Can you introduce Groupe Rouillier and the company’s highlights in recent months? 

The Rouillier Group is a group of several subsidiaries. Our various subsidiaries operate in diamond drilling as manufacturers of equipment and consumables for the mineral exploration and geotechnical sectors. We have MBI Global (encompassing Versadrill and G-Tech Drill), Forage Rouillier, as well as aboriginal companies affiliated with us. We have Youdin Rouiller Drilling in Cree territory, Avataa Rouiller Drilling in Nunavik, and we are building others in connection with First Peoples. 

The biggest highlight has been the commercialization of our stand-alone drilling rig. We now have three stand-alone drills, built by MBI Global with the participation of Forage Rouillier. We have been very successful in marketing them. They reduce operating costs and are interesting in terms of health and safety. Autonomous drills aim more precisely, so operators need fewer drill holes. At the Goldex mine, with just one operator we were able to drill two drills. Instead of having four people at the same time, we only needed one, with fantastic results.

Will the future of drilling be autonomous? 

During the spring we received visits from mining companies from Australia, Chile, and the USA, who are very interested in our autonomous drilling machines. We gave practical demonstrations. The companies are also very interested in connectivity, and the fact that we are linked from the surface with our drill rig, which is underground. We have signed research agreements to connect devices with our autonomous drills to get the best information so that geologists can identify the best targets. The majors are certainly interested. Next year, I'd like to see exploration companies looking at this technology.

How does the current environment for juniors impact your operations? 

The industry is not riding the wave now. Financing is very difficult for juniors. Yet there is an urgent need for more exploration, particularly as global reserves continue to decline. Chile, a major copper producer, has explored extensively on the surface and is now obliged to go deeper. To meet this demand, we have created a drill capable of going to depths of over 3,000 meters. We already have one such rig on site, and a second is currently being shipped to a company that used to operate in lithium but has now turned to copper. The next few years will see a lot of exploration in copper; there is no choice.  

Can you detail your partnership with the University of Québec Abitibi Témiscamingue? 

We are working with UQAT on a research project on doing business with First Peoples. UQAT is going to help us in our approach because Groupe Rouiller's development will depend on these developments with the First Peoples.

Will the driller become more versatile going forward?

For Groupe Rouillier, we are continuing to work on drill pipe handling. We are trying to improve this because we aim to touch nothing by 2030. In Chile, drillers don’t touch anything, everything is automated. The drilling trade lacks specialized manpower. The advantage of the automated drill is that it no longer takes the driller five years to train, but months. In the future, we won't just be talking about drillers, but drill technicians. 

What is your outlook for Québec’s mining industry in the coming months? 

With metal prices benefiting the major players, I expect that the industry will take off again this fall. We need to drill, it's urgent. The Quebec market is excellent, and the province is a world reference that opens doors for us everywhere. As an equipment manufacturer, this sets us apart from the fierce global competition.

What will be the priorities for Groupe Rouillier looking ahead? 

We have a growing base in Chile, and we are going to expand and solidify our presence in South America.  Beyond that, we will continue to work on drill pipe handling in terms of health safety, and automation. We will be working on water monitoring and energy consumption while continuing our community investments.