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The testing among FIFO workers is the second pillar of the DETECT program, a joint initiative of the Department of Health and the WA research community which will examine the prevalence of COVID-19 in key sectors of the WA community and help to provide greater certainty around possible undetected transmission of the disease.
It comes as WA recorded its seventh straight day with no new coronavirus cases.
It is expected that nearly 30,000 tests will be conducted during the life of the project.
The resources will provide A$500,000 to fund the work, which has been endorsed by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA.
Rio Tinto, Chevron, BHP, Woodside Energy, Roy Hill, AngloGold Ashanti, CITIC Pacific Mining, Mineral Resources, Regis Resources, Minara Resources and Perenti Global are participating in DETECT FIFO.
"The resources sector is one of the state's largest employers, employing approximately 120,000 people, and the opportunity to use any screening processes throughout the sector to contribute to learning more about the virus is enormous," CME CEO Paul Everingham said.
"The WA resources sector is extremely supportive of including FIFO workers in the DETECT project as it aligns with the sector's commitment to keep its workforce and the wider community safe.
"The testing conducted through the study will act as an additional layer within industry's suite of measures to further protect our workforce and the communities in which we operate from the risks posed by COVID-19."
CME expects the list of participating companies to grow.
BHP, Rio, MinRes, Chevron and Woodside will also contribute substantially to the project through established screening and research mechanisms, as a result of recent significant investment and proactive work.
"The sector is in constant dialogue with government to ascertain the most appropriate levels of movement restrictions; physical distancing; heightened hygiene protocols and more," Everingham said.
