AMER 2025 Australian Mineral Exploration Review 2025


Australia has a rich and diverse mineral endowment and long history of discovering high-quality mineral resources.

Australia precompetitive geoscience increases geological knowledge to further stimulate exploration.

Mineral exploration expenditure totalled $3.9 billion and 10,659,000 metres were drilled.

Of 69 maiden Mineral Resources, 32 contain critical minerals and 19 contain strategic materials.

Critical minerals are minerals or elements essential to modern technologies, economies or national security and that have supply chains at risk of disruption.

These elements are important to economic resilience, industrial capability and emerging supply chains.

These commodities illustrate the breadth of Australia exploration activity beyond critical minerals and strategic materials.

Wind turbines use rare earth elements, particularly neodymium and dysprosium, in high-strength permanent magnets that improve generator efficiency and reliability.
Department of Industry, Science and Resources
Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia: the Hon Madeleine King MP
Secretary: Julia Pickworth (a/g)
ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½
Chief Executive Officer: Melissa Harris PSM
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ISSN: 2201-6821 (Online)
ISSN: 2204-4523 (Print)
eCat: 151209
Bibliographical reference: Normington, V., Boyd, J., and Pheeney, J. 2025. Australian Mineral Exploration Review 2025. ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½, Canberra.
Acknowledgements: Cartography by Bianca Reese and Silvio Mezzomo, design by Douglas Warouw and Bailey Clarke and additional contributions by Allison Britt, Callum Kucka, Lauren Zappala, Anthony Senior and Tamara Alden.
Cover photograph: Geoscientists from ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½ observing drilling activities at ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½’s Enniskillen 1 stratigraphic drill site, central-west Queensland. Image by James Cropper, ÌÇÐÄVlog¹Ù·½.