61 drilling projects across Western Australia will share in a $7.2 million boost from the State Government; the funding is set to support the on-going search for minerals and petroleum.

The funds have already been hailed as a boost to the state’s reputation amongst investors both locally and globally.

The subsidies are part of the State Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS), which was established to support resources exploration.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion said the projects would involve drilling for a wide spectrum of commodities throughout the next two years.

“The co-funded drilling program provides incentives to drill in underexplored areas to ensure the continued economic prosperity of the State’s resources industry, particularly in the current financial environment,” he said.

The program provides co-funding of up to 50 per cent of direct drilling costs. It has caps of $150,000 for a multi-hole project, $200,000 or $400,000 for a single deep hole (depending on the target commodity), and $30,000 for prospecting projects.

A full list of successful applicants and a map of project locations is available from http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/eisdrilling