Updated: 25 February 2008

Australian Mineral Exploration: A Review of Exploration for the Year 2007

Summary

Australian mineral exploration spending in 2006-07 rose by 38% to a record $1,714.6 million of which 36% was spent on the search for new deposits.
Spending rose in all States and the Northern Territory with South Australia up by 78% to $260.7 million while Western Australia dominated with 49% of Australian mineral exploration spending.
The base metal group was the dominant target accounting for 32% of exploration spending overtaking gold (27%) for the first time since 1983.
Exploration results were announced for a wide range of commodities from across the country with the most significant being the announcement of a 38% increase in contained copper in the Olympic Dam deposit, South Australia, and of an initial 4 Moz resource in the Tropicana gold deposit, Western Australia.