OKEEFE DRILLING CO INC

What OKEEFE DRILLING CO INC does

O'Keefe Drilling Co Inc is a privately held, family-owned drilling contractor founded in 1959 and headquartered in Butte, Montana. The company operates a 15-rig fleet spanning Dual Air Rotary (DR-24 and DR-24 HD), Reichdrill T-690, Geoprobe 8150LS sonic, five Reverse Circulation rigs, caisson, LoDril and indoor elevator drill configurations, and runs a fully equipped in-house CNC machine shop for custom tooling, fabrication and rapid field repairs. It delivers water well drilling (domestic, irrigation, public supply), geotechnical and environmental drilling and sampling, mineral exploration and grade control drilling, caisson and drilled shaft construction, pump sales and service, and well rehabilitation using its patented Airburst Technology.

The company is licensed across six western states — Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada — and serves municipalities, engineering and geotechnical firms, contractors and construction teams, private landowners, and mining operators. Documented customers include Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine, Montana Resources, Montana Tunnels, Rio Tinto, Newmont Gold, BHP Copper, Coeur Rochester, Midway Gold Exploration, Water & Environmental Technologies, Pioneer Technologies and engineering firms with 20–30 year continuous relationships.

Revenue is generated through project-based contracts, with each job scoped individually and priced as a quote or competitive bid; there is no self-serve or digital commerce channel. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-field, relying on direct client relationships, engineering firm partnerships and municipal procurement, with quotes initiated via the website bid request form, direct phone contact, and referrals. Ownership remains under the O'Keefe family (President Dan O'Keefe, with third-generation Gradeigh O'Keefe entering leadership), and the company invests in workforce development through a 3-year drill apprenticeship, 6-month CDL program, and Build Montana partnerships.

Name

OKEEFE DRILLING CO INC

Legal name

O'Keefe Drilling

Website

https://okeefedrilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

O'Keefe Drilling is a family-owned Montana drilling contractor operating a 15-rig fleet across water well, geotechnical, environmental, mineral exploration, caisson and well rehabilitation services, licensed in six western US states and serving engineers, municipalities, contractors, private landowners, and major mining operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Mining (21311), Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333132)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Rock Drilling & Blasthole Drilling Equipment (IMAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Water well drilling
• Geotechnical drilling
• Mineral exploration drilling
• Environmental drilling sampling
• Well rehabilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Well Drilling Services: Project-based drilling services for domestic, agricultural, and public supply water wells. Revenue generated through scoped bids based on site conditions, depth requirements, and equipment needs.
2. Environmental Drilling & Sampling: Environmental drilling and sampling services for site assessments, groundwater monitoring, and remediation programs. Billed per project based on site complexity and sampling requirements.
3. Geotechnical Drilling: Subsurface investigation and soil boring services supporting foundation design and infrastructure planning. Project-based pricing aligned with engineering specifications.
4. Mineral Exploration Drilling: Reverse circulation and rotary drilling for mining exploration and grade control. Revenue based on depth drilled and operational complexity.
5. Pump Sales & Service: Pump installation, replacement, repair, and maintenance services. Includes pump pulling, performance evaluations, flow testing, and preventative maintenance programs.
6. Well Rehabilitation: Airburst Technology well redevelopment services to restore well performance and extend service life, deferring capital expense of replacement wells.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

O'Keefe Drilling is a full-service drilling contractor providing water well, geotechnical, environmental, mineral exploration, sonic, and caisson drilling services across Montana and the western United States. The company operates 15 specialized rigs and supports every project with an in-house CNC machine shop that enables custom tooling fabrication and rapid field modifications. It also sells, installs, and services pumps and operates a patented Airburst Technology well rehabilitation service.

Product overview

O'Keefe Drilling is a full-service drilling company offering a portfolio of specialized drilling services built around their in-house machine shop and versatile fleet of 15 drilling rigs. The core offering includes water well drilling, geotechnical drilling, environmental drilling & sampling, mineral exploration drilling, sonic drilling (Geoprobe 8150LS), caisson & drilled shaft construction, pump sales & service, and well rehabilitation using proprietary Airburst Technology. These services are designed to work together, with the in-house machine shop enabling rapid custom tooling fabrication and modifications that allow the company to adapt to changing subsurface conditions across all service lines. The company operates five reverse circulation rigs for mineral exploration, dual air rotary rigs (DR-24 & DR-24 HD) for large diameter water wells, and the Geoprobe 8150LS sonic drill for environmental and geotechnical applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Well Drilling Water well drilling services for domestic, irrigation, stock, large diameter, and public water supply wells using rotary drilling methods, primarily serving Montana and surrounding western states.
• Geotechnical Drilling Subsurface drilling and soil investigation services supporting foundation design, infrastructure planning, and structural analysis with Standard Penetration Testing coordination for engineering firms.
• Pump Sales & Service Pump installation, replacement, repair, and preventative maintenance for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and municipal water systems, including test pumping services up to 1500 GPM.
• Environmental Drilling & Sampling Environmental drilling and sampling services for site assessments, groundwater monitoring, and remediation programs using auger, sonic, and air rotary drilling methods, with personnel certified under MSHA and OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour.
• Mineral Exploration Drilling Reverse circulation, rotary, percussion, and grade control drilling services for mineral exploration with five specialized RC rigs and in-house machine shop support, serving mining operators across the western United States.
• Geoprobe 8150LS Sonic Drilling Sonic drilling service using the Geoprobe 8150LS for deep continuous core sampling beyond 300 feet with continuous casing advancement and minimal sample disturbance in complex subsurface conditions.
• Caisson & Drilled Shaft Construction Large diameter foundation drilling for structural loads with shaft diameters from 12 inches to 6 feet and depths up to 50 feet, including the LoDril system for difficult access projects and indoor elevator drill for restricted environments.
• Well Rehabilitation & Airburst Technology Patented Airburst Technology well redevelopment process using controlled high-energy air pulses to remove scale, sediment, and obstructions from well screens and surrounding formations, restoring well yield and specific capacity while extending service life.
• Machine Shop In-house precision machining, custom drill tooling fabrication, CNC lathe services, and equipment repair supporting all drilling operations with rapid field modifications and reduced external vendor dependency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Well yield restoration and extended service life through Airburst Technology, deferring capital expense of replacement wells
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Build MontanacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide organization promoting careers in skilled trades, connecting students, educators, and employers. O'Keefe Drilling actively participates in career awareness programs, career fairs, and school presentations through this partnership. Company President serves on the Build Montana Board of Directors.
• Local Schools (Montana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local schools to support and teach students in welding departments and skilled trades, supporting workforce development pipeline for the drilling industry.
• Workforce Development OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive involvement with workforce agencies and industry partnerships to strengthen Montana's groundwater and drilling workforce. Includes apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Major Drilling Group International: Large publicly traded mineral exploration drilling contractor with global operations spanning RC, core, and directional drilling for the same mining majors (Rio Tinto, Newmont, BHP) that O'Keefe serves. Comparable in RC mineral exploration drilling offering; significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• Capital Drilling Group: Mining exploration and production drilling services with RC, diamond core, and grade control capabilities serving global mining clients. Comparable to O'Keefe's mineral exploration drilling service line for mining customers.
• Layne (Granite Construction Water Group): Historically one of the largest US water well drilling contractors, serving municipal, agricultural, and industrial water customers. Direct overlap with O'Keefe's water well drilling service line and pump sales/service offerings; much larger scale and national footprint.
• Boart Longyear: Global drilling services and equipment provider for mining and exploration, with deep RC, core, sonic, and surface coring capabilities that directly overlap O'Keefe's reverse circulation and sonic drilling service lines. Most comparable major in mineral exploration drilling.

Regional players

• HydroGeo Group: Environmental and water well drilling services firm focused on the western US, offering sonic, auger, and direct-push drilling. Closest scale and geographic comparison to O'Keefe's environmental and water well service lines in the western US.

Direct peers

• Cascade Drilling (Cascade Environmental): Environmental and geotechnical drilling services provider with overlapping sonic, auger, and air rotary capabilities. Direct peer in the environmental drilling & sampling and geotechnical service lines that O'Keefe serves.
• Malcolm Drilling Company: Specialty foundation contractor focused on large-diameter caisson and drilled shaft construction, directly comparable to O'Keefe's caisson construction service line (12-inch to 6-foot diameters). Operates in overlapping western US geographies.
• Berkel & Company Contractors: Specialty geotechnical and foundation contractor offering caisson, drilled shaft, and deep foundation solutions nationwide. Direct comparable in the caisson/foundation construction segment that O'Keefe serves with its caisson rig and LoDril system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/okeefe-drilling-co-inc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 OKEEFE DRILLING CO INC