Geraldine based Barber Drilling is always looking to the future and prides itself on professionalism and the drive to build up resources to meet the ever increasing demands of its customers

To this end, it has one new Foremost DR24 Drilling Rig on a new Western Star tri-axle trucks capable of large diameter wells up to 300m and costing more than $1 million. The drilling market pushed the company in ths direction, as a result of the steady irrigation market in Canterbury, along with increasing Land Transport Safety Authority requirements.

Partners Bruce Washington and Wayne O'Donnell came to Geraldine in 2001 to do far more than just establish another drilling company in the area. Their capable team of employees brought a wealth of experience and expertise to farmers in Canterbury.

The team have also worked on Ministry of Works jobs, dams, drilling for oil, piling, mineral exploration, site investigation and de-watering mines.

The pair spent many years working in Australia where they contracted to mining giants such as Rio Tinto and BHP. It is here they experienced the disciplines required to work in a highly regulated environment, something that was not the case in New Zealand at this time. This past experience has equipped Barber Drilling to operate in the regulated conditions in this country.

Both men are licensed water-well drillers and are members of the Australian Drilling Industry Assn and the New Zealand Drilling Federation

The professionalism of the team leads to the customer satisfaction that is a vital factor in this business. They alway offer clients advice, keep them up to date with progress and talk through the options as the job proceeds.

Today water is a very much sought-after commodity and therefore well drilling accuracy is very important. Farmers, they say, need to be able to demonstrate to the regulatory bodies they are not wasting the resource and are working within the terms of their consent.

Most of their work now is drilling to more than 200m, and they are well equipped to do that.

They also operate Environment Canterbury approved flow testing equipment, which can handle anything from 5 to 75 litres per second.

A Well-vu camera that can view up to 300m has been added to the plant. A DVD is taken of the well and a copy given to the owner of the well.

Barber Well Drilling has seen the demand for well maintenance and is set up to redevelop old wells to bring them back into life again.