/21 QUESTIONS
Exclusive interview with
questions
Peter Hall, CEO of the Australian Drilling Industry Association
Grigor Topev: How did you first get started in the drilling business? Peter Hall: When I left high school in 1977 I was looking to get a trade, as that was what most of my friends were doing at the time. Longyear Australia advertised for fitter and turner apprentices and a friend of mine worked there so I had some idea of what they did. I ended up getting the role and as they say, 40 years later ‘the rest is history’. GT: What is the strongest memory you have related to drilling? PH: The history and length of development that goes into manufacturing a decent piece of drilling capital equipment. I started in the industry when LY38 and LY44 rigs were the norm and they had been around for 30 years or more before that. Not long after in the early 1980s, the hydraulic top drive and underground rigs started appearing, but these also took many years of R&D and further development before they were fully established. I can recall people telling me at the time that hydraulic drill rigs wouldn’t be reliable enough to work underground! 4
Peter Hall
A drilling industry specialist with 35 years of experience working in the Australian exploration drilling sector, Peter Hall’s career has encompassed numerous areas of the industry and includes a long period at Boart Longyear Australia. While there, he performed roles in maintenance and product support, area sales management, product management and business development across the product sales and drilling services divisions. After Boart Longyear, Peter joined ADIA and is the CEO there today. Like many companies in the exploration drilling sector in recent years, ADIA has been through some tough times and has had to restructure its business. Now, there looks to be a period of growth ahead, so Peter says he is looking forward to doing what he can for the drilling industry.
This equipment is the backbone of the industry and the base from which everything else gets developed. GT: Is there any drilling project that you have been especially impressed by? PH: I first visited the Freeport Indonesia mine in West Papua in about 1986 when Longyear Australia delivered them a fleet of LM37 rigs. I continued to visit this site over the next 10 years to provide ongoing product support and training and was able to see first hand the massive increase in scale of the mining operation. This included the Longyear rigs being modified to drill an exploration program on a hillside top that became the Grasberg deposit. I was always impressed by the sheer isolation of the place and the massive engineering programs required to overcome the mountainous terrain. GT: You were with the BL sales division for many years. What is your advice to all the rig salesmen out there? PH: When approaching a new customer, ensure that you know your product well, as the customer will soon work out whether you do or don’t. Often they will already know
what they require and they are relying on you to correctly detail the specification and to deliver it to them. Be as honest with them as you can from the start, don’t promise what you can’t deliver and keep them well informed as the negotiation develops and then through the delivery process. If you can, be present for the on-site delivery and commissioning so that you can take care of any minor issues before they become major issues. This may not be necessary in subsequent sales, but will go a long way in building a strong relationship with a new customer. GT: What is the story of ADIA and what are your main duties as a CEO? PH: ADIA is a professional association, which exists to promote the business effectiveness of its members. As we are currently running with just a small number of staff, the CEO’s duties are wide ranging and include managing the day-to-day running of the Association (which functions just like a small business, with services to deliver and bills to pay), and delivering on the strategy initiatives as directed by the Board of Directions. In addition, I must ensure that our Coring Magazine #5