IF YOUR DRILLING EQUIPMENT CAN’T REACH THE TARGET, IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW GOOD THE RIG IS.
ou have the coordinates.
The geology looks good.
The geophysics looks better.
The exploration team wants a hole drilled.
There's just one problem.
The road ended 30 kilometres ago.
This is where drilling specifications start becoming slightly less interesting.
It doesn't matter how impressive the pullback is.
It doesn't matter how powerful the rotation head is.
It doesn't matter what the brochure says about maximum drilling depth.
If the equipment cannot physically reach the target, you're drilling precisely nothing.
Remote mineral exploration has always been a battle between geology and logistics.
CED thinks the equipment should fight on the exploration team's side.
That's why we've been developing the CED SFM Series around a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series 6x6 platform.
Not one drilling vehicle.
An entire modular exploration system.
Remote Exploration Has an Access Problem
Some mineral deposits have the decency to sit beside established roads.
Many don't.
Gold doesn't care about your mobilisation plan.
Copper doesn't check whether there's a bridge.
Lithium doesn't relocate itself because the wet season has started.
The geology is where the geology is.
Exploration teams have to reach it.
That can mean dealing with:
Narrow exploration tracks
Soft ground
Sand
Mud
Steep terrain
Seasonal access
Dense vegetation
Limited bridges
Large licence areas
Remote camps
Long distances from established infrastructure
Traditional truck-mounted drilling equipment can be extremely capable.
But there are projects where size and weight become part of the problem.
That's where a different approach becomes interesting.
Why Build Exploration Equipment Around a Land Cruiser?
Walk onto remote exploration projects almost anywhere in the world and there is a good chance you'll eventually find a Toyota Land Cruiser.
There's a reason.
They've become a familiar platform across mining, exploration, construction and remote operations because they're designed for difficult working environments.
CED looked at that platform and asked a different question.
What if the Land Cruiser didn't just carry the drilling crew?
What if it carried the drilling capability?
What if the same platform could be engineered for diamond drilling?
RC?
Air Core?
Auger?
Water well drilling?
Underground drilling support?
Fuel?
Water?
Consumables?
Tools?
What if trailers could extend the system even further?
That's where the SFM Series started becoming considerably more interesting.
What Is the CED SFM Series?
The SFM Series is CED's family of mobile drilling and exploration-support platforms built around a common 6x6 mobility concept.
The current family includes:
SFM7200 — Surface Diamond Drilling
SFM7300 — RC / Air Core / Auger Drilling
SFM7400 — Water Well Drilling
SFM7500 — Underground Drilling
SFM7600 — Exploration Support Vehicle
SFM-TS — Modular Trailer Systems
Each platform solves a different operational problem.
Together, they are designed to create something bigger:
A mobile exploration fleet.
Why 6x6?
Because adding drilling equipment changes what a vehicle is being asked to do.
Payload increases.
Weight distribution changes.
Traction matters.
Stability matters.
The vehicle may be carrying specialised equipment rather than simply passengers and luggage.
A 6x6 conversion gives CED a larger platform around which to engineer the exploration configuration.
Depending on the specific vehicle and configuration, the SFM platform can support payloads of up to approximately 4 tonnes.
That creates room to think beyond transport.
Drilling equipment.
Water.
Fuel.
Tools.
Consumables.
Workshop equipment.
Support infrastructure.
The vehicle becomes a working part of the exploration programme.
SFM7200: Take Diamond Drilling Further
Diamond drilling gives geologists something enormously valuable:
Core.
Actual rock.
Structure.
Alteration.
Mineralisation.
Geotechnical information.
The problem is that diamond drilling equipment and all the equipment supporting it still have to reach the target.
The SFM7200 takes the SFM mobility philosophy and applies it to surface diamond drilling.
The platform is designed around wireline diamond drilling capability while retaining the mobility advantages of the 6x6 vehicle concept.
Depending on drilling configuration, the SFM7200 is designed around capacities including approximately:
BTW — 650 metres
NTW — 600 metres
HTW — 400 metres
That puts meaningful diamond drilling capability onto a highly mobile platform.
And that's where the concept becomes useful.
We're not talking about drilling ten metres with something strapped to the back of a pickup.
We're talking about building a serious exploration drilling system around a vehicle platform designed to move.
SFM7300: RC, Air Core and Auger From One Mobile Platform
Early-stage exploration doesn't always require diamond core.
Sometimes the geological question is better answered with RC.
Sometimes Air Core.
Sometimes Auger.
The SFM7300 is designed around that flexibility.
CED can configure the platform for shallow RC, Air Core and Auger drilling applications depending on project requirements.
That makes the SFM7300 particularly interesting for exploration programmes moving across multiple targets.
One project may be conducting shallow reconnaissance.
Another may need Air Core drilling.
Another may require RC.
The exact configuration changes.
The underlying mobility philosophy doesn't.
Get the drilling equipment closer to the geology.
But RC Needs Air
This is where designing only the drill rig would be missing the point.
RC and Air Core drilling require compressed air.
So now the compressor needs to reach the target too.
A wonderfully mobile RC rig with a compressor stuck beside the main road isn't much of a remote drilling solution.
CED can configure compressor packages around the drilling requirements, including mobile and tracked options depending on the project.
For the SFM Series, compressor mobility can also be integrated with the SFM-TS modular trailer system.
Rig in front.
Compressor behind.
Now the whole system starts moving.
SFM7400: Because Remote Exploration Needs Water Too
Water is one of those things everybody assumes will somehow appear.
Until it doesn't.
Remote exploration camps need it.
Diamond drilling can need it.
People definitely need it.
And some exploration projects operate in areas where establishing a reliable groundwater supply becomes an operational requirement in its own right.
The SFM7400 extends the 6x6 concept into water well drilling.
The idea is straightforward.
If the location is difficult enough to require highly mobile exploration equipment, there is a reasonable chance that conventional water-well equipment may face similar access challenges.
So bring water-well drilling capability onto the same mobility platform.
SFM7500: Underground Equipment Still Has to Get to the Mine
Underground drilling presents a different set of challenges.
Space.
Access.
Transport.
Mobilisation.
Equipment dimensions.
Moving drilling equipment between working areas can become a significant part of the operation.
The SFM7500 extends CED's SFM concept into underground diamond drilling applications.
Again, the focus isn't simply the drilling machine.
It's mobility.
How does the equipment reach the operating area?
How easily can it move?
What supporting equipment needs to move with it?
Those questions matter underground just as much as they do on a remote surface exploration programme.
SFM7600: The Vehicle That Keeps Everybody Else Working
This may be the least glamorous vehicle in the SFM family.
It may also become one of the most useful.
The SFM7600 is CED's dedicated exploration-support platform.
No drill head.
No core barrel.
No RC cyclone.
Instead, it carries the things that keep those machines operating.
Depending on configuration:
Fuel.
Water.
Tools.
Drilling consumables.
Spare parts.
Workshop equipment.
Personnel.
Project supplies.
With payload capability of up to approximately 4 tonnes depending on final configuration and operating requirements, the SFM7600 can be engineered around the support role required by the project.
Because the drill rig gets the attention.
The support system keeps it drilling.
Then Add the SFM-TS
Not everything needs its own powered vehicle.
That's where the SFM-TS modular trailer system comes in.
The SFM-TS can be configured around different project requirements, including:
Compressor packages
Water storage
Fuel support
Drill rods
Casing
Diamond drilling consumables
RC equipment
Air Core equipment
Tools
Critical spares
Workshop equipment
Project-specific support systems
This allows CED to add capacity without automatically adding another complete support vehicle.
And it creates some interesting combinations.
SFM7200 + SFM-TS
Diamond drilling rig.
Water.
Rods.
Consumables.
Tooling.
Support equipment.
Now the diamond drilling platform can move with more of the equipment required to keep it productive.
SFM7300 + SFM-TS
RC or Air Core rig.
Compressor.
Rods.
Tooling.
Sampling equipment.
Consumables.
Again, the objective isn't merely getting the rig off-road.
It's getting the drilling system off-road.
SFM7600 + SFM-TS
Now you're building a serious support package.
The SFM7600 carries substantial project equipment.
The trailer adds additional capacity or a specialised configuration.
Water.
Fuel.
Consumables.
Workshop.
Compressor.
The exact combination depends on the project.
That's why CED calls the system modular.
There shouldn't be one universal exploration vehicle.
There should be a platform capable of being configured around the job.
Remote Exploration Isn't Just About Four-Wheel Drive
This distinction matters.
Putting aggressive tyres on a vehicle doesn't create a remote exploration system.
The complete operation needs to be considered.
Payload.
Weight distribution.
Equipment mounting.
Power.
Hydraulics.
Drill-string storage.
Fuel.
Water.
Air.
Maintenance.
Spares.
Consumables.
People.
Trailers.
Shipping.
Field servicing.
Everything interacts.
That's why CED's objective with the SFM Series goes considerably beyond producing something that looks impressive parked outside a workshop.
It has to function as exploration equipment.
The Target Depth Matters
Remote access doesn't automatically mean shallow drilling.
That's another misconception.
Some difficult-access targets require relatively shallow reconnaissance.
Others require substantial diamond drilling depth.
The correct SFM configuration therefore starts with the geological programme.
How deep are the targets?
What drilling method?
What hole diameter?
How many metres?
What ground conditions?
What access?
What support infrastructure exists?
How often will the rig move?
What equipment has to follow it?
Answer those questions and we can start building the package.
Gold Exploration: Follow the Structure, Not the Road
Gold exploration provides an obvious application for mobile drilling systems.
Prospective structures don't necessarily follow established infrastructure.
Greenfield exploration programmes may need to test multiple targets spread across substantial licence areas.
The ability to move drilling equipment efficiently between those targets can have a major effect on programme logistics.
Air Core may be appropriate for shallow reconnaissance.
RC may test targets deeper.
Diamond drilling may then provide detailed structural and geological information.
Different methods.
Potentially one broader mobile exploration ecosystem.
Copper Exploration: Bigger Targets, Bigger Logistics
Copper exploration can involve enormous target areas and substantial drilling programmes.
Some of the world's prospective copper regions are also extremely remote.
That creates an interesting logistical challenge.
The deeper the drilling requirement becomes, the more equipment and support infrastructure generally needs to accompany the operation.
The SFM concept isn't intended to replace every conventional deep drilling rig.
That would be ridiculous.
It's intended to give exploration companies another tool where mobility and access are major constraints.
Use the equipment that fits the project.
Lithium and Critical Minerals
The global push for lithium and other critical minerals is expanding exploration into new jurisdictions and underexplored terrain.
Some targets are easy to reach.
Others very much aren't.
For early-stage exploration, being able to deploy smaller and more mobile drilling systems can help companies test targets without immediately building heavy access infrastructure.
That's particularly interesting where the programme needs to move quickly across multiple prospects.
Again:
The drilling method follows the geological question.
The mobility system helps it reach the question.
Africa: An Obvious SFM Market
Africa contains some of the world's most exciting mineral exploration opportunities.
It also contains some spectacularly difficult logistics.
Long distances.
Seasonal roads.
Remote camps.
Limited local equipment support.
Large exploration licences.
Rain.
Mud.
Sand.
Mountains.
Bush.
The exact challenge changes by country.
But across many projects, access becomes a significant component of exploration cost.
CED sees the SFM Series as particularly relevant to African exploration because the system is designed around that reality.
Not perfect roads.
Real exploration roads.
The Pacific: Different Terrain, Same Problem
The Pacific creates another version of the access challenge.
Island logistics.
Mountainous terrain.
Dense vegetation.
Limited road networks.
Ports.
Barges.
Helicopters.
Remote camps.
Equipment weight and dimensions can become critical before the rig even reaches land.
A modular approach gives exploration teams more options when planning mobilisation.
The equipment still has to match the project.
But mobility can no longer be treated as an afterthought.
South America: Mountains Change the Equation
South America brings another environment entirely.
Remote exploration can involve substantial distances, mountainous terrain and high-altitude projects.
Again, conventional drilling equipment absolutely has a place.
But so do smaller, highly mobile systems where the geology and drilling requirements permit them.
There isn't one perfect drilling rig.
There is only the correct drilling system for the project.
Middle East and Central Asia
Desert and steppe environments create different mobility problems.
Sand.
Heat.
Long distances.
Limited water.
Remote infrastructure.
Here, support capacity can become just as important as the drilling platform itself.
Fuel has to move.
Water has to move.
Compressors need to move.
Consumables need to move.
The SFM Series allows those requirements to be considered as part of one exploration fleet rather than unrelated purchases.
Why One Platform Matters
There is another advantage to building a family of equipment around a common vehicle philosophy.
Familiarity.
Drivers understand the vehicle platform.
Maintenance teams become familiar with common systems.
Spare-parts planning can become more coordinated.
Fleet management becomes simpler than operating a completely unrelated vehicle type for every task.
The drilling equipment itself will obviously vary substantially between configurations.
But the broader fleet concept creates useful commonality.
That's important when you're trying to operate equipment hundreds of kilometres from the nearest dealership.
Shipping the Fleet Matters Too
Before any of this equipment reaches the exploration site, it has to cross borders.
CED works internationally.
That means thinking about:
Containerisation.
Sea freight.
Ports.
Customs.
Inland transport.
Equipment dimensions.
Spare parts.
Consumables.
Commissioning.
A remote drilling system that is brilliant in the field but impossible to mobilise internationally isn't particularly useful.
The logistics need to be considered from the beginning.
Then Somebody Has to Operate It
Equipment is only part of the solution.
CED can also provide commissioning, operator training and drilling personnel where required.
That can include:
Drillers
Supervisors
Mechanical fitters
Commissioning personnel
Operational support
Some exploration companies want to buy equipment and build their own internal capability.
Others want CED to support the operation.
Others need something in between.
Again:
Build the model around the project.
We Are Not Trying to Replace Every Drill Rig With a Land Cruiser
This needs saying.
A 6x6 Land Cruiser platform is not the correct answer to every drilling programme on Earth.
Huge production programmes exist.
Very deep holes exist.
Mine sites with excellent infrastructure exist.
Heavy conventional rigs are absolutely the correct equipment for many applications.
CED manufactures larger drilling equipment too.
The SFM Series exists for a different reason.
There are exploration programmes where mobility is the problem.
And when mobility is the problem, building drilling equipment around a highly mobile platform starts making a lot of sense.
Stop Thinking About the Vehicle. Start Thinking About the Fleet.
This is the bigger CED idea.
The SFM7200 isn't just a diamond rig on a 6x6.
The SFM7300 isn't just an RC platform on a Land Cruiser.
The SFM7600 isn't simply a support truck.
The SFM-TS isn't simply a trailer.
Put them together and you begin creating a modular exploration fleet.
Diamond drilling.
RC.
Air Core.
Auger.
Water well.
Underground.
Fuel.
Water.
Air.
Consumables.
Maintenance.
Logistics.
Different configurations.
One mobility philosophy.
6x6 + DRILLING + SUPPORT
That is where CED is taking the SFM Series.
Not a novelty vehicle.
Not something built purely to look good at an exhibition.
A working exploration system.
The drilling platform reaches the target.
The compressor follows.
The rods follow.
The water follows.
The diesel follows.
The tools follow.
The spares follow.
The people follow.
And when the programme moves to the next target?
The fleet moves.
IF THE GEOLOGY IS REMOTE, THE EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO BE MOBILE.
Exploration companies don't get to choose where mineralisation occurs.
They only choose how they're going to reach it.
Sometimes that means building roads.
Sometimes it means helicopters.
Sometimes it means conventional truck-mounted equipment.
And sometimes the smarter answer may be a smaller, highly mobile drilling fleet engineered around difficult access from the beginning.
That's what CED is building with the SFM Series.
SFM7200 — Diamond
SFM7300 — RC / Air Core / Auger
SFM7400 — Water Well
SFM7500 — Underground
SFM7600 — Support
SFM-TS — Modular Trailers
One family.
Multiple drilling methods.
A complete remote exploration system.
REMOTE TARGET? DIFFICULT ACCESS? LET'S FIND A WAY TO DRILL IT.
Cylinder Exploration Drilling supplies drilling rigs, 6x6 mobile drilling platforms, compressors, pumps, drilling consumables, support vehicles, trailers, spare parts, commissioning, training and personnel for mineral exploration projects worldwide.
Planning a difficult-access exploration programme?
Send CED the location, drilling method, target depths, expected metres and access conditions. We'll look at the complete system required to reach it and drill it.
Over to the exploration teams
What's been the biggest access problem you've faced trying to get drilling equipment onto a remote target — roads, mud, mountains, rivers, vegetation or simply the sheer amount of equipment that had to follow the rig?
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