Vanuatu Water Wells

Webster Drilling & Exploration was engaged by UNELCO to undertake specialist water well drilling at the Tagabe Pumping Station in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The project formed part of UNELCO’s water infrastructure and required the construction and testing of high-capacity production wells, together with dedicated monitoring bores.

The works involved drilling two 350 mm-diameter production boreholes, each completed with 250 mm Johnson well screens to a depth of 30 metres. Following construction, the wells were successfully tested at flows of 210 m³ per hour each, demonstrating the substantial groundwater production capacity achieved by the completed installations.

In addition to the production wells, Webster Drilling installed two 150 mm-diameter monitoring boreholes, completed with 50 mm PVC screens. These provided dedicated monitoring points alongside the main production infrastructure.

Delivering specialist drilling work in Vanuatu required Webster Drilling to draw on its experience operating throughout the Pacific and mobilising drilling capability beyond its New Zealand base. The completed UNELCO works demonstrate the company’s ability to deliver large-diameter, high-yield water wells for critical infrastructure applications in remote island environments.

The project remains a strong example of Webster Drilling’s Pacific water well capability, combining specialist drilling equipment, well construction expertise and high-capacity testing to deliver reliable groundwater infrastructure.