Page 51 - pd284-July20-mag-web_Neat

MInInG connect

Richard Bennett Managing Director, Strike Drilling Pty Ltd

Shortly after starting Strike Drilling in 2013, Richard these days that outlet is rally car driving. A feather in his
Bennett purchased a 67 Rally Mustang to feed his passion cap was the Classic Outback Trial and Sydney to London
for racing. While the exhilaration of travelling high speeds Marathon in 2014. “We painted the Mustang [white] with
would satisfy the needs of many, not Bennett. “I found the red and blue stripes for the Royal Flying Doctors Service
circuit racing too boring and too controlled. Maybe that [RFDS] and raised a lot of money for them. RFDS is relative
is the exploration in me – the excitement of not knowing to our business and to mining and exploration in general;
what is around the corner, that is the biggest shot in the they do an amazing job,” Bennett, who participates in many
arm and adrenaline rush for me. I can’t sit still, I have a Target West events, said.
busy mind,” Bennett told Paydirt.
Raised on a Hopetoun farm on Western Australia’s south
coast and beginning in the drilling industry from a young
age, Bennett says he’s always had a need for speed and

N ext up is the Silver Fern Rally in New Zealand during PD: The most memorable projects you have been involved in?
November, however, right now recovering from a broken
RB: Drilling at Lake Mackay for IGO Ltd. It is a very
leg sustained on a ski trip in Japan in January is the
remote location, which you realise more so when there
immediate focus. So, despite a pending physio session to
is a breakdown.
see if that steel rod and leg were in-sync, Bennett hobbled
his way through West Perth on a wet day to meet with Anyway, it happened on a Sunday and within an hour we had
a motor on the back of a truck at our Kewdale yard in Perth
Paydirt. Weather and general life circumstances aside, and planned the route we wanted our two drivers to take to
for those that know the father of three, Bennett was his get to site. Meanwhile, the crew in the field were not qualified
typically enthusiastic self. mechanics but had the motor stripped down, which is exactly
what we want; very much hands on, invested and learning.
PD: What is the hardest part of being a driller?
Within two days we had driven 4,200km to Lake Mackay
RB: The hardest bit is ticking all the boxes, the actual and back and had that machine up and running. They are the
in the spotlight
drilling is just one small component. If you are a good things I love, the logistics snapping into action with a plan and
leader some of that stuff comes easy. everyone working together and we came away with a really good
If you are organised, you’ll be respected by your clients and outcome.
boss. You are only as good as your last job and a driller has to We drilled for 7.5 months and that machine was down five days
understand they are the company’s business card in the bush.
in total, which included that breakdown. For me rig utilisation,
PD: Favourite music to listen to while on a drilling shift? working remotely, and crews travelling 650km to Alice Springs
RB: Powderfinger to switch shifts takes a lot. There is a lot of pressure on some of
these younger people which haven’t had that much experience
PD: How do you recover from a bad day? but you give them some encouragement and back them in it is
RB: Come up for air, don’t keep bottling things up, everyone amazing what good you can get out of people.
needs to talk. I remember bad days drilling myself and you Another job that I remember well was with Dacian Gold Ltd at Mt
just beat yourself up thinking about everything. Morgan. We weren’t the cheapest, and generally aren’t, but they
Sometimes just turning the drill rig off, going for a walk in the believed in what we could do and we had five rigs on that project
bush, taking in the clean air and kicking a couple of rocks in November 2015. The work was tough, but we were awarded
does wonders. Everyone needs to come up for air. If it was that job and a week later we were had 5 RC Rigs on double
all easy and there were no challenges it would be boring. shifts. It’s fantastic what a small and driven operations team can
Challenges are where you learn. do in such a short amount of time. Its that can do attitude.
PD: Tips for young drillers on surviving the bush? PD: What drives the people at Strike Drilling?
RB: Communicate, don’t panic and remember although RB: Family is the No. 1 thing for me and comes ahead of
you might be remote, we’ll give you all the tools needed. business and that importance and value of family leads
Be sensible, take your time. It is a dangerous paddock out into my business.
there when the heat is on, so you have to remember to keep We are a good-sized company and while it is cliché, that is the
your head down and communicate. backbone. If you don’t sign up to our formula it is not going
to work. We have plenty of time to teach the right people. We
PD: Biggest challenge for the mining industry in next 12 want our people to be good people. When you get on a plane,
months? smile, let others in first, be polite – just be a good person.
RB: Keeping China on side but opening up new relations That is our philosophy and is a major reason for our staff
with export and not being so reliant on China. retention [80 people]. We have a happy office, there is never
Everything is commodity driven and hopefully we can get an argument, not everyone has the perfect day, but everyone
worldwide employment back on track. The impact [of works hard. If you are respectful, polite and smile and do all
COVID19] will be long lasting, but hopefully not, although I am those decent things, that is a currency that will get you all over
a little nervous. There are young people with businesses who the world.
put everything into their business and we need to encourage
them to keep doing so. We need to listen more, talk less.
aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT JULY 2020 Page 51