Webdrill has marked a major milestone with the completion of Rig 25, the company's 25th rig overall and the first to be designed and built entirely in-house. The rig represents the culmination of more than a decade of incremental development, operational feedback and engineering refinement.

Speaking from Webdrill's workshop with Rig 25 behind him, CEO Jared Webb said the achievement was as much about the journey as the machine itself.

"Rig 25 is a hell of a milestone for us," Jared Webb said. "It's not just the 20th rig out of the shed; it's a recap of the journey we've been on as a business."

Webdrill's evolution into a rig designer was never part of the original plan. The company's early fleet consisted of purchased and modified equipment, with changes driven by operational necessity rather than design ambition.

"We never originally set out to become a rig builder," Jared Webb said. "Our journey began with Epiroc when we purchased our first MCR rig. At the time, I remember identifying a number of areas where we could tailor the rig more closely to our operational needs."

These early discussions marked the beginning of a more customised approach. With each additional rig, Webdrill worked to refine specifications in line with its evolving requirements.

By the time the company reached its third rig, those refinements had continued to develop. As the fleet expanded to ten rigs, Webdrill reached a point where further optimisation led to exploring more tailored solutions.

"We had an opportunity to re-birth RIG 6 after a mining event," Webb said. "When we got the rig back, we ended up identifying 96 changes from the standard specification."

That process was driven directly by the people who operated and maintained the equipment.

"I remember the team putting all the changes up on a whiteboard and presenting them to us," he said. "We just built the rig with all 96 changes in one build."

Today, Rig 25 reflects more than 125 changes from the original base platform, a clear indicator of how far Webdrill's engineering capability has progressed. Rig 25 is the first rig to be entirely designed and built by Webdrill.

Rig 25 was delivered through close collaboration with long-term electrical partner Electra Worxs and supported by specialist Australian suppliers TDA, JM Mechanical and KME.

KME played a key role in finalising and executing the rig's auto-electrical systems, including universal wiring harnesses designed to simplify fault-finding and improve diagnostic efficiency. TDA and JM Mechanical were integral in integrating components and engineering solutions that addressed operational upgrades requested by Webdrill's drilling teams.

The result is a purpose-built, world-class underground diamond drill rig engineered by specialists and refined through direct end-user feedback.

A key differentiator in the development of Rig 25 is Webdrill's vertically integrated model. The business designs, builds, operates and maintains its rigs, giving it direct visibility across the full equipment lifecycle.

Because maintenance teams work alongside drillers in the field, feedback is captured quickly and fed back to the workshop, where changes are engineered and implemented without delay.

Electrical improvements to cabinet layout, component protection and fault-finding accessibility were driven by this process, as were several driller-focused enhancements.

Lighting control was one example. Drill crews reported that fixed lighting at high voltage was not always suitable in all conditions. Webdrill gathered feedback across multiple sites, trialled new switching configurations in the field, and then standardised the solution across new builds.

Hydraulic reliability was another focus area. A recurring issue with pressure switch failures was traced back to switch placement in a high-pressure circuit. By re-engineering the system and relocating the switch, the issue was eliminated, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

For Jared Webb, Rig 25 is ultimately a reflection of the people behind it.

"The feedback from the team, the fitters, sparkies, drillers, is what's made this rig what it is," he said. "They've built an amazing machine."

He emphasised that the milestone belongs to the broader Webdrill team rather than any single individual.

"Rig 25 is sitting behind me now, and there are plenty more to come out of our facility," Webb said. "It's a massive shout-out to everyone who's been involved. They know who they are; it's a big team effort."

While Rig 25 marks a defining moment in Webdrill's history, the company views it as a platform rather than a final product.

Continuous feedback from the field will continue to drive refinement, with future rigs building on the engineering foundations established by Rig 25.

For Webdrill, the milestone confirms its transition from drillers to equipment designer and builder, with full control over performance, reliability and evolution of its fleet.

"It's a big moment for us," Webb said. "And it's only the beginning."