What DEPCO Drilling does

DEPCO Drilling is a privately held, family-owned specialist drilling services contractor founded in 1963 and headquartered at 32 Chappell St, Rockhampton, Queensland. The company operates a fleet of over 40 drilling rigs across multiple manufacturers (UDR650/1200, VersaDrill 2095x, Fraste FS250/500, Soilmec G55, XDR 800/1200, Schramm 440/660) supported by extensive auxiliary equipment including custom support trucks, air packs, mud cleaning systems, grouting units, mobile mud tanks, hydraulic rod slews, and mobile crew accommodation. The Rockhampton base includes full workshop capabilities staffed by qualified fabricators, diesel mechanics, and lathe specialists for rig maintenance and custom engineering.

The company delivers five core service lines: Exploration Drilling (HQ3 to 1,800m, PQ3 to 1,200m, RC to 600m, diamond coring, directional controlled drilling, large diameter up to 1.2m), Water Bores (10m to 1,600m using rotary air, rotary mud, reverse circulation rotary mud, and auger methods), Mine Services, Gas Services (CSG exploration, production wells, inseam drilling, dewatering, monitoring), and Support Services (grouting, rehabilitation, site preparation, water carting, mobile accommodation). Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracts with pricing determined by drilling depth, diameter, geological conditions, and project complexity; no public pricing exists.

DEPCO serves enterprise customers primarily in Queensland and East Coast Australia across the mining and resource sectors, with documented long-term relationships including Peabody Energy Australia (10+ years, achieving 1,000 days LTI free) and Geo Technology Pty Ltd. Distribution is direct B2B enterprise field sales, engaging Exploration Managers and Managing Directors at mining companies, coal seam gas operators, and resource sector clients. The company operates under a safety management system aligned with AS/NZS 4801:2001 and has maintained a zero harm work environment commitment built on accountability, innovation, and support pillars.

Name

DEPCO Drilling

Legal name

Depco Drilling

Website

https://depco.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DEPCO Drilling is a privately held, family-owned Australian drilling services contractor founded in 1963, operating over 40 rigs from Rockhampton to serve mining, coal, coal seam gas, and water bore clients across Queensland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131), Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (213111)

SIC

Drilling Oil & Gas Wells (1381)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drilling & Workover Rigs (Land & Offshore) (EUALABAA)

Keywords

• Exploration drilling services
• Water bore drilling
• Coal seam gas drilling
• Mine services drilling
• Mining support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockhampton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Drilling Services: DEPCO generates revenue through providing specialist drilling services to the Australian mining and resource sectors. Services include exploration drilling, water bores, mine services, gas services (coal seam gas), and support services. Revenue is generated on a project basis with pricing determined by drilling depth, diameter, geological conditions, and project complexity.
2. Support Services: Additional revenue streams from support services including backhoe/loader operations, grouting, rehabilitation services, site setup, track maintenance, water carting, CNC lathe capabilities, and mobile accommodation solutions. These complementary services enhance the core drilling offering and provide additional project revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

DEPCO Drilling provides specialist drilling services to the Australian mining, resource, and water sectors using a fleet of over 40 drilling rigs. Services include exploration drilling (HQ3, PQ3, RC, diamond coring, directional drilling), water bore construction (10m to 1600m depth), mine services, coal seam gas drilling, and complementary support services (grouting, rehabilitation, site setup, equipment hire). The company delivers project-based contracts directly to enterprise mining and resource clients.

Product overview

DEPCO Drilling is a specialist drilling services company offering a unified portfolio of core drilling services: Exploration Drilling, Water Bores, Mine Services, Gas Services (coal seam gas), and Support Services. The company operates a fleet of over 40 drilling rigs including UDR650, UDR1200, VersaDrill 2095x, Fraste FS250, Fraste FS500, Soilmec G55, XDR 800 & 1200, and Schramm 440 & 660. The drilling rigs are complemented by extensive support equipment and auxiliary services such as custom built support trucks, air packs, rod trailers, hydraulic rod slews, grouting units, mud pumps, and mobile accommodation. The company was established in 1963 and is headquartered in Rockhampton, Central Queensland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exploration Drilling Exploration drilling services provided to the coal industry since 1968, including HQ3 coring to 1800m, PQ3 coring to 1200m, RC drilling to 600m, diamond coring, directional controlled drilling, and large diameter drilling up to 1.2m for coal and hard rock mineral exploration.
• Water Bores Water bore drilling services for stock water bores and artesian water bores, capable of drilling from 10m to 1600m depth using rotary air, rotary mud, reverse circulation rotary mud, and auger methods.
• Mine Services Mine-critical drilling operations providing state-of-the-art equipment, proven safety systems, and highly skilled crews for challenging drilling requirements in mining environments.
• Gas Services Comprehensive coal seam gas industry services including SIS drilling, CSG exploration and production wells, mine service holes, dewatering up to 1.2m diameter, piezo and monitoring holes, coal bed methane inseam drilling, goaf holes, cementing and grouting, and slim hole exploration.
• Support Services Flexible support services including backhoe/loader operations, grouting, rehabilitation services, site setup and preparation, track maintenance, water carting, CNC lathe capabilities, and mobile accommodation solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Peabody Energy exploration drilling programs achieved 1,000 days Lost Time Injury free
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Capricorn Helicopter RescueminorOthersCommunity donation and sponsorship recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling as part of their community giving program.
• Royal Flying Doctor ServiceminorOthersCommunity donation and sponsorship recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling as part of their community giving program.
• Childhood Cancer Support IncminorOthersCommunity donation and sponsorship recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling as part of their community giving program.
• Central Queensland Capras Rugby League TeamminorOthersSports team sponsorship recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling as part of their community support initiatives.
• Beyond BlueminorOthersMental health organization fundraiser recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling through community donations.
• The Movember FoundationminorOthersMen's health fundraiser recipient supported by DEPCO Drilling through community donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Foraco International: Foraco is a global drilling contractor providing mineral exploration and water well drilling services to mining, energy, and infrastructure clients, with comparable rig-based drilling service delivery to DEPCO.
• Major Drilling Group International: Major Drilling is a TSX-listed global specialist in mineral exploration and production drilling, providing surface and underground core, reverse-circulation, and directional drilling services comparable to DEPCO's mining drilling offering.
• Boart Longyear: Boart Longyear is a global mineral drilling services provider offering exploration, production, and energy drilling; its drilling services business (separate from its drilling products segment) directly competes with DEPCO's exploration drilling capability.
• Perenti (formerly Ausdrill): Perenti is a large ASX-listed Australian mining services contractor offering drilling, contract mining, and geotechnical services; it competes with DEPCO across exploration and production drilling for the same mining customer base.
• DDH1 Drilling: DDH1 is an Australian specialist drilling contractor providing exploration, production, and grade-control drilling services to mining and resource clients, directly overlapping with DEPCO's mining-focused core service offering.

Broad incumbents

• Halliburton: Halliburton is a global oilfield services incumbent offering drilling, evaluation, and completion services; it competes broadly with DEPCO's CSG-related drilling work and represents the larger end of the services landscape.
• SLB (Schlumberger): SLB is a global oilfield services giant with directional drilling, drilling fluids, and well services; it overlaps with DEPCO's coal seam gas drilling and directional/gyro surveying capability as a much larger, broader-portfolio competitor.

Regional players

• Mitchell Drilling Contractors: Mitchell Drilling is an Australian drilling contractor focused on coal exploration and mine services in the same Queensland/NSW coal basins as DEPCO, directly overlapping on customer segment and regional territory.
• Ranger Drilling: Ranger Drilling is an Australian mineral exploration and mine services drilling contractor operating in eastern Australia, providing exploration drilling directly comparable to DEPCO's coal and hard-rock exploration work.

Others

• Schramm (Foraco/parent): Schramm is a manufacturer of drilling rigs used in mineral and geothermal exploration; DEPCO operates Schramm 440 and 660 rigs in its fleet, making Schramm an equipment supplier peer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DEPCO Drilling