The economic downturn has not dampened enthusiasm for exploration of the state's oil and gas assets, with expenditure up 33 per cent in the June quarter compared to a year ago.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics today said exploration expenditure on petroleum projects in WA was $817.4 million, in original terms, in the June quarter, up from $789.4 million recorded in the previous quarter.
In the June quarter last year, expenditure an oil and gas exploration reached $616.9 million.
Total exploration spend on petroleum across the country was $1.017 billion, up from $998.6 million recorded in the March quarter.
Nationally, exploration expenditure on production leases rose $91.3 million, or 43.6 per cent, while exploration on all other areas fell $72.5 million, or 9.2 per cent, this quarter.
Offshore exploration fell $44.9 million, or 4.9 per cent, in the June quarter, while onshore exploration expenditure rose $63.7 million, or 73.9 per cent.
Meanwhile, WA recorded the largest rise in exploration expenditure on mineral deposits, in original terms, with a rise of 22.6 per cent on the March quarter to $274.8 million.
However, the June quarter figure was down on the same period last year, when it reached $381.2 million.
Nationally, exploration expenditure was fell 5.6 per cent, or $27.6 million, to $464.8 million in the June quarter.
