Funding of $5.26 million will be provided to 43 miners, explorers and prospectors for WA projects to be drilled during the 2018 financial year.
Notable recipients include Northern Star Resources for the Black Flag group, Metals X for the Finch prospect, Dacian Gold for deep drilling at Westralia, First Quantum Minerals for the Rhea copper project, and Gold Fields for Invincible South.
Antipa Minerals and Red Metal each received two grants.
Just two of the grants were for lithium drilling, with one for graphite, one for potash, one for diamonds, one for chromite and one for oil.
The rest were all gold projects or base metals, predominantly copper.
WA Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said the EIS gave companies extra incentive to drill in underexplored areas.
"Our continued investment in the EIS helps create economic opportunities for the future.
"An economic impact study released early in 2015 shows $10.3 million of exploration activity results from every $1 million invested in the EIS.”
Last week, the state government committed to fund the EIS for at least the next two years.
