Oil Sands Mine Drilling

Since 2005, we have handled specialty drilling from Strathmore. Oil sands and mining projects across Western Canada stay in our scope. Environmental and geotechnical drilling round out our scope.

From Red Deer County, we support drilling projects across Alberta. We handle water well drilling and geothermal drilling. We also take on pre-drill pilings and cathodic protection for AC mitigation. When a site needs air rotary or mud rotary drilling, we bring both methods to the job.

Calgary, AB, CAN

CAOEC - Canadian Association of Energy Contractors Home About About CAOEC is the trade association for the Canadian energy services industry operating close to the wellhead from coast to coast to coast. Our members provide contract drilling and well servicing for explorers and producers on land and offshore. CAOEC was founded in 1949 and is the oldest oil and gas trade association in Canada. Based in Calgary, Calgary, AB.

Ensign Energy Services is a global land-based oilfield service contractor providing drilling, well servicing, and related technical services to the oil, natural gas, and geothermal industries. Core services include contract drilling (shallow, intermediate, and deep wells using technologically advanced rigs including ADR Automated Drilling Rigs), directional and horizontal drilling with MWD/LWD and downhole motors, well servicing and workovers, managed pressure and underbalanced drilling (MPD/UBD), and oil sands coring. Ancillary services include equipment rentals (BOPs, solids control, pumps, drill pipe), production flow-back and testing, transportation and rig mobilization, digital automation solutions (EDGE AUTOPILOT), and power management including generator rentals and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Ensign operates primarily in Canada, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East, and Australia.

Remote mine and industrial sites need drilling plans that match ground conditions, water control, and access limits. Foraco Calgary Canada Ltd works from Calgary, AB, with oil sands mine drilling and industrial drilling capability tied to Foraco International's global drilling group. We drill for mineral exploration and industrial water needs, including wells used for drinking water, irrigation water, and industrial water. That experience supports mine dewatering planning where reliable water access and subsurface knowledge are part of the same jobsite problem. Foraco has operated since 1961 and reports 255 operating drill rigs across its worldwide presence. Our teams are built for difficult field settings, including remote locations, Arctic territory, deserts, rain forests, and high-altitude areas. For oil sands, mining, and industrial clients near Calgary, our drilling conversations start with the site condition, target depth, water objective, and field access. The goal is a drilling plan that fits the asset, the terrain, and the operating window.

Earth Drilling provides oil sands mine drilling and geotechnical drilling services from Calgary, serving operators across Alberta with precision drilling solutions.

Calgary, AB, Canada

Coal, oil sands, and oil shale samples need clean preparation before test results can guide a mine plan or resource study. Birtley Coal & Mineral Testing, a division of Gwil Industries Inc, operates an independent commercial laboratory in Calgary for Canadian coal and oil and gas characterization work. We handle Laboratories-Testing for coal, organics, oil sands, tar sands, and oil shales. Our lab work gives resource teams measured data from prepared samples rather than field estimates or unchecked material. Bulk handling and sample preparation are part of the same workflow. When a coal or oil sands program sends material to Calgary, we can prepare the sample, run the laboratory analysis, and keep the testing path tied to the resource question. Our history serving the Canadian coal industry spans more than 45 years. The same coal and organics testing background applies to oil sands and tar sands projects that need a laboratory familiar with carbon-rich materials.

Drilling and geotechnical programs need practical rig knowledge, mechanical judgment, and field experience before a hole is started. Keystone Drilling is locally owned and operated from Airdrie, with owners Randy and Stefan bringing more than 60 years of combined drilling and consulting experience. We support oil sands mine drilling, geotechnical core drilling, drilling installations, consulting-informed drilling support, and projects where ground conditions have to be understood before construction or resource decisions move forward. Red Seal mechanical experience is a useful trust signal for equipment reliability and maintenance discipline. For oil sands, geotechnical, and construction-related drilling, Keystone is valuable when field execution and mechanical experience both matter to the result.

Oil sands mine drilling starts with ground data that can stand up to mine planning, tailings design, and construction decisions. Mikisew-ConeTec connects that need with ConeTec geocharacterization services from Calgary, including drilling, CPTu, in-situ testing, instrumentation, and final data reporting. ConeTec operates purpose-built equipment for truck, track, amphibious, over-water, and limited-access site investigation. That fleet lets us collect samples and soil data where access, soft ground, water, or active industrial conditions make a standard drill setup difficult. Mining geotechnique needs more than one test method. We combine drilling and sampling with geophysics and in-situ testing so mine owners and consultants can plan around real ground conditions. Our group includes ConeTec, Mud Bay Drilling, Mikisew-ConeTec, Lankelma, and Geotech Drilling, with more than 800 people worldwide and more than 20 locations. Calgary-based oil sands mine drilling programs can draw on that wider site investigation capability when local conditions call for specialized equipment or reporting.

Winter oilsands coring needs rigs that can move, set up, and drill in hard field conditions. RioBow Resources works from Strathmore, Alberta, on oil sands mine drilling and resource drilling programs. We have completed winter drilling contract work for oilsands coring wells at CNRL Horizon. That experience matches drilling programs where core quality, field access, and reliable equipment all affect the final result. Our rig fleet includes the KSRM and Versa drilling rigs. The Versa uses a 6x6 all-terrain drive mode and a small footprint, which suits resource drilling locations where access and ground disturbance have to be managed. RioBow plans drilling around the site, season, and well objective. Our Strathmore team supports oil sands mine drilling and related field drilling projects across Alberta resource areas.