- More than $12 million awarded across three co‑funded
exploration programs
- Drilling, geophysics, and energy analysis
projects supported State-wide
- Exploration success highlights the value of long‑running
Exploration Incentive Scheme investment
- Recipients entitled to one-off payment of up to $50,000
to help with increased costs associated with the war in the Middle East and its
impact on some supply chains
Mines and Petroleum
Minister David Michael today announced the successful recipients of funding
under the Exploration Incentive Scheme's (EIS) Co‑funded Exploration Drilling
Program, Co‑funded Geophysics Program, and Co‑funded Energy Analysis Program.
More than $12 million has
been awarded across the three programs, supporting 96 exploration projects across
Western Australia.
Round 33 of the EIS Co‑funded
Exploration Drilling Program has allocated more than $7 million to 46
successful applicants, continuing to drive exploration success across a wide
range of commodities and geological settings.
Recent success stories
include Great Boulder Resources' Mulga Bill – Eaglehawk drilling, which
intersected coarse visible gold and confirmed the large‑scale potential of the
gold system.
Black Cat Syndicate's
drilling at the Mount Clement Antimony Project intersected the Taipan Lode down
dip of the current resource, along with a previously unrecognised lode
containing antimony‑lead‑silver mineralisation.
The Co‑funded Geophysics
Program - Venture 3 marked an important milestone, with applications open to
proponents across the entire State for the first time.
The program awarded $5.3
million to 44 successful ventures, expanding access to high‑quality competitive
geophysical data.
Venture 1 and Venture 2
geophysics programs are already delivering tangible results. Data from these
programs contributed to target generation for three Round 33 co‑funded drilling
applicants, demonstrating the program's early impact in supporting informed
exploration investment.
The Energy Analysis
Program awarded approximately $500,000 to projects spanning analysis and
reprocessing, as well as geophysical data acquisition, supporting innovative
approaches to maximising the value of existing and new datasets.
The Cook Labor Government
will also re-purpose $3 million of EIS funding to allow grant recipients to claim
a one-off payment of up to $50,000 to help with increased costs associated with
drilling campaigns as well as ground and airborne geophysical surveys.
Recipients will also
receive an additional six months to complete their co-funded exploration
programs.
The one-off payment of up
to $50,000 and the six-month extension will apply to Round 32 and 33 EIS
recipients.
Applications for the next
round of the EIS Co‑funded Exploration Drilling Program will open on 3 August
2026. Applications for Series 10 of the Energy Analysis Program and Venture 4
of the Co-funded Geophysics Program will open in February 2027.
For more information on
the EIS and this round's successful applicants, visit: www.wa.gov.au/organisation/geological-survey-of-western-australia/exploration-incentive-scheme-eis
Comments attributed to Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael:
"The Cook Labor
Government's record $18 million investment in the Exploration Incentive Scheme
ensures Western Australia remains the global frontrunner for mineral discovery
and investment.
"By backing high-risk,
high-reward drilling, we are helping explorers bridge the gap from a geological
lead to a world-class mine.
"With more boots on the
ground and more rigs in the dirt, the EIS is fast-tracking the discoveries that
will underpin our economy for decades.
"I am also pleased to
announce one-off payments of up to $50,000 and six-month extensions for EIS
recipients to complete their projects, given the impact that the Middle East
conflict is having on the supply chains of fuel and other inputs."
Comments attributed to Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent:
"I'm proud to be part of a government that supports WA's ambitious exploration
sector and thrilled that so many projects in the Goldfields-Esperance region
will receive funding under this important scheme.
"Exploration and mining continues to be the lifeblood of the region and I
wish all the recipients every success as they search for the State's next big
resources deposits."
