From Geoscience Australia
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Australian Mineral Exploration: analysis and implications

Created 17/10/2025

Updated 17/10/2025

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Australian mineral exploration is at a 20 year low in real terms. After doubling in line with global exploration activity during the 1990s, exploration expenditure peaked in 1996/97 and then fell sharply. The current decline differs from previous downturns in exploration that have occurred as part of the economic cycle as it is accompanied by major structural changes in the industry. Forces resulting in these changes are strongly inter-related and include: • cost cutting to stay competitive in the face of low (declining) commodity prices • demand for greater return on shareholder investment • consolidation in response to globalisation • intense competition for risk capital (particularly for junior companies) from new sources • loss of confidence in exploration as an economic activity following declining rates of discovery and land access issues. These factors have changed and continue to change the face of the industry. Published in the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bulletin No. 1 Jan/Feb 2002, 45-52.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Australian Mineral Exploration: analysis and implications
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/205100fe-ad67-42f3-99a3-eff7b0be5b68
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 22/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        110.0,
        -44.0
      ],
      [
        156.0,
        -44.0
      ],
      [
        156.0,
        -9.0
      ],
      [
        110.0,
        -9.0
      ],
      [
        110.0,
        -44.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Australian Mineral Exploration: analysis and implications". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/australian-mineral-exploration-analysis-and-implications