Australian private exploration firms spent $1.094 billion on mineral exploration and $467 million on petroleum in the March 2026 quarter, a 6.3 % rise for minerals and a 4.8 % fall for oil and gas, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Seasonally adjusted mineral spending rose by $64.5 million to $1,093.7 million, while petroleum expenditure fell by $23.5 million to $466.6 million. Onshore petroleum activity increased by 14.8 % to $273.7 million, but offshore spending dropped 23.3 % to $192.9 million. Total metres drilled reached 3,120.1 km, up 9.3 % from the previous quarter. The figures were collected from private sector surveys covering exploration activities across Australia.
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This article is a summary of content originally published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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