country

Papua New Guinea

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Exploration and Mining Drilling Services: Core revenue from providing drilling services including geothermal drilling, plug and abandons, air drilling (RC/AC/RAB), heli-portable drilling operations, blast hole drilling, horizontal/highwall drainage, and mine-site production specific drilling. Also includes geotechnical drilling, CPT, SPT, DMT, water bore drilling, and installation services.
2. Equipment Rental and Sale: Revenue from renting or selling drill rigs and equipment. The company makes high-quality assets available to the market when no longer required for their program of work. Currently offering four Epiroc DML HP Multi-Pass rigs for purchase, rental, or drilling support arrangements.
3. Drilling Support Arrangements: Customised drilling support arrangements depending on project requirements, including equipment provision alongside operational support services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zenex Drilling provides contract exploration and mining drilling services in Papua New Guinea and select international markets, including air drilling (RC/AC/RAB), blast hole drilling, diamond coring, geothermal coring, sonic drilling, heli-portable drilling, and geotechnical drilling and testing (CPT, SPT, DMT). The company operates a fleet of specialized drill rigs and crews from operational bases in Lae and Lihir Island, with the ability to mobilise into remote and challenging terrain. Supplementary services include equipment rental/sale and customised drilling support arrangements.

Product overview

Zenex Drilling is a drilling services company offering a unified portfolio of exploration and mine drilling services in Papua New Guinea and internationally. The core offering centers on exploration and mine drilling services, supplemented by geotechnical drilling and testing services (CPT, SPT, DMT, water bore drilling, VWP install, Inclino install). The company operates a modern fleet of specialized drilling equipment including UDR650 Sandvik DE810, DML Epiroc, UDR1200HC Sandvik DE880, T130XD Schramm, CS 1500FS Atlas Copco, CS 1000 Atlas Copco, and HD 250 rigs. Recent additions include LRS275 Duo and MRS 200 Sonic Duo drill rigs from Eijkelkamp for sonic drilling applications with integrated CPT capability. The Way We Work program provides safety leadership and workforce development. Ancillary equipment supports full-service drilling operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exploration and Mine Drilling Services

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 5.1 million hours worked without a lost time injury
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Lihirian Landowner GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZenex Drilling is part-owned by the Lihirian Landowner Group, ensuring that the success of the organisation directly delivers prosperity for the local community. Mark Soipang and Ben Misren represent the Lihirian Landowner Group as Directors of Zenex Drilling, representing the interests of Anitua.
• Lihir Landowner GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lihir Landowner Group co-owns Zenex Drilling with experienced drill operators. The company was established 30 years ago by Wal Fick with the Lihir Landowners. Managing Director Cindy Fick serves as joint-owner with the Lihir Landowner Group.
• Eijkelkamp (Royal Eijkelkamp)majorTechnology or IntegrationDutch manufacturer supplying advanced sonic drilling equipment including the LRS275 Duo Sonic Drill Rig. Eijkelkamp provides factory training in the Netherlands for Zenex maintenance specialists, representing knowledge transfer and capability building. The MRS 200 Sonic Duo is also supplied by Royal Eijkelkamp.
• PNG Chamber of Resources and Energy (PNG CORE)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerZenex Drilling participates in PNG Investment Week hosted by PNG CORE, which unites leaders, government representatives, industry representatives and investors. Blake Lambert, Country Manager, also represents Zenex at these events.
• International Mining and Resources Council (IMARC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerZenex Drilling attends the annual IMARC Conference as a key industry engagement platform, joining over 10,000 industry representatives for professional development and networking opportunities.
• Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerZenex Drilling attends PDAC annually as one of the world's leading mineral exploration and mining conventions, engaging with industry leaders, exploration companies, drilling contractors, investors, and government representatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Major Drilling Group International: Canadian-headquartered drilling services company specializing in mineral exploration and production drilling for major mining clients worldwide. Closely comparable business model, rig fleet composition, and customer base to Zenex.
• Perenti (formerly Ausdrill): Large Australian mining services group with drilling services division serving major mining clients. Comparable in drill rig fleet composition, mining customer base, and diversified drilling service offering (exploration, production, geotechnical).
• Boart Longyear: World's largest mineral exploration and production drilling services contractor, offering a similar integrated drilling services model to mining and exploration clients globally. Directly comparable in core services (RC, diamond core, sonic drilling) and Tier 1 mining customer base.
• DDH1 Drilling: Australian drilling services contractor providing exploration and production drilling to mining clients across Australia. Comparable in service offering, customer base, and recent international expansion ambitions.
• Capital Drilling (Capital Limited): Mining drilling services contractor with strong presence in emerging markets and Tier 1 mining client relationships. Comparable in service mix (exploration, RC, diamond core drilling) and focus on remote jurisdiction operating expertise.
• Foraco International: Global drilling services provider focused on mineral exploration, geotechnical, and production drilling. Operates in remote and emerging markets with similar Tier 1 mining clients, making it a direct comparable in service offering and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Epiroc: Major mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer that also offers drilling services and aftermarket support. Comparable through the rig equipment Zenex operates (5x DML Epiroc) and the broader mining drilling ecosystem.
• SLB (Schlumberger): Global energy services giant with broad capabilities across drilling, evaluation, and production. Overlaps with Zenex in drilling services for resource extraction but operates at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Imdex: Australian-listed mining technology and consumables provider with drilling fluids, downhole tools, and drilling productivity solutions. Adjacent to Zenex's drilling services through the shared mining drilling customer base and Australian listing.
• Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Major mining equipment manufacturer with a growing drilling services and consumables offering. Comparable through the rig fleet Zenex operates (UDR650 and UDR1200HC Sandvik) and the mining drilling solutions ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zenex-drilling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Zenex Drilling