GEOPS: A Leader In Exploration

by Nov 23, 2020

No unachievable projects for us from a technical perspective

Vasil Andreev, Founder, Owner and CEO of GEOPS Balkan Drilling Services, spoke in an interview for CorD about Company’s success in Serbia and other markets

“Over the 15 years that GEOPS has been operating in Serbia, alongside geological explorations accounting for drilling of up to 1.5 million metres, this company has also been providing all other services, from road and site construction, directional drilling and trajectory management, to geophysical studies, hydro-geological testing and analysis”, according to the company’s Founder, Owner and CEO Vasil Andreev.

How many mining and geological surveying activities have you conducted to date and in how many countries are you currently active?
– The total volume of geological exploration activities, since the founding of the company until the present day, exceed 1.5 million drilled metres. This includes all major methods and technologies in core drilling: wireline coring, conventional coring; sonic; reverse circulation. We have also performed a significant number of drilling services with other technologies and for various purposes, such as: drilling for potable, technical and geothermal water; oil and gas drilling; work on oil and gas wells and others.

After investing continuously over these 15 years, we can now offer a one-stopshop in the field of geological exploration. In addition to classic drilling, this includes all support services, such as road and site construction, directional drilling and trajectory management, multilateral well drilling, geological services, geophysical studies, hydrogeological tests and analyses etc. Is it true that you’ve managed to drill to a depth of 3,000 metres and, if so, how and where was that exploratory work carried out?

Is that merely a result of the fact that you use the latest, state-of-the-art equipment, or is it primarily due to your staff including expert engineers of various specialisations?
– We have the capacity to reach depths of up to 3,500 metres. We have successfully completed dozens of wells with depths exceeding 2,000 metres in Serbia, Poland and Bulgaria. The deepest of them is 2,202 metres in Bor, Serbia. We also set a record of our own here in Serbia – by gaining a 292 mm diameter core from a depth of 630 metres. We strive to offer the latest trends in our profession. We determine our equipment specifically for each of our projects, and if necessary we design or procure new equipment.

We have the required conditions to design and produce. For this reason, there are no projects that are impossible/ unachievable for us from a technical perspective. With such depths and complexity of projects, the quality of staff is crucial. Many of our specialists have been working with the company since its inception.

These are drilling engineers, mining and mechanical engineers with many years of experience in the field of drilling. We are currently working in the Republic of Serbia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Portugal and Lithuania, while we expect new projects in Austria, Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Russia, Peru, Chile and Tunisia. We have a total of around 370 employees. Our Serbian staff consists of 155 people who work mainly in the Republic of Serbia, while some of them are engaged in Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Are you currently engaged in Serbia? What are your experiences of working in Serbia and do you have any other new projects agreed in our country, given that you are present in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe?
– Serbia is a leader in exploration and mining in the Balkans and Europe. It is normal for us to be focused on this market. Perfect conditions and guarantees have been created in Serbia for investors who need high-quality and well-equipped drilling companies.

The drilling companies that are already active on the market fully satisfy those needs. In fact, there is an excess of drilling equipment at the moment, which leads to intensified competition and much lower market prices for services than in previous years. However, on the other hand, the positive is the pursuit of more efficient and innovative work.