1367.5 - Western Australian Statistical Indicators, 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/01/2011  Final
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Contents >> Mining and Energy >> Mineral and Petroleum Exploration Expenditure

MINERAL AND PETROLEUM EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE

SEPTEMBER KEY FIGURES, Western Australia

Sep qtr 2010
Jun qtr 2010 to Sep qtr 2010
Sep qtr 2009 to Sep qtr 2010
Mineral Exploration Expenditure (a)
$m
% change
% change

Trend estimates
361.9
5.0
32.0
Seasonally adjusted estimates
355.7
0.9
28.7

(a) Excluding petroleum
Source: Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia (cat. no. 8412.0).
  • In the September quarter 2010, total expenditure on minerals exploration increased for the fifth consecutive quarter, climbing above $360 million in trend terms. This expenditure value surpasses the previous peak level reached two years earlier, before the global financial crisis saw expenditure fall by 25% in late 2008 and early 2009.


Mineral Exploration Expenditure, Total Minerals

Graph: Mineral Exploration Expenditure, Total Minerals


  • Exploration expenditure in WA increased (in original terms) across a wide range of minerals between the September quarter 2009 and the September quarter 2010. The most notable annual increases were for Gold (up 49%) and Nickel, cobalt (up 46%).
  • In the September quarter 2010, petroleum exploration expenditure was nearly 14% lower than in the previous quarter but only marginally lower than in the corresponding quarter of 2009.

MINERAL AND PETROLEUM EXPENDITURE(a), By selected minerals: Original - Western Australia

Copper
Silver, lead, zinc
Nickel, cobalt
Gold
Iron ore
Total minerals(b)
Total petroleum
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m

2009
September
7.9
4.4
46.1
70.7
134.2
298.9
603.9
2010
June
15.4
7.2
54.3
109.0
142.3
366.3
692.3
September
19.2
7.2
67.4
105.3
136.2
384.6
597.1

(a) Includes expenditure on Western Australia leases in the Zone of Cooperation Area B.
(b) Includes minerals not separately listed in the table.
Source: Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia (cat. no. 8412.0).


This link takes you to time series spreadsheets from Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia, Sep 2010 (cat. no. 8412.0). Tables 4 & 5 contain mineral exploration expenditure by state and mineral sought. Table 7 contains petroleum exploration expenditure by region.



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