Australia Yearbook - 2009-10

18.5 MINERAL EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE, BY MINERAL SOUGHT
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09
Change
from
2004–05
to
2008–09
Selected base metals
Copper
Silver, lead, zinc
Nickel, cobalt
Gold
Iron ore
Mineral sands
Uranium
Coal
Diamonds
Other(a)
Total
$m
261.1
71.4
31.3
158.6
391.7
137.9
27.6
20.7
126.8
23.7
38.6
1 028.4
$m
356.6
139.5
71.2
146.0
399.6
161.3
29.2
56.1
166.4
22.6
49.1
1 240.7
$m
555.0
234.5
139.4
181.1
455.9
285.4
37.3
114.1
193.2
26.9
46.9
1 714.6
$m
783.4
293.5
186.5
303.2
592.6
449.8
37.0
231.5
234.8
21.7
110.3
2 461.4
$m
519.0
178.7
80.5
259.9
438.0
588.7
30.6
185.2
297.3
10.0
154.1
2 223.2
%
98.8
150.3
157.2
63.9
11.8
326.9
10.9
794.7
134.5
–57.8
299.2
116.2
(a)
Includes tin, tungsten, scheelite, wolfram and
construction materials.
Source: Mineral and Petroleum Exploration, Australia (8412.0).
Onshore
Offshore
Total
18.6 OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
270.1 355.8 498.2 493.8 492.3
774.6 906.1 1 727.3 2 541.1 3 318.4
1 044.7 1 261.9 2 225.5 3 034.9 3 810.7
Change
from
2004–05
to
2008–09
%
82.3
328.4
264.8
Source: Mineral and petroleum Exploration, Australia (8412.0).
expenditure over this period, followed by
Queensland (16% in both periods).
Most of the expenditure in 2008–09 was related
to exploration for iron ore (table 18.5), with iron
ore exploration expenditure accounting for 26%
of total mineral exploration expenditure. In
percentage terms the greatest increases recorded
for the period 2004–05 to 2008–09 were for
uranium and iron ore exploration, increasing by
795% ($165m) and 327% ($451m) respectively.
Significant increases were also recorded for silver,
lead and zinc (157%), copper (150%) and coal
(135%). Exploration expenditure for diamonds
fell by 58% ($14m) over this period.
In 2008–09, total mineral exploration expenditure
was $238m or 10% lower than in 2007–08,
primarily due to falls in silver, lead and zinc
(57%), diamonds (54%), copper (39%) and gold
(26%) exploration expenditure.
In the period 2004–05 to 2008–09, expenditure
on oil and gas exploration rose by 265%
($2,766m) (table 18.6) due to increases in both
offshore and onshore exploration expenditure of
328% ($2,544m) and 82% ($222m).
In 2008–09, offshore oil and gas exploration
expenditure was higher by 31% ($777m)
compared with the previous year while onshore
exploration fell marginally, by less than 1% ($2m).
Mining industry
Economic contribution
The contribution of an industry to the overall
production of goods and services in an economy,
Chapter 18 — Mining 531