- Successful EIS applicants continue to uncover
significant critical minerals in WA
- Current round will share in $1 million per year
State Budget funding increase
Applications for Round 28
of the Exploration Incentive Scheme's (EIS) flagship co-funded drilling program
and Series 6 of the Energy Analysis Program (EAP) have opened.
This co-funded drilling
round follows the State Budget 2023-24 funding increase of $1 million per year.
A total of $7 million is now available across the two application rounds each
year.
Recent success stories
include Caspin Resources who received EIS funding in 2021, for exploration at its
Mount Squires project. Drilling found a significant molybdenum-lead copper-gold
geochemical anomaly.
The company received
further EIS funding earlier this year to continue exploration at Mount Squires,
including drilling its Duchess East prospect, where earlier work uncovered
near-surface rare earth elements mineralisation.
Another EIS success story
is Norwest Minerals' maiden 20-hole drilling program at its Arunta West Project
in the Pilbara. It found significant shallow mineralisation of rare earth
elements.
Launched in 2009, the EIS
program supports innovative exploration in greenfields, and underexplored areas
of Western Australia. The EAP program encourages exploration of petroleum and
geothermal resources using existing State resources, including drill core,
sidewall core and cuttings, and existing data.
Applications for Round 28
and Series 6 close at 4pm Friday, 1 September 2023. For more information,
visit: http://dmp.wa.gov.au/Geological-Survey/EIS-Government-co-funded-1433.aspx
Comments attributed to Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston:
"Mineral exploration is one of Western Australia's most important
sectors, which is why the Cook Government will continue to support companies
with the backing they deserve.
"It's especially pleasing
to see successful EIS applicants uncover the critical minerals needed to
support our national and global decarbonisation efforts.
"I look forward to
learning more about the latest exploration achievements and industry
innovations at this week's Diggers and Dealers event in Kalgoorlie."
