Wesley Keating

Wes was tired of the suit and city life and found himself searching for drilling companies online after talking with his brother who works as a helicopter pilot in the Yukon. “I grew up on Vancouver Island where these types of jobs and this type of work isn’t as accessible and a lot of young people don’t even know it is an option.” Wes came across Hy-Tech and was impressed by how professional they were and applied as a driller’s helper in April 2012. He travelled to Smithers B.C. where he undertook the Driller’s Helper Course at Hy-Tech and has been working with them ever since.

The driller’s helper course was two weeks, one week on the drill and one week in the classroom completing
various certification such as first aid and propane certification. “I have travelled to the Tundra and I just
returned from Portugal, I have seen a lot of B.C. and a lot outside of B.C.. It is a great way to see beautiful remote areas you wouldn’t normally visit.”

Wes’ work shift is 28 days in camp followed by a 14 day break. On the drill, the helper is responsible for providing support to the driller in obtaining solid core samples. It is hard physical work where the helper must pull rods, empty full core tubes, assist in setting up and taking down the drill and anything else necessary to complete the job. “The helper pretty much does everything except run the drill!”

“I enjoy the dynamic environment working with different drillers on different projects; it is a great way to learn
from a variety of people”. Wes hopes to work towards becoming a driller, with a longer term goal of being a part
of management. “It is a great team environment, Hy-Tech is very professional and I look forward to my future within this industry.”