Water drilling licence classes and endorsements

This class is restricted to drilling operations in single non-flowing aquifer systems.

Single aquifer systems must be protected primarily from surface pollution.

The skills involved in this drilling method are moderate, as surface pollution is easily prevented.

How to get a licence

To get a class 1 drilling licence, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• You have completed an approved course and have been employed as a driller or driller's assistant for at least 6 months.
• You have been employed as a driller for at least 12 months and completed at least 6 class 1 bores under supervision. You also need to pass the appropriate drilling licence examination.
• You have been issued with a class 1 drilling licence to carry out bore work in another Australian state or territory and the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security is satisfied that your qualifications and experience are equal to those needed for a drilling licence in the NT.

Skills, experience and knowledge

You must have all the following skills and knowledge:

• minimum construction requirements for water bores set by the National Uniform Driller Licensing Committee
• legislation and regulations for groundwater and drilling and understand bore work permit and drilling licence conditions
• potential contamination sources for water bores and siting a bore to protect it
• straightness and plumbness of the hole - setting up a rig, the causes of bent bores and the methods of hold straightening
• drilling - choose and use equipment and recognise factors such as rotational speed and proper annular velocities
• fishing - tools string records, fishing tools and procedures
• formation sampling and description - get representative formation samples and labelling, and being able to describe them
• bore design - design and construction of bores for domestic use, stock watering, groundwater monitoring and irrigation purposes in single aquifer systems
• construction - seating and sealing of casing, casing types, their limitations and uses, methods of grouting casing, headworks design and completion of the bore site
• grouting - grouting surface casing and decommissioning bores or test holes
• setting screens and gravel packs - choosing the right slot size, screen length and diameter and procedures for screen installation, and selecting and installing a gravel pack
• disinfection procedures - basic knowledge of disinfection procedures and safe chemical disposal
• aquifer testing and water sampling - carrying out a single stage pumping test, then working out static water level, drawdown and yield, taking and labelling a water sample
• decommissioning - design and select appropriate materials for the decommissioning of bores in single aquifer systems
• statement of bore completion reports filled out clearly and correctly within 28 days of works finished.

A class 2 water drilling licence allows drilling operations in multiple aquifer systems.

Drilling and bore work in multiple aquifer systems needs more knowledge and skills as there can't be inter-aquifer communication. This can cause contamination and reduction in the water source.

How to get a licence

To get a class 2 drilling licence, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• You have held a class 1 licence or have the qualifications and experience needed for a class 1 licence, and you have been employed as a driller for at least 12 months. As a driller, you must have completed at least 6 class 2 bores under supervision and passed the appropriate drilling licence examinations.
• You have been issued with a class 2 drilling licence for bore work in another Australian state or territory. This should be equal to the qualifications and experience needed for a class 2 driller licence in the NT.

Skills, experience and knowledge

You must have all the knowledge and skills of a class 1 driller and all of the following:

• bore design - design and construction of bores in multiple aquifers, particularly designs and methods used to keep out unsuitable waters
• screen setting and gravel pack selection - skill in the design of high yielding bores is needed, which includes overcoming entrance velocity problems and carrying out sand sieve analysis to choose the right gravel pack material and screens
• grouting - grouting casing, placing cement plugs over selected zones, able to calculate hole volumes, slurry volumes and specific gravities, hole preparation, casing installation and circulation needs
• aquifer testing - what is involved and data needed from a multi-stage pumping test
• decommissioning - designing and selecting appropriate materials for the decommissioning of bores in multiple aquifers.

In addition to operating in class 2 conditions, a class 3 licence allows drilling operations in flowing aquifer systems. These systems include the Great Artesian Basin.

How to get a licence

Artesian, flowing or high pressure, aquifers need a high level of knowledge and skills due to the driller's need to understand and control hydrostatic pressures.

To get a class 3 drilling licence, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• You have held a class 2 licence or have been employed as a driller for at least 2 years, and you have completed at least 6 class 3 bores under supervision and passed the appropriate drilling licence examinations.
• You have been issued a class 3 drilling licence to carry out bore work in another Australian state or territory. This should be equal to the qualifications and knowledge needed for a class 3 drilling licence in the NT.

Skills, experience and knowledge

You must have the knowledge and skills needed for a class 1 and class 2 driller, including the drilling method endorsement you're applying for.

As well as this, you must be experienced in all of the following:

• drilling fluids - methods, procedures and calculations needed for formation fluid pressure control
• grouting - methods, procedures and calculations needed to carry out pressure cement jobs
• bore design in aquifer systems that have high pressure conditions and design of efficient bores, which includes being able to calculate screen surface areas and diameter
• aquifer testing - the procedures for a flow recession test, static and staged pumping tests on flowing bores
• decommissioning - designing and selecting the right materials for the decommissioning of bores having high pressure conditions.