Business, industry and trade

Licence name

Exploration licence

Fees

All fees effective from 1 July 2011 and GST exempt

Duration

Normally one year

Overview

An Exploration licence (EL) is the principal title issued for exploration in the state. An EL authorises the licensee, subject to the Mining Act 1971 and Mining Regulations 1998 and conditions of the licence, to explore for all minerals and/or opal other than extractive minerals - ie building construction materials.

An EL excludes current mining tenements - mineral claims, retention leases and mining leases - and any other areas not available for exploration, such as national parks, Commonwealth land and coastlines.

A company must have a registered office in Australia before applying for an EL. A person may apply for an EL on behalf of another party provided they have authorisation.

Applications are treated on a first-come, first-served basis. If two or more valid applications arrive for the same area on the same day, priority will be based on the relative merits of the applications.

Full details of the application process can be found in the mineral exploration licences information sheet (PDF 253KB) on the website of the Department of Primary Industries and Resources South Australia (PIRSA).

A list of exploration licence applications for which the Minister for Mineral Resources Development proposes to grant an exploration licence is posted on the PIRSA website.

Apply for a licence

Apply online for a licence at the South Australian Resources Information Geoserver (SARIG). On this site you can map out the area over which you are applying for a licence. You can also pay the application fee online.

Alternatively, use application form 29 on the PIRSA website to apply for a mineral exploration licence. You must include the correct fee.

More information

Other websites
Exploration guidelines - Department of Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA)

Downloads
Full list of fees for mining (PDF 167KB) - PIRSA