Westgold Resources has released an operational update at its flagship Big Bell mine in WA.
Drilling efforts at the Cue mine have been conducted into a proposed expansion area, with the goal of providing data to support a final investment decision in the project. Recent drilling has yielded favourable results to this end, with some holes exceeding mineral resource estimates.
In particular, 38.08m at 4.22 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 396m, and 64m at 2.62g/t gold from 428m.
Westgold reported that Big Bell is exceeding design outputs. In January, the mine processed 100.7 kilotons of ore at 2.61g/t gold, yielding a combined 8447 ounces (oz) of gold. Big Bell produced 7895oz gold in February.
Big Bell has produced an impressive 2.9 million ounces of gold since its commencement.
Westgold also announced that its pre-feasibility study on expanding operations into the deeper orebody is advancing.
Westgold managing director Wayne Bramwell said the project – called the Big Bell Deeps – is the next step in increasing output.
“Big Bell is the engine room of our business and continues to operate above its 800–900 kilotons per annum a design levels,” he said.
“Development of the Big Bell Deeps area is the next stage of its expansion towards 1.3–1.4-million-tonnes-per-annum level and can be undertaken with our existing mining fleet.
“The existing sub-level cave operation has circa seven years of mine life grade control drilled ahead of it, and the expansion study looks to enhance Big Bell’s economics and potentially extend mine life for another 10 years.
“The drilling beneath the cave is very encouraging, with recent results exceeding our expectations. Drilling continues as our team advances the expansion study with the results on track for Board review later this year.”
Westgold last month reported similar success at its Bluebird gold mine in WA. New high-grade intercepts were received from several key zones in the Meekatharra mine, a development Westgold labelled “a game-changer”.