Historic Mineral Exploration Drillholes From Western Australia

Open file drillhole data submitted by companies under the Mining Act 1978. The database is an aid to mineral exploration in Western Australia, with information released after a standard five-year confidentiality period. Data includes a validated collar file, with potential additional files for assays, geology, and surveys.

Use Cases

• Validate drillhole collar locations against tenement outlines for spatial compliance analysis
• Analyze assay data, where available, to identify regional mineralization trends
• Integrate geology file data with collar coordinates for 3D geological modeling
• Use survey data to correct drillhole path deviations for accurate resource estimation

Strengths

• Data is validated against tenement outlines, ensuring spatial accuracy
• Includes potential for multiple related data files (collar, assays, geology, surveys)
• Released under a CC-BY license, permitting flexible reuse

Limitations

• Data availability is contingent on company submissions, leading to potential gaps
• Information is released after a five-year confidentiality period, limiting recency
• Sample data and specific row/column counts are unavailable for assessment

Provenance

Source

Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (Chief Geoscientist)

Collection Method

Submitted annually by companies in mineral exploration reports as required under the Mining Act 1978

Time Range

Historic data; specific range unknown

Freshness

Last updated March 2026; data is released annually after a five-year confidentiality period.

Geography

Western Australia