Trust Drilling entered the Brazilian market in 2022, driven by a critical need: to solve a serious performance challenge in underground mining projects. What began as a pilot project evolved at an accelerated pace, positioning the company for strategic expansion in high-value mineral exploration services. In a remarkably short period of three years, Trust Drilling has achieved one of the most significant growth rates in the sector and now operates 17 drill rigs across Brazil.
Technical legacy and integration
Founded in 2022 by Tiago Carrijo, Trust Drilling builds upon the legacy of its corporate group, Trust Soluções Geológicas (TSG). TSG is widely recognized as a national benchmark in specialized borehole logging and directional drilling services and was the first licensed user of BG Drilling Solutions’ CWT and CCT systems. This robust technical base, developed through highly complex projects for major companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, Nexa, Vale, and Jaguar Mining, propelled the creation and rapid expansion of Trust Drilling.
The Trust Group also includes CoreFinder, which developed and manufactured the GTF—the first Brazilian core orientation tool. Now in its third generation, the GTF has established itself as a precise and robust tool suited for both underground and surface operations, adding value and quality control to the group’s drilling programs.
Operations and logistical capacity
Currently, Trust Drilling employs more than 180 professionals and operates through three strategic regional offices. Managers and directors have more than ten years of experience providing services to the mining and drilling sectors. The technical team is composed of professionals with extensive drilling experience, as well as trainees who receive operational training internally at Trust.
One of the pillars of Trust’s accelerated growth is its strategic decision to design and build its own drilling rigs, supported by a dedicated in-house workshop. The resulting fleet standardization simplifies maintenance and speeds up parts replacement. It also significantly reduces operating costs and optimizes capital turnover.
The company has full capability to operate throughout Brazil, with proven experience in diverse geological environments, including the states of Goiás, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Norte, Pará, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Rondônia, and Rio Grande do Sul.
Trust Drilling currently operates 17 drill rigs and provides the following services to small-, medium- and large-scale mining companies and explorers:
- Surface and underground diamond core drilling;
- Directional drilling;
- Drilling and installation of deep horizontal drains;
- Production blast hole logging;
- Drill hole logging.
Advanced safety in drilling operations
Trust Drilling sets a standard of excellence in the mineral drilling sector by grounding its operations in non-negotiable internal values. Technology, Responsibility, Unity, Safety, and Transparency form the foundation of Trust.
Among these, operational safety is the central pillar of conduct and a key competitive differentiator that is maintained through rigorous processes. Trust’s dedication to safety and risk management is further reflected in the incorporation of cutting-edge engineering solutions across its entire drilling fleet that exceed market and regulatory standards.
Control and interlocking technology (CIT)
Trust Drilling’s rigs are equipped with an instantaneous rotation string interlocking system, developed by the company’s engineering team. The CIT system activates automatically after detecting a delimited risk zone entry or unauthorized access to operating platforms. It performs automatic drainage of the hydraulic system, causing the immediate stoppage of the rotation string. The rotation string remains inoperative until the safety area is verifiably cleared and a safety reset is performed by an authorized operator, ensuring effective risk isolation.
On-site safety infrastructure
Complementing the onboard technology, Trust’s drilling pads implement a rigorous physical safety protocol. Smart perimeter fencing ensures that the operational risk zone is fully enclosed with high-visibility physical barriers. Access sections of the perimeter fencing are equipped with opening sensors. Any breach or unauthorized opening of the fence triggers the interlocking system and the immediate shutdown of the drill, thus reinforcing perimeter safety.
Logistics and mobilization with zero lifting
Trust Drilling minimizes the risk of accidents by adopting a minimal lifting (zero lifting) policy in the movement and transportation of its equipment. Specialized roll-on/roll-off trucks are used to lower transport decks to ground level. This enables direct loading and securing of equipment, including the drill rig, onto the decks without the need for cranes or manual lifting operations. After the equipment is locked, the truck self-loads the deck onto the chassis in a fully mechanized process, ensuring safe and efficient transportation.
Innovative solutions in high-risk environments
Trust Drilling’s key differentiator is its ability to develop innovative methodologies and implement them to overcome technical challenges in high-risk geological environments.
Case study: Tailings dam stabilization
Managing safety in critical geotechnical structures, such as tailings dams and large mining slopes, requires strict control of pore pressure and the groundwater table. Water infiltration significantly compromises safety factors, increasing the risk of instability and liquefaction failures—a risk widely recognized in the industry.
A proven solution to mitigate this risk is the installation of Deep Horizontal Drains (DHDs). Traditionally, drilling for DHD installation is performed using the rotary percussion method. However, this technique presents two critical disadvantages. Percussion generates vibrations that can cause disaggregation of the soil mass. In addition, the use of drilling fluids increases local saturation and may temporarily reduce shear strength, thus compromising the structure’s safety factor.
In a critical intervention program executed for Vale, Trust Drilling proposed and successfully applied wireline diamond drilling technology for the installation of DHDs. This methodology fundamentally eliminates the operational risks of the conventional method and resulted in significant technical and commercial gains within the project.
Geotechnical safety and risk mitigation: The execution is vibration-free and performed without the use of fluids. By mitigating the risk of intervention-induced liquefaction, the methodology led to an increase in the safety factor of the monitored geotechnical structure.
Installation quality and drain integrity: The wireline system allowed drilling to be performed with full casing, maintaining borehole stability and integrity. Installation of the geomechanical drain pipe occured inside the drill rod string with the casing advancer method. This methodology enabled the installation of drains at greater depths and ensured a 100% utilization of the drilled space, preventing collapses and blockages.
High-precision vibrating wire monitoring: Additionally, the campaign included the installation of two vibrating wire monitoring systems. This technology is essential for real-time measurement of critical geotechnical parameters such as pore pressure and structural deformation, and provides vital data for continuous safety management. The use of wireline diamond drilling was crucial, as the precise drilling with minimal disturbance to the rock/soil mass ensured borehole integrity, allowing accurate and reliable sensor placement and elevating the project’s instrumentation standard.
Operational efficiency and productivity: The high penetration rate and robustness of diamond drilling ensured significantly higher productivity. In terms of campaign acceleration, the technology allowed faster execution (e.g., up to eight drains of 80 m (262 ft) per month, compared to an average of three using rotary percussion). This resulted in substantial operational cost savings and reduced overall exposure time to risk.
Upon completing the planned campaign, Trust was recognized by Vale’s Directorate of Geotechnics and Hydrogeology of the Southeast Corridor for the quality of its performance during the project and its dedication to safety and risk management.
Since 2022, Trust Drilling has consolidated this methodology and it has become one of the company’s strongest technical specialties. By demonstrating an ability to deliver high-impact solutions that align geotechnical safety and operational efficiency, Trust has positioned itself as a national reference in structural stabilization interventions.
Case study: Hybrid drilling in karst regions
The execution of mineral and geotechnical drilling campaigns in regions that intersect highly complex carbonate lithologies, characterized by the presence of caves, cavities, and large vugs, represents a significant challenge for the industry.
In these environments, standard diamond drilling requires telescopic drilling with successive diameter reductions, dramatically increasing non-productive time and, in many cases, limiting the final planned depth. In addition, passage through large voids may cause tool breakage and severe angular deviations.
In partnership with Nexa Resources across 2024–2025, Trust Drilling developed and implemented an innovative hybrid drilling solution to optimize penetration in these highly unstable zones. The methodology consists of the sequential integration of two technologies:
- Rotary percussion and case advancing: Advancing casing simultaneously with drilling to penetrate and seal the entire karst interval, preventing collapse, deviation and tool entrapment.
- Wireline diamond drilling: After stabilizing and sealing the highly unstable section, wireline diamond drilling continues inside the already installed casing, ensuring precise core recovery and controlled trajectory.
The successful application of the hybrid system resulted in substantial operational gains. This solution reduced karst-zone crossing times by more than 80% and significantly increased campaign productivity. A section that previously required up to ten days of drilling with a high risk of hole loss was completed and stabilized in a maximum of 1.5 days, allowing immediate transition to core drilling. Fully cased drilling further eliminated tool loss and deviation, ensuring that holes reached their designed depths with high quality and alignment.
By introducing this methodology to the Brazilian market, Trust Drilling reinforced its value proposition of technology and innovation. The approach improved operational efficiency in challenging geological scenarios and positioned the company as a strategic partner for the execution of highly complex projects.
Expansion horizons
With a solid operational foundation and proven technical excellence, Trust Drilling is focused on maintaining consistent, structured growth, aiming to consolidate its position among the largest drilling companies in Brazil. In parallel, the company is initiating its plans for international expansion, with the ambition of bringing its technical expertise to Latin America.
For more information: Visit trustdrilling.com
