1367.5 - Western Australian Statistical Indicators, Mar 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 04/04/2007   
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Image: Mining MINING


MINERAL AND PETROLEUM EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE

Expenditure on mineral exploration in Western Australia rose by 12.2% ($22 million) to $200 million in the December quarter 2006 in trend terms. This rise followed strong growth in the previous two quarters of 9.1% ($13 million) and 12.5% ($20 million) in the June and September quarters 2006 respectively.

MINERAL EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE, Total minerals
Graph: Mineral exploration expenditure, total minerals



Mineral exploration expenditure in original terms rose by 37.5% ($59 million) to $217 million in Western Australia through the year to December quarter 2006. All of the major minerals showed strong increases over this period, with the highlights being iron ore (up $30 million or 71.5%), gold (up $17 million or 27.3%), silver-lead-zinc (up $4 million or 100.0%) and copper (up $3 million or 118.2%). Furthermore, petroleum exploration expenditure more than doubled in Western Australia through the year to December quarter 2006, increasing by 126.5% ($193 million ) to $346 million in original terms.


MINERAL AND ENERGY PRODUCTION

Production increased in most of Western Australia's major mineral and energy commodities through the year to December quarter 2006. The largest increases were in the production of zinc (up 118.2%) and diamonds (up 24.7%), while production fell for gold (down 4.7%), nickel (down 3.8%) and coal (down 0.8%) over the period.