Watson Drilling

At Watson Drilling, we are a leading, innovative resource and water drilling organisation that has been serving Australia with our technologically advanced fleet of drilling rigs and support equipment. Our journey began in the 1930s, and since then, we have grown into a highly respected and reliable contract drilling service provider.

Our company's traditional expertise lies in water well drilling, particularly in the Great Artesian Basin. However, over the years, we have strategically expanded our services to cater to the energy and resources sectors as well. Our team comprises of highly experienced drillers, offsiders, and maintenance staff who ensure that all field operations are conducted safely, efficiently, and productively. The majority of our drillers are licensed water well drillers, including class 3 licenses in most states.

We take pride in maintaining a fleet of modern, well-maintained rigs, vehicles, and support equipment. Our maintenance team is dedicated to ensuring that all equipment meets safety and compliance regulations at all times. We believe that preventative maintenance is key to maximising production and minimising downtime.

Our company is committed to continuous improvement and adheres to industry best practices. Our primary objective is to provide a high-quality, diverse, and reliable contract drilling service to all sectors of the industry. We are innovative, focused on evolution, and have a definite 'can-do' attitude.

Our Services

Watson Drilling owns and operates thirteen modern multipurpose rigs. Our exploration drilling and services include:

• Down-hole hammer
• Pump Testing
• Exploration Wireline coring as well as conventional coring up to depths of 1500 meters
• RC drilling
• RAB
• Mobile camps

We also offer additional plant and equipment for hire, including back hoe, excavator, mud pumps, generators, light towers, test pumps, and more.

Our History

Our story began in the 1930s when W L Watson and his father were employed as exploration drillers on the deep leads of Victoria in pursuit of alluvial gold. However, the business was interrupted by World War II and the subsequent decline of gold prices. Post war, W L Watson shifted his attention to the water contained in ancestral riverbeds and countless bores for stock and domestic purposes.

In the 1980s, under John Watson (son of W L Watson), Watson Drilling grew into central Victoria's leading alluvial drilling contractors, including gold exploration. In the late 1980s, Watson Drilling focused its attention on the little explored deep ground water basins of southern New South Wales. We established a permanent base in Deniliquin in 1988.

In the 1990s, we experienced significant growth and modernisation of our fleet with heavy-duty rigs being purchased to undertake the greater depths and larger diameter holes required. We also added electric and gamma logging equipment to help identify the potential of aquifers. Full test pumping equipment was added to our fleet, enabling pump testing from litres per second up to 300 litres per second out of the various size.

Over the years, Watson Drilling has evolved into a leading, innovative resource and water drilling organisation, committed to providing high-quality services to the private, mining corporate, rural, and government sectors.