Yilgarn 2030

The Challenge

Western Australia aims to be a leading jurisdiction for the discovery and development of the critical mineral deposits essential for the clean energy transition, but mineral discovery rates have in WA have been declining over the past decade. This challenge has been amplified by recent market shifts and volatility in Li and Ni prices placing increased pressure on exploration investment.

Proposed Solution

Yilgarn 2030 will unite existing datasets with new pre-competitive data to unravel the geodynamic triggers and tectonic drivers behind the Yilgarn Craton’s extraordinary gold endowment. Beyond discovery science outcomes, this project further aims to transform these insights into practical exploration strategies, thereby bridging the gap between terrane-scale selection and camp-scale targeting in mineral exploration. While focused on gold exploration, the outcomes of this work will be more broadly applicable, helping shape strategies for other mineralising systems across the Yilgarn Craton and WA.

Proposed Benefits to WA

The conceptual framework and integrated applied geoscience approach to be developed through this project offer an innovative pathway to breakthroughs in discovery performance across the mature Yilgarn Craton while; (i) building a versatile toolbox that can drive multi-commodity exploration across Western Australia, and; (ii) offering a platform to train the next generation of exploration geoscientists.

Funding DOI

DOI: 10.71342/366132379043