Western Australia's Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) publishes an extraordinary amount of geological data through its SLIP (Shared Location Information Platform) APIs. At Mine Market, we pull from 49 WA government APIs covering everything from drillhole assays to threatened species habitat. Here's what the latest data shows.
Exploration Spending Is Up, But Concentrated
WA exploration expenditure exceeded $3.2 billion in the 2025 financial year, the highest on record. But this spend is heavily concentrated in two areas: the Eastern Goldfields (gold) and the Pilbara (lithium, iron ore).
The mid-west and Kimberley regions remain comparatively underexplored relative to their geological potential, creating opportunities for early-stage explorers willing to work in less established areas.
Drillhole Data Trends
The MDHDB (Mineral Drillhole Database) contains records of over 1.2 million drillholes across WA. Key trends from recent submissions:
- Gold exploration drilling is up 28% year-over-year in the Leonora-Laverton corridor
- Lithium drilling has plateaued after the 2024-2025 boom, with fewer new programs starting
- Nickel exploration has dropped sharply following the BHP Nickel West closure announcement
- Rare earth element drilling is increasing, particularly in the Gascoyne region
Tenement Activity
New tenement applications remain strong, with over 2,400 new exploration licenses applied for in the past 12 months. The most active areas by application count:
- Eastern Goldfields (gold, nickel)
- Pilbara (lithium, iron ore)
- Murchison (gold, rare earths)
- Fraser Range (nickel, copper)
Environmental Data Layer
WA's environmental datasets are increasingly important for project evaluation. The SLIP APIs provide data on:
- Threatened flora and fauna habitats
- Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs)
- Heritage survey clearances
- Groundwater resources and allocations
Projects that overlap with ESAs or threatened species habitat face longer permitting timelines and higher compliance costs. Checking these overlays early in the evaluation process can save months of wasted effort.
What This Means for Buyers
WA remains one of the most attractive exploration jurisdictions globally, combining excellent geological prospectivity with strong government data infrastructure and clear regulatory frameworks. For buyers on Mine Market, WA-listed projects benefit from the richest publicly available geological dataset of any state in Australia, making due diligence faster and more data-driven than in most other regions.