Mauritania Has the Minerals. CED Wants to Bring the Drilling Firepower.
Friday Global Expansion | Mauritania | West Africa
Ghana. 🇬🇭
Côte d’Ivoire. 🇨🇮
Senegal. 🇸🇳
Mali. 🇲🇱
Guinea. 🇬🇳
And now we're heading north.
🇲🇷 Mauritania.
Less jungle.
More desert.
More dust.
More kilometres between places you would rather not break down.
And a seriously interesting combination of gold, iron ore, copper and emerging exploration targets.
For Cylinder Exploration Drilling, Mauritania represents a different challenge from the countries we've covered over the last five Fridays.
Because out here, the question isn't simply:
Can your rig drill the hole?
It's also:
Can your entire drilling operation survive the journey, the heat and the logistics required to get there?
That's where CED wants to make a difference.
Mauritania Is More Than a Gold Exploration Story
Mauritania already has an established mining industry.
The country is internationally recognised for its iron ore production, particularly around Zouérat and the northern mining corridor.
It also hosts major gold operations, including Tasiast, and the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine.
But the exciting part isn't just what has already been discovered.
It's what still needs drilling.
Greenfield exploration.
Near-mine targets.
Iron ore resource development.
Copper-gold systems.
Gold exploration beneath desert cover.
And new licences where companies are beginning to turn geological information into drill targets.
For CED, that's the opportunity.
Not simply supplying machines to an established mining industry.
Supplying the equipment needed to find what comes next.
2,702 Square Kilometres of Exploration Ground. Somebody Will Need to Drill It.
Here's a useful example.
Montage Gold has assembled approximately 2,702 km² of exploration permits in Mauritania, covering the Sfariat and Zednes areas.
Its 2026 plans include geological mapping, geophysical surveying, geochemical sampling and an initial Air Core and RC drilling campaign.
The company outlined approximately 15,000 metres of reconnaissance drilling for the fourth quarter of 2026.
That's exactly the type of programme that gets our attention.
Because when exploration companies move from geological mapping into actual drilling, the equipment conversation changes.
You need rigs.
You need compressors.
You need rods.
You need bits.
You need sample collection equipment.
You need fuel, water and spares.
And you need a plan to keep everything working in the middle of nowhere.
The geology might identify the target. The drilling operation has to reach it.
And New Gold Targets Are Emerging
At the Wompou gold project, exploration work has identified six priority drill targets following surface sampling that returned gold assays as high as 50.14 g/t.
Now, a surface assay is not a drill intersection.
It doesn't establish a resource.
And it certainly doesn't guarantee a mine.
But it gives exploration teams a reason to investigate further.
The next step is to test whether the mineralisation has meaningful continuity beneath the surface.
And that means drilling.
That's the moment CED wants to be involved.
Not after the rig has been ordered.
Not after the wrong compressor has arrived.
Not after somebody discovers the drill string doesn't match the equipment.
Before all of that.
When the programme is still being designed.
The Desert Doesn't Care How Impressive Your Drill Rig Looks
Let's talk about something more practical.
Mauritania is not the sort of country where you want to discover that your drilling package is missing half the equipment it needs.
Remote desert operations create their own problems.
High ambient temperatures.
Dust.
Long supply routes.
Water availability.
Fuel logistics.
Compressor cooling.
Hydraulic system temperatures.
Tyre and vehicle maintenance.
Crew welfare.
And the small matter of keeping equipment operating a long way from the nearest workshop.
A rig might look magnificent sitting in a factory.
The desert is a considerably less forgiving showroom.
That's why CED approaches remote exploration as a complete operating system.
The rig is only one part of it.
Air Core: Cover the Ground Before You Chase It Deeper
Early-stage exploration often requires relatively shallow drilling across a large area.
You're trying to answer basic questions.
What's beneath the surface cover?
Where does the geology change?
Does the geochemical anomaly continue?
Which targets deserve more expensive drilling?
For suitable ground conditions, Air Core drilling can be an effective way to generate shallow geological information.
CED supplies Air Core equipment and tooling for these types of programmes.
And our SFM7300 mobile drilling platform has been developed around Air Core, shallow RC and auger applications.
The concept is straightforward.
Move between targets.
Drill.
Sample.
Relocate.
Repeat.
On large exploration licences, reducing relocation time can be just as important as drilling faster.
But Air Core has its limitations.
Hard, competent rock or difficult ground conditions may require a different method.
Which brings us to RC.
RC Drilling in Mauritania: Air Is Everything
Reverse circulation drilling is one of the most useful tools for many gold and mineral exploration programmes.
It can deliver productive metreage and representative samples when the ground and equipment are suitable.
But here's the catch.
RC drilling is only as good as the air system behind it.
An RC rig without adequate compressor capacity is an expensive collection of hydraulic components.
And desert operations introduce additional considerations.
Ambient temperature.
Cooling performance.
Air filtration.
Pressure losses.
Depth.
Hole diameter.
Groundwater.
Hammer selection.
Drill string compatibility.
The correct compressor must be selected for the actual drilling conditions, including the effects of altitude and temperature on performance.
CED supplies RC rigs including the CEDRC450, alongside appropriately specified high-pressure compressors and supporting equipment.
We can build packages around the programme rather than selling the rig and hoping the rest works itself out.
Because in RC drilling:
The compressor isn't an accessory. It's part of the drilling system.
Diamond Drilling: When You Need to See the Rock
Eventually, the geology starts asking more complicated questions.
Where is the structure?
What's the orientation?
How does mineralisation change at depth?
What are the contacts?
What's happening beneath the oxide zone?
That's where diamond drilling becomes essential.
CED manufactures diamond drilling rigs ranging from compact portable systems to larger surface machines for deeper exploration.
PQ.
HQ.
NQ.
Different holes.
Different depths.
Different ground conditions.
Different requirements.
And Mauritania's mineral potential creates opportunities across gold, copper and iron ore exploration.
But a diamond drilling package must be selected with the entire programme in mind.
Not just the maximum depth printed on a brochure.
You need the right drill string.
Core barrels.
Bits.
Reamers.
Mud pumps.
Drilling fluids.
Casing.
Overshots.
Spare parts.
And an experienced team capable of managing the conditions encountered.
Because the hole doesn't care what the brochure promised.
Water Is Not a Minor Detail in Desert Drilling
Here's something that deserves considerably more attention.
Water.
Diamond drilling needs an appropriately managed circulation system.
RC programmes may also require water for dust suppression, injection or other operational purposes.
In an arid environment, water sourcing, transport, storage, quality and recycling can become major operational considerations.
You cannot simply assume there will be a convenient water source beside the drill pad.
Sometimes water availability influences the entire drilling strategy.
That might mean:
Water storage and transport capacity.
Recirculation and solids-control systems.
Drilling fluids selected for available water quality.
Properly planned consumption rates.
Backup supply arrangements.
And if the available water is saline or chemically challenging, the drilling fluids programme needs to be designed accordingly.
Water planning belongs in the drilling proposal. Not in the emergency meeting after mobilisation.
Enter the CED SFM Series: Exploration That Moves
Mauritania is exactly the type of environment that makes us excited about the CED SFM Series.
Our modular 6×6 exploration concept is being developed around a simple philosophy:
The rig should move. The support should move. The programme should keep moving.
The fleet includes:
SFM7200 — Surface Diamond Drilling
A mobile diamond drilling platform designed for exploration programmes requiring flexibility and relocation between targets.
SFM7300 — RC / Air Core / Auger
A multipurpose shallow exploration system for suitable reconnaissance and target-definition work.
SFM7600 — Exploration Support
A vehicle platform for moving equipment, tools, personnel and supplies.
SFMTS — Modular Trailers
Designed to support the movement of compressors, consumables, water, fuel and other equipment as required by the programme.
Of course, desert deployment still requires proper assessment of payload, tyres, ground conditions, cooling and vehicle suitability.
But the concept is important.
Stop thinking about a drill rig as one isolated machine. Start thinking about the exploration fleet.
Iron Ore and Copper: CED Isn't Only Chasing Gold
Gold gets plenty of headlines.
But Mauritania's mining industry is much broader.
Iron ore is a major part of the country's economy.
Copper-gold mineralisation creates additional exploration opportunities.
And different commodities generate different drilling requirements.
Iron ore exploration may involve resource definition, geological logging, geotechnical investigations and other drilling applications.
Copper exploration may require RC programmes, deeper diamond drilling and detailed structural information.
Gold exploration can involve everything from shallow reconnaissance to deep diamond holes.
One country.
Multiple commodities.
Multiple drilling methods.
That's exactly why CED is developing a broad exploration equipment range.
Consumables: The Small Parts That Stop Big Programmes
Let's say you've managed to get a rig, compressor and crew into the Mauritanian desert.
Everything is ready.
The programme starts.
And then you run out of the correct drill bit.
Or a hydraulic hose fails.
Or the hammer needs servicing.
Or a core barrel component breaks.
Congratulations.
You've successfully turned an exploration programme into a very expensive camping trip.
This is why CED pushes consumable and spare-parts planning so hard.
We can supply complete packages covering:
Diamond drilling consumables.
RC drill rods and tooling.
Air Core tooling.
Bits.
Hammers.
Core barrels.
Casing.
Mud pumps.
Drilling fluids.
Service items.
Critical spares.
And preventative-maintenance equipment.
The quantities should be based on expected metreage, operating hours, ground conditions and supply lead times.
A remote 15,000-metre programme needs a different support strategy from a short campaign beside an established mine.
Plan the inventory before you start drilling.
Sometimes the Missing Component Is a Driller
Equipment is one thing.
Experienced personnel are another.
CED can support projects with drillers, supervisors, mechanical fitters, commissioning, training and operational management.
And where the scope is suitable, we can discuss managed or contract drilling arrangements.
That's an important part of our international growth strategy.
We're not interested in becoming another company that ships equipment halfway around the world and disappears.
We want to understand the programme.
Supply the right equipment.
Support the crews.
And help keep the metres coming.
Because selling a drill rig is a transaction. Supporting a drilling operation is a relationship.
Why Mauritania? Why CED? Why Now?
Because the country already has a serious mining industry.
Because new gold exploration targets are emerging.
Because companies are advancing greenfield exploration licences.
Because Air Core and RC drilling are part of planned reconnaissance campaigns.
Because gold, copper and iron ore create a diverse range of drilling requirements.
And because remote desert exploration demands more than a machine with a mast.
Over the last six Fridays, we've travelled through:
🇬🇭 Ghana
🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire
🇸🇳 Senegal
🇲🇱 Mali
🇬🇳 Guinea
🇲🇷 Mauritania
Different countries.
Different geology.
Different operating conditions.
But one recurring commercial opportunity.
Exploration companies need equipment that works — and support that doesn't disappear after delivery.
That's the business CED is building.
Planning Exploration Drilling in Mauritania?
Then let's have a proper conversation.
What commodity are you targeting?
Gold?
Copper?
Iron ore?
What drilling method?
Air Core?
RC?
Diamond?
What hole diameter?
What target depth?
How many metres?
What are the expected ground conditions?
Where will the water come from?
How remote is the programme?
Do you need a compressor?
Consumables?
Spares?
Support vehicles?
Drillers?
Supervisors?
Mechanical support?
Or help managing the entire drilling operation?
Give us the target. Give us the depths. Give us the metres.
We'll work backwards from the hole.
Mauritania Has the Minerals.
CED Wants to Bring the Drilling Firepower.
Cylinder Exploration Drilling
Diamond. RC. Air Core. Compressors. Consumables. Personnel. Complete drilling packages.
Built for exploration. Built for difficult environments. Ready for Mauritania.
The Question
For exploration companies and drilling contractors operating in Mauritania:
What's the biggest challenge to getting more metres drilled — water availability, compressors, equipment reliability, logistics, consumables, experienced crews or remote-site support?
Comments