Ausdrill

What Ausdrill does

Ausdrill is an Australian mining drilling services contractor operating as the dedicated drilling division of ASX-listed Perenti Global Limited (PRN). Founded in Kalgoorlie in 1987 and headquartered in Perth, the company provides exploration drilling, production drilling, drill and blast, grade control, geotechnical, lake drilling, and multidirectional drilling services to mining majors and junior explorers across Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. Its competitive position rests on a fleet of custom-built rigs designed, manufactured, and maintained in-house, anchored by the Rock Commander platform (in service since 2011 with documented operational lifespans exceeding 50,000 hours) and the newer 1550TH Diamond Drill Rig, supplemented by proprietary patented systems including the Auto Sampler and RayTrac RFID sampling, the One Touch Drilling automation suite, and the HALO remote-controlled geotechnical robot.

The company generates revenue through project-based multi-year B2B contracts negotiated per scope with mining customers, delivered via direct enterprise field sales. Named enterprise clients include BHP, Gold Fields (16+ year engagement at St Ives), Northern Star Resources (KCGM Superpit), Evolution Mining, BMA, Macmahon, Mount Gibson Mining, and Idemitsu. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contracts are awarded on a competitive basis for drilling services. Strategic co-development with BHP produced the award-winning Auto Sampler system, and a HALO geotechnical robot project was co-developed with the University of Technology Sydney and the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. Marketing emphasis is on direct client relationships, industry reputation, and thought leadership through technological innovation, including a long-running Hockeyroos naming rights partnership.

Name

Ausdrill

Legal name

Ausdrill (Part of Perenti Global Limited)

Website

https://www.perenti.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Ausdrill is an Australian mining drilling services contractor and division of Perenti Global, providing exploration, production, drill and blast, grade control, and geotechnical drilling to mining majors and juniors across Australia using custom-built, automated rigs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (213), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Blasting & Explosives Services (Drill-and-Blast, Explosives Supply, Shot Services) (IMAKAKAC), Drilling & Rock Excavation Equipment (Rotary/Top-Hammer, Jumbos, Raiseborers) (IMAKANAC), Mine Surveying & Geospatial Services (Survey, Drone/LiDAR, GIS, Grade Control) (IMAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Mining drilling services
• Exploration drilling
• Drill and blast
• Grade control drilling
• Geotechnical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Drilling Services: Ausdrill provides exploration drilling, production drilling, blasting services and geotechnical services to mining companies. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts for drilling services across Australia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ausdrill provides contract drilling services to the Australian mining industry, including exploration drilling, production drilling, drill and blast, grade control and geotechnical services. Services are delivered using one of Australia's largest fleets of purpose-built drill rigs, designed and manufactured in-house, with proprietary automation such as the patented Auto Sampler and One Touch Drilling. Work is performed at client mine sites across iron ore, gold, coal, copper, nickel, lithium and manganese operations.

Product overview

Ausdrill provides comprehensive drilling services for the mining industry, offering exploration drilling, production drilling, blasting services, grade control, and geotechnical services. The company's product portfolio centers on its custom-built drill rigs, notably the Rock Commander platform (launched 2011) with its One Touch automation system and patented Auto Sampler, and the newer 1550TH Diamond Drill Rig featuring AI-enhanced safety. Ausdrill designs, builds, and maintains its own equipment at its Perth facility, serving clients from mining majors to junior explorers across Australia. With over 30 years of experience since its 1987 founding, the company operates under Perenti Group and is known for specialized capabilities in lake drilling, multidirectional drilling, and geotechnical solutions including the HALO remote-controlled robot system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rock Commander Drill Rig Ausdrill's flagship custom-built drill rig platform originally launched in 2011 for challenging terrains and voids, integrating automated sampling and Trimble/Starlink systems with an operational lifespan exceeding 50,000 hours. Used for grade control, exploration and production drilling across Australian mining sites.
• Drill and Blast Services Complete drilling and blasting services for surface mining, construction and underground mining using purpose-built Top Hammer, Down Hole Hammer, Rotary and Grade Control rigs. Delivered to major mining companies across Australia.
• Exploration Drilling Services Exploration drilling services including reverse circulation (RC), diamond, rotary air blast (RAB) and air core drilling using custom-engineered rigs designed for safety and extraction efficiency. Used by mining clients from majors to junior explorers.
• Grade Control Services In-pit reverse circulation grade control drilling and sampling delivered with custom-designed rigs and the patented RCASS system enabling labour-free sampling with clean, accurate samples for mining clients.
• Lake Drilling Services Specialized drilling across remote salt lakes and soft terrain using Australia's largest specialized fleet of air core, RC and diamond core rigs, supported by Hagglunds, buggies and amphibious recovery vehicles. Targets gold and other minerals beneath salt lake environments.
• Geotechnical Services Geotechnical services covering rope access, rock scaling, rockfall mesh drapes, rock bolting, soil nailing, rockfall barriers, attenuator barriers and erosion control, including the HALO remote-controlled robot for high-access clearing. Used by mining clients to manage ground stability risk.
• Multidirectional Drilling Services Flexible multidirectional drilling allowing multiple angles from a single drill pad to target complex ore bodies, using COMPASS software for trajectory control and data tracking to boost recovery while reducing environmental impact.

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability8 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hockey Australia (Hockeyroos)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2019Ausdrill has been Official Naming Rights Partner of the Hockeyroos (Australian women's hockey) and Official Supporting Partner of the Kookaburras (men's hockey) since 2011. The partnership was renewed in 2019 for a two-year extension taking it to 2021. The partnership includes funding for High Performance Programs and career development opportunities for players.
• BHPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHP collaborated with Ausdrill on the development of the Auto Sampler system, which earned the 2021 Work Health & Safety Excellence Awards Invention of the Year. BHP is also a major client of Ausdrill's drilling services.
• University of Technology Sydney (UTS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTS collaborated with Ausdrill and IMCRC on the HALO (High Access Localised Operations) geotechnical robot project - a 2-year collaboration to develop remote-controlled robot technology for rockfall hazard mitigation.
• Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMCRC partnered with Ausdrill and UTS on the HALO geotechnical robot development project, contributing to manufacturing innovation in mining safety technology.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Strike Drilling: Australian-focused drilling contractor serving exploration and mining clients, particularly in critical minerals (lithium, gold). Comparable emerging peer intersecting Ausdrill's exploration drilling segment with growth orientation toward critical-minerals exploration.

Broad incumbents

• Sandvik: Global engineering group with a Mining and Rock Solutions division producing drill rigs, drill bits, and automation tools. Broad incumbent competing in mining equipment and parts adjacent to Ausdrill's rig fleet and consumables demand.
• MACA Limited: Australian mining and civil contractor (now part of Thiess/CIMIC group) providing drilling-and-blasting and contract mining services. Broad incumbent with overlapping drill-and-blast service offering to Ausdrill, though with a heavier civil mining focus.
• Epiroc: Global mining and infrastructure equipment manufacturer offering drill rigs, rock excavation tools, and automation systems. Broad incumbent overlapping with Ausdrill's custom rig manufacturing (Rock Commander, 1550TH) and automation IP, with much larger portfolio and global scale.

Direct peers

• DMC Mining Services: Australian mining services contractor providing underground and surface drilling, shotcreting, and related services. Comparable Australian peer to Ausdrill with similar enterprise mining customer base and overlapping operational geographies.
• Boart Longyear: Global drilling services and equipment provider serving exploration, production, and grade control across major mining markets. Most direct comparable to Ausdrill's exploration drilling, production drilling, and drill-and-blend offerings, with overlapping customers among the majors.
• Major Drilling Group International: Specialized mineral drilling contractor offering surface and underground drilling services to mining majors and juniors globally. Closely comparable to Ausdrill in core service mix (exploration and grade control drilling) and customer profile (gold, base metals, iron ore).
• Foraco: Global mineral drilling services company operating in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Comparable to Ausdrill in core drilling services portfolio, multi-commodity exposure (gold, copper, iron ore), and tier-1 mining customer base.
• DDH1 Limited: ASX-listed Australian drilling contractor providing diamond, RC, and grade-control drilling to mining companies. Most direct Australian-listed peer to Ausdrill with overlapping commodities (gold, lithium, nickel) and similar enterprise B2B sales motion.
• Mitchell Services: ASX-listed Australian drilling contractor providing exploration, production, and grade control drilling to coal and metals miners. Comparable in scale and customer base, with overlapping BHP and Queensland coal exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/perenti

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ausdrill