How Drillspec Recovered an Abandoned Drill Rig From a Remote WA Lease.
A drill rig stranded on an old lease is not a normal breakdown call. This machine had already been stripped of key parts and could not be started or driven out under its own power. The client still needed it removed from the bush, so the job had to be planned around a heavy machine with no usable drivetrain.
Drillspec Mechanical assessed the rig where it sat, arranged a hydraulic Enerpac setup and managed the recovery from the first call through to load-out. The rig was lifted and shifted safely, then handed back to the client ready for its next step rather than being left behind on the lease.
The job started with a rig that could not move
A conventional recovery depends on the machine being able to start, steer or at least roll. This rig could do none of those things. Parts had been removed and the machine could not move under its own power, which ruled out the usual approach of repairing just enough to drive it out.
The first task was therefore to understand the rig's condition, the ground around it and what would be required to lift and reposition it for transport. That assessment shaped the equipment choice and the sequence of the job.
A hydraulic plan built around the machine
Drillspec hired in a hydraulic Enerpac setup suited to the recovery. The system provided the controlled lifting force needed to raise and shift the rig without relying on its engine or drivetrain.
The important part was not simply bringing a powerful hydraulic kit to site. The crew had to apply it to the machine as it stood, work through the movement in stages and prepare the rig for load-out. The recovery plan matched the actual condition of the asset rather than assuming the rig could behave like an operational machine.
Managed from assessment to load-out
Remote recovery work can involve several moving parts: site access, lifting equipment, transport requirements and the condition of the machine itself. Drillspec ran the job from the initial assessment through to the point where the rig could leave the lease.
That single line of responsibility gave the client a clear outcome. The rig was recovered from the bush and handed back, avoiding the cost and risk of leaving a disabled asset where it sat.
What this recovery shows
Good field service is not limited to replacing a failed component. Some jobs need practical problem-solving, the right hired equipment and a crew prepared to work with the machine in front of them.
Drillspec supports drilling operations across Western Australia with breakdown response, field service, shutdown work and specialised recovery projects. When a job falls outside the normal repair process, the approach stays the same: assess it properly, build a workable plan and carry it through to a safe handover.
Drillspec Mechanical recovers, rebuilds and maintains drill rigs across regional Western Australia.