By Frik Els Graph background image: Strike Drilling Australia is the world’s number two gold producer; the country’s tightening its grip on the trade in iron ore and coking coal; comes in at no 6 for copper; and is set to increase output of mineral-du-jour lithium from the current 38% to nearly half the global total within five years. That’s the result not only of a rich mineral endowment but massive amounts of money spent on exploration across the continent.