Your numbers only
No hidden defaults and no industry “averages” slipped in. Blank fields count as zero — fill in every cost you actually face in your market.
Academy tool · Companion to Lesson 6
Drilling startup cost calculator
Work out what it really costs to start drilling — and what one well costs you to drill — using your own numbers. Every figure on this page is entered by you. Nothing here is a promise of income: it is arithmetic, printed in the open, so you can plan honestly.
Formulas in the open
Every formula used is printed on this page, below the calculator. Check the maths yourself before you trust a single output.
Estimates, not promises
Every output is labelled Estimate. This tool cannot predict dry holes, breakdowns, weather, or what customers in your area will pay.
The calculator
Fill in your own costs
Work through the three parts in order. Results update as you type. Amounts can be in any currency — outputs use the same currency you choose, with no conversion.
Reference
Aurora rig prices — for your Part A figure
These are the published FOB price ranges (China main ports) shown on this site’s model pages. Your Part A rig price should be the figure on your actual quotation — and remember freight, duties and clearance go in their own fields, not inside the rig price.
| Model | Class | Published FOB range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| TerroCore ZY-25 | Portable core / exploration | $28,000 – $38,000 |
| TerroCore ZY-40 | Portable core / exploration | $48,000 – $62,000 |
| Aquilon 180T | Electric crawler water well | $78,000 – $92,000 |
| GeoTherm G260 | Geothermal borehole | $95,000 – $115,000 |
| Aquilon 300E | Electric water well | $118,000 – $138,000 |
| BlastMaster B80 | Blast hole | $135,000 – $158,000 |
| Aquilon 450C | Combination water well | $168,000 – $195,000 |
| NaviDrill H18 | Horizontal directional | $185,000 – $220,000 |
Ranges depend on configuration. See the model pages and global shipping for what FOB includes — and Lesson 3, Drilling methods & choosing a rig, before you match a model to your ground.
The maths
Formulas used — printed in full
No hidden adjustments. If your accountant uses different definitions, you can reproduce every output here on paper:
- Total startup cost = rig price + freight & delivery + duties & taxes + licences & permits + initial tools & spares + other startup costs
- Cost per well = fuel/power + crew wages + bits & consumables + casing/screen/pump (if supplied) + moving & site costs + other per-well costs
- Cost per metre = cost per well ÷ average well depth
- Revenue per well = price per well — or, if you charge per metre: price per metre × average well depth
- Margin per well = revenue per well − cost per well
- Margin per month = margin per well × target wells per month
- Simple payback (months) = total startup cost ÷ margin per month
Read this before you decide
What this calculator cannot tell you
Dry holes and bad ground
Some boreholes fail or under-yield, however good the survey. Decide — in writing, before drilling — who carries that cost: a fixed “per successful well” price, a per-metre rate, or a shared-risk arrangement. This calculator assumes every well is completed and paid.
Downtime, tax and finance
Repairs, waiting on spares, rain, tax, loan interest and licence renewals all eat margin and are not in these formulas. Established drillers keep a repair reserve; new drillers should too.
What your market will pay
The only price that matters is the one customers near you actually pay. Ask local drillers, check tender results, and cost three real sites before you fix your price — Lesson 6 (in preparation) works through this in full.
Depth margin
Costing assumes your rig comfortably reaches your average depth. Rate a rig 30–50% deeper than your deepest planned well; ratings are set in favourable ground, and margin is what absorbs the harder jobs.
Questions
Calculator FAQ
Is this a prediction of what I will earn?
No. It is arithmetic on numbers you supplied. It shows what your own figures imply — nothing about whether customers will come, wells will succeed, or prices will hold. Aurora Rigs does not promise income to any driller, in this tool or anywhere else.
Why is there no “average” price or cost pre-filled?
Because averages from another country, currency and geology would mislead you. A 60 m well in Kenya and a 120 m well in Texas share almost no costs. Your local figures — even rough ones — beat anyone’s global average.
Should my price cover the rig purchase too?
Over time, yes: that is what the payback line tests. Margin per well is what repays the startup cost. If your payback estimate runs to many years, either the price, the pace, or the rig choice needs a second look — before you buy, not after.
Can I use this offline or share it?
The calculator runs entirely in your browser — no account, no sign-up, and your figures are never sent anywhere. Use the print button to save a copy of your results.
Keep learning — free
Lesson 6, “The money: costing & pricing a well”, builds on this calculator. Join the Academy list and get the lessons and the starter pack (Starter Guide PDF, rig acceptance checklist, drilling log template) as they launch.