New information stimulates greenfields exploration: Bowler

Many new mining tenement applications, potentially worth tens of millions of dollars in exploration expenditure alone, have been taken up for under-explored land in the southern Yilgarn, Paterson, Gascoyne and Eastern Yilgarn areas.

The new tenements follow the release of geophysical data from low level flights over large areas of Western Australia as part of a $12million State Government program.

Resources Minister John Bowler said the survey work being undertaken by the Geological Survey of Western Australia was providing valuable information.

"It is very important that greenfields areas are explored to ensure the continued sustainability of WA's resources industry," Mr Bowler said.

"The airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys provide the resources sector with valuable data which encourages mining companies to make decisions about applying for new tenements."

The first phase of the regional airborne geophysical survey program began in September 2004 and covered an area of about 112,000 square kilometres in a region extending from Kellerberrin to Ravensthorpe.

Further surveys and data releases followed in the Paterson, Gascoyne and East Yilgarn areas in the 2005-06 financial year.

New survey data was released on November 15 for the Warburton-Giles and the West Officer Basin, east of Newman, areas and further surveys are continuing in the West Officer Basin and the Ashburton areas in central and northern WA.

"The surveys and mapping program provides critical geophysical information for the resources sector and is expected to provide incentive for many more exploration companies to undertake fieldwork to assess the viability of these potential mining areas," the Minister said.