In the top mineral-producing states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas, Guerrero and beyond, mining companies count on Major Drilling to mobilize for their exploration projects on the surface and to support production underground. Major Drilling Mexico’s reputation for satisfied clients, dedicated leadership and capable teams is solid after more than three decades of doing business. These strengths, and a host of other specialized drilling services, keep mining moving forward in the region.
Tapping the branch’s ability to expertly mobilize drills across the unique landscapes of the globe’s highest-producing silver country is one of the world’s largest producers, Pan American Silver, with its impressive La Colorada Mine in the state of Zacatecas.
Today, Pan American Silver remains a stalwart drilling customer both on the surface and underground.
“We’ve enjoyed a long and productive partnership with Major Drilling,” said Christopher Emerson, Vice President of Exploration for Pan American Silver in Mexico. “The support from their drilling teams has contributed to our success at La Colorada Mine, as well as various exploration and near mine site drill programs across the Americas.”
The Mexican flag flies from the top of a Major 50 diamond drilling rig at the Pan American Silver La Colorada Mine.
Major Drilling’s position as the leading specialized drilling contractor in the world, both in terms of workforce and fleet, brings greater opportunities to strategically align with the purpose and values of not only Pan American Silver, but each valued client. Major Drilling teams work hard to meet goals in sustainability and partnership that help discover the world’s minerals for building a better future.
Targeting An Innovative Future
Grateful for the relationship with Pan American Silver is Mexico Branch General Manager David Boucher. He’s excited to be celebrating 30 years with Major Drilling in 2025. “Congratulations to David on his milestone with us as we celebrate his leadership of our Major Drilling Mexico family of team members for thirty strong years,” Denis Larocque, Major Drilling President and CEO, said. “Together, they’ve helped our customers thrive in the region, helping Major Drilling become, and remain, a trusted supplier of mine services and exploration.”
Boucher says his team is proud to support the work of the region’s biggest clients while standing ready to take on any type of project. “We want to help all of the exploration and mining companies here in Mexico,” he explained. “All clients are important—big or small. My job is to show each one that they’re of the utmost importance to us.”
David Boucher hosts the Major Drilling booth during PDAC 2025.
The Major Drilling Mexico team that achieved the branch’s deepest NQ diameter hole in Mexico poses with core drilling equipment on site at the Bismark Mine in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 2019.
One way to do that is to keep new technologies moving forward. Rod handling rigs enhanced the longtime partnership with Hecla at San Sebastian Mine in Durango.
“Currently, we’re working on installing the Rock5 data analytics consoles on the rigs right here in Mexico,” Boucher said. “The idea behind the system is so we can use the drill info to enhance safety, performance and efficiency at drill sites, so we’re very excited to offer timely drill data.”
Major Drilling Mexico teams support the San Nicolás project, a joint venture of Agnico Eagle and Teck.
The innovation continues in a drill, image, automate sequence carried forward by the partnership with DGI GeoScience, which provides borehole survey data and KORE Geosystems which automates the logging of core samples.
Some of the largest-scale projects that have been supported by Major Drilling teams over the years have been the Peñasquito Mine (Newmont), Los Filos Gold Mine (Equinox Gold) and the San Nicolás Project (Agnico Eagle/Teck). In late 2019, it was at the Bismark Mine (Industrial Peñoles) in Chihuahua, that Major Drilling teams achieved the branch’s deepest NQ hole in the country at a depth of 1,985 meters (over 6,512 feet).
Innovation partner DGI Geoscience on site with our Major
Drilling Mexico team.
“With rod handlers on rigs, adding cameras, data analytics consoles, looking at satellite internet connectivity—as a company we’re moving forward with a lot of new tech for our customers,” Boucher said.
Standards of Success – A True Team
Over the years, sustainability initiatives including rallying attention toward Women in Mining, breakthroughs in innovation, and increased adherence to safety programs have defined the work and the people who are the heart of the branch. Currently, Mexico Assistant Branch Managers Cory Crawford and Simon Arsenault, Controller Joel Romero, Purchasing & Inventory Manager Francisco Lopez, and HSEC Manager Morgan Dunn, are helping their team accomplish the daily operations to help clients get results at their projects.
Morgan Dunn
Cory Crawford & Simon Arsenault
Boucher does his best to mentor them as he was mentored by those who came before him like Kelly Johnson and Bob Morgan, the Branch’s first general manager, whose advice helped David realize that what is learned on the job could only help him grow as a leader. Paying it forward, Boucher has a direct hand in helping others in Major Drilling grow. Canada Business Operations Manager Kevin Buttimer, with Major Drilling since 2004, was a previous Mexico Branch Assistant General Manager.
Major Drilling Mexico teams at the La Colorada Mine owned by Pan American Silver.
Dulce Munoz
Now a 30-year veteran with the company, he looks back at how it all began through a key connection to Major Drilling’s first President and CEO, Ron Goguen, who employed Boucher on his farm during the summer of 1987. After achieving a university degree in Chemistry and further studies in environmental tech, Boucher accepted Goguen’s offer to work in drilling and move to Mexico. While awaiting a passport, he got critical hands-on drilling experience at Ideal Drilling (a foundational drilling company leading to the formation of Major Drilling Group International) in Bathurst, New Brunswick.
After a memorably bumpy international flight, on January 5, 1995, Boucher touched down in Mexico, ready to embark on his long-haul drilling career. In 2012, he became the Mexico Branch Manager in Hermosillo and has remained a fixture in the region’s greater drilling community guiding the Major Drilling branch and representing it at various trade shows and industry events.
Dulce Munoz is the Human Resources Manager at the Mexico Branch, and is one of Boucher’s longest-tenured co-workers. She’s part of the company’s success story in Mexico as it marks Boucher’s milestone work anniversary and acknowledges how the team feels like extended family. Boucher is grateful for the support of his branch mangers and the team as a whole because, as he says, “When it comes to Major Drilling’s success, it’s not jut one person doing it, it’s a team effort—a family effort.”
¡Viva Major Drilling México por su aniversario de operaciones y liderazgo!
Supporting local community activities, Major Drilling sponsored this soccer/futbol team in 2025.
Simon Arsenault and David Boucher with the drill crew at the Cuercurpe Project.
Follow Major Drilling on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram to receive the latest company news and updates. Major Drilling Group International Inc. is the world’s leading provider of specialized drilling services primarily serving the mining industry. Established in 1980, Major Drilling has over 1,000 years of combined experience and expertise within its management team. The Company maintains field operations and offices in North America, South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Major Drilling provides a complete suite of drilling services including surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water-well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive/longhole drilling, surface drill and blast, a variety of mine services, and ongoing development of data-driven, high-tech drillside solutions.
