Investors feeling upbeat about the strength of the global economy on the belief the headwinds from regional natural disasters and United Nations military intervention in Libya are only short-term bumps on the road to recovery should be looking at mineral and energy drilling contractors.

Global exploration spend is forecast to jump 39 per cent this year to $US16 billion, according to data from Mckinsey, Metals Economics Group and Boart Longyear . The forecast amount, which was shown in a presentation by drilling company Imdex this morning, exceeds the previous mining boom when spending peaked at $US13.2 billion in 2008.