About us

History

Wallis Drilling was established in 1964 and is still owned and managed by the Wallis family. The Company has grown in size, capabilities and expertise over the years and now operates over 40 rigs of various capacities.

Throughout the 1970s the Australian Design Award-winning Wallis Aircore system was developed. The Wallis Aircore drilling technique has become the standard for drilling by the mineral sands industry. The nickel and uranium boom utilised the Aircore system for drilling in the sticky clays for which the dual tube system has been designed and proven to handle all types of materials.

During the 1980s, Wallis Drilling expanded its fleet to include Reverse Circulation, Aircore and Diamond Core drill rigs. By 1989, the Company was operating 22 drill rigs throughout Australia as well as undertaking drilling operations in Africa, the Americas and many places in South-East Asia.

During the 1990s, further expansion took place. Grade control and blast hole rigs were added to the fleet, as well as specialised equipment, including lake drill rigs, helicopter-transportable drill rigs and custom-built rigs, to suit specific environments.

Since those early days, the Company has maintained a steady rate of growth, resulting in a present-day fleet of 45 drill rigs, offering a range of drilling techniques, including:

                                             • Wallis Aircore
                                             • Reverse Circulation
                                             • Diamond Core
                                             • Mud Rotary
                                             • Blast Hole
                                             • Grade Control

The drill rigs are track, truck, trailer and vehicle mounted to enable operation in any location.

The various drilling methods offered range in hole diameter from approximately 60mm to 305mm to a depth of 1,500m.

The Company has built many drill rigs over the years, with the most successful range being the Wallis Aircore "Mantis" drill rigs. These drill rigs are designed to work in clays, running sands, water-flooded formations and through cavities and broken ground with minimal effort.

Wallis Drilling has extensive international experience and understands the difficulties associated with importation and exportation of drill rigs and equipment, movement of personnel and other issues which may be encountered if procedures for working in particular countries are not fully understood. The Company has successfully completed projects or is currently active in the following regions:

Asia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia North Korea Papua New Guinea Philippines South Korea Australasia Australia Fiji New Caledonia New Zealand Africa Cameroon Democratic Republic of Congo Egypt Gabon Guinea Madagascar Malawi Mozambique Namibia Sierra Leone South Africa Tanzania Zimbabwe Caribbean Jamaica Europe Romania Russia Turkey Ukraine North America United States of America South America Argentina Brazil

 

Safety and Quality Assurance

Wallis Drilling operates under an Integrated Management System, which includes accreditation in AS4801-2001 Occupational Health and Safety Management, ISO 9001-2008 Quality System and the ISO 14001-1996 Environment Management System. The accreditation is maintained by six-monthly external surveillance audits and two-monthly internal audits.

These accreditations form the base management system for the Company, a system which enables it to deliver professional services to clients by providing good administration, and safety and environmental management.