Yellow Jacket Drilling
Yellow Jacket Drilling Services is a privately held Western US drilling contractor operating approximately 40 specialized rigs across 14-15 states, serving environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy clients including BHP and federal agencies (DOE, DOD, NPS).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Yellow Jacket Drilling does
Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, LLC is a privately held drilling services contractor founded in 1998 by Richard LeBlanc and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The company operates a fleet of approximately 40 rigs across 14-15 states in the Western United States, employing over 150 field operational staff plus more than 20 administrative and management personnel. It serves environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy sector customers, with named enterprise clients including BHP and long-tenured environmental consultancies (Blaes Environmental, Matrix New World), alongside federal agency work at DOE Hanford, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Pantex Plant, DOD/DOE military installations, and the National Park Service.
Yellow Jacket's core offering is project-based drilling services spanning multiple methodologies — rotary, auger, direct push, sonic, dual rotary, mud rotary, air rotary, flooded reverse circulation, dual tube reverse circulation, hollow stem auger, and conventional/wireline coring — plus sampling/testing services (Simulprobe, Vap2Probe, Hydropunch, packer testing, Shelby Tube, SPT) and well installations ranging from monitor wells to 48-inch diameter production wells. Its fleet includes specialized assets such as the Terra Sonic TSI 150 series (sonic, 150 Hz oscillator), Foremost DR-24HD (dual rotary, 24-inch casing), Service King SK475 (largest water supply rig, 21,000 ft-lb rotary, 250,000 lb pullback), GEFCO Speedstar rigs (CH 50K, CH 40K, 110K), CME auger platforms, Geoprobe 7822DT, Pulstar pump rigs, and VACMASTER vacuum excavators, allowing adaptation to varying ground conditions. Notable defensive credentials include industry-leading 2025 safety metrics (TRIR 0.00 vs. industry average 3.0; EMR 0.52 vs. 1.0) and multi-platform contractor qualification certifications (ISNetWorld, Browz, Avetta/PICS, PEC Safeland/SafeGulf, EMS 385 USACE).
The company monetizes via custom-quoted project contracts with enterprise and government clients, supported by named regional sales representatives in Arizona (Tyrone Hatch), California (Molly Halfacre), Oregon (Jesse Reade), and Colorado (Bryan Adams), plus an online quote request workflow. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are typically multi-year. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, with multiple testimonials citing 20+ years of continuous engagement. No public pricing, funding events, or external investors are referenced; the business remains founder-owned, bootstrapped since inception, and operates without acquisition-driven inorganic growth.
Yellow Jacket Drilling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yellow Jacket Drilling
- Legal name
- Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, LLC
- Website
- https://yellowjacketdrilling.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Yellow Jacket Drilling Services is a privately held Western US drilling contractor operating approximately 40 specialized rigs across 14-15 states, serving environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy clients including BHP and federal agencies (DOE, DOD, NPS).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yellow Jacket Drilling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Drilling and Well Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Mining (21311), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Mining (213)
- SIC
- Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Drilling Oil & Gas Wells (1381), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems (IMAHAMAA), Rock Drilling & Blasthole Drilling Equipment (IMAHAMAC)
Keywords
Where Yellow Jacket Drilling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Yellow Jacket Drilling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Drilling Services: Provider of drilling and well services to environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy sectors. Services include various drilling methods (rotary, auger, direct push, sonic, dual rotary), sampling and testing services, and well installations. Revenue is generated through project-based service contracts with enterprise and government clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Yellow Jacket Drilling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yellow Jacket Drilling is a drilling services contractor providing specialized drilling and well services to environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy sectors across the Western United States. The company operates a fleet of approximately 40 rigs capable of multiple drilling methods including rotary, auger, direct push, sonic, dual rotary, and pump services, delivering well installations, sampling, testing, and well abandonment services on a project contract basis.
Product overview
Yellow Jacket Drilling is a drilling services contractor offering specialized drilling services across multiple market sectors including environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy. The company operates a fleet of approximately 40 rigs serving 15 states in the Western United States. The service portfolio encompasses various drilling methods (Flooded Reverse Circulation, Dual Rotary, Mud Rotary, Air Rotary, Sonic, Hollow Stem Auger, Direct Push, and more) and includes well installations (Monitor Wells, Vapor Extraction Wells, Production Wells, Irrigation Wells, etc.) as well as well servicing and pump installation. The company maintains a diverse fleet of drilling equipment including rotary rigs (GEFCO Speedstar CH 50K, CH 40K), sonic rigs (Terra Sonic TSI 150T, TSI 150C, TSI 150CC), auger rigs (CME 95, CME 85, Boart Longyear BK 81, CME 1250 Track), direct push rigs (Geoprobe 7822DT, L-12-T Limited Access), dual rotary rigs (Foremost DR-24HD, DR-24), water supply rigs (Service King SK475, GEFCO Speedstar 110K, Taylor Titan 225C), pump rigs (Pulstar P12, P38HD, P60NV, P100), and utility clearance rigs (VACMASTER System 4000, System 1000).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Environmental Drilling Services Environmental drilling services including monitor wells, vapor extraction wells, air sparge wells, nested wells, chemical injection points, cathodic protection installations, piezometers, inclinometers, dewatering wells, and groundwater sampling wells for site assessment, remediation, and monitoring applications.
- Geotechnical Drilling Services Geotechnical drilling services for construction, engineering, and infrastructure projects, including SPT/Split Spoon soil sampling, Shelby Tube sampling, geotechnical boreholes, piezometers, inclinometers, dewatering wells, and foundation investigation.
- Water Supply Drilling Services Water supply drilling services including installation of small to large diameter production wells, industrial wells, irrigation wells, and water supply wells for municipal, agricultural, and industrial applications.
- Mining Drilling Services Mining industry drilling services for exploration and operations support, including exploration drilling, mine dewatering wells, and resource assessment.
- Energy Drilling Services Energy sector drilling services including oil and gas exploration support, well installation, and energy infrastructure drilling applications.
- Well Abandonment Services Well abandonment and decommissioning services for environmental compliance and site closure.
- Well Development and Pump Installation Services Well development and pump installation services including zonal pump testing, aquifer stressing, and pump testing for environmental and supply wells.
- Utility Clearance / Vacuum Excavation Services Vacuum excavation services for locating underground utilities using air or water in hard, wet, sunbaked, or compact soils, with remote operation capabilities for limited access areas.
Companies that use Yellow Jacket Drilling
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Yellow Jacket Drilling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Yellow Jacket Drilling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.
- ISNetWorldsupportingIndustry safety and contractor qualification portal for vetting drilling contractors and ensuring compliance with safety standards.
- BrowzsupportingContractor safety management and qualification portal used for assessing contractor safety performance and compliance.
- Avetta / PICSsupportingGlobal supply chain risk management and contractor qualification platform for safety, sustainability, and compliance.
- PEC – Safeland & SafeGulfsupportingSafety certification programs for workers in the oil and gas industry, ensuring standardized safety training and compliance.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Yellow Jacket Drilling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Major Drilling Group International: Major Drilling is one of the world's largest drilling services companies focused primarily on mineral exploration. Overlaps with Yellow Jacket's mining drilling segment; publicly traded, much larger scale, and broader geographic reach.
- Boart Longyear: Global drilling services and equipment manufacturer serving mining, energy, and environmental customers. Comparable to Yellow Jacket's mining exploration drilling segment; much larger scale with international footprint but offers overlapping drilling methods (rotary, sonic, core).
Direct peers
- Cascade Environmental: Cascade Environmental provides environmental and geotechnical drilling, remediation, and site characterization services across the Western US. Directly comparable to Yellow Jacket's primary environmental drilling offering with overlapping customer base (environmental consultants, federal agencies).
- Layne (a Granite Construction company): Layne, now part of Granite Construction, is the largest water well drilling contractor in the US, providing water supply, mineral exploration, and environmental drilling. Directly comparable to Yellow Jacket's water supply and mining drilling segments, though operating at significantly larger national scale.
- Cascade Drilling: US environmental and geotechnical drilling services contractor with operations across multiple states. Directly comparable service offering and customer mix to Yellow Jacket, though concentrated in different regional markets.
- Northwest Cascade: Pacific Northwest-based drilling, hydro-excavation, and utility services contractor serving environmental and construction markets. Comparable geographic footprint (Western US) and overlapping services with Yellow Jacket's environmental and geotechnical drilling offerings.
- Strata Drilling Services: Mid-sized environmental, geotechnical, and water well drilling contractor serving Western and Midwestern US. Comparable business model, fleet mix, and customer segments to Yellow Jacket.
Others
- Foremost Industries: Manufacturer of dual rotary drilling rigs (DR-24HD, DR-24) used by Yellow Jacket. Comparable as the equipment supplier peer whose dual rotary technology Yellow Jacket operates.
- Terra Sonic International: Manufacturer of sonic drilling rigs (TSI 150T, 150C, 150CC) that form a core part of Yellow Jacket's sonic drilling fleet. Comparable as the equipment technology supplier peer.
- Geoprobe Systems: Manufacturer of direct push drilling rigs and tooling that Yellow Jacket operates in its fleet (Geoprobe 7822DT). Comparable as the equipment ecosystem peer whose technology platforms underpin YJ's direct push capabilities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yellow Jacket Drilling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yellow Jacket Drilling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Yellow Jacket Drilling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yellow Jacket Drilling M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yellow Jacket Drilling
What does Yellow Jacket Drilling do?
Yellow Jacket Drilling is a drilling services contractor providing specialized drilling and well services to environmental, geotechnical, water supply, mining, and energy sectors across the Western United States. The company operates a fleet of approximately 40 rigs capable of multiple drilling methods including rotary, auger, direct push, sonic, dual rotary, and pump services, delivering well installations, sampling, testing, and well abandonment services on a project contract basis.
Is Yellow Jacket Drilling a public or private company?
Yellow Jacket Drilling is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Yellow Jacket Drilling founded?
Yellow Jacket Drilling was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Yellow Jacket Drilling based?
Yellow Jacket Drilling is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yellow Jacket Drilling make money?
One revenue line is on record: drilling Services.
Who are Yellow Jacket Drilling's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Major Drilling Group International and Boart Longyear. Direct peers are Cascade Environmental, Layne (a Granite Construction company), Cascade Drilling, Northwest Cascade and Strata Drilling Services. Others are Foremost Industries, Terra Sonic International and Geoprobe Systems.
Does Yellow Jacket Drilling have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yellow Jacket Drilling.
What industry is Yellow Jacket Drilling in?
Yellow Jacket Drilling's product category is Drilling and Well Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAKAB, Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger), with a secondary code of IMAHAMAA, Drilling Rigs & Drill Systems. Its NAICS code is 21311 and its SIC code is 3532.