Major mining milestone: Westgold Resources starts South Junction Lode operations with promising drill results

Westgold Resources Limited has officially started mining the South Junction Lode, a significant development in the Bluebird-South Junction mining complex at Meekatharra, Western Australia. The company’s goal is to ramp up production to 100,000 tonnes per month by the third quarter of FY25. This milestone is expected to enhance the resource base and contribute substantially to the overall output of the nearby Bluebird processing plant.

Drilling operations in the South Junction Lode have yielded several noteworthy results. Recent drill holes have intercepted high-grade gold, with highlights including 14.93 meters at 15.95 grams per tonne (g/t) gold in hole 24SJDD029 and 6.83 meters at 15.31 g/t gold in hole 24SJDD027. These findings underscore the substantial potential of the South Junction Lode and its ability to significantly contribute to Westgold’s mining operations.

The resource definition drilling program, which commenced in January 2024, continues to deliver encouraging results. The program, which has involved 29,455 meters of drilling, aims to define the down-plunge extensions of multiple orebodies previously mined from open pits. The drilling results have confirmed the continuity of mineralisation and identified new high-grade intersections, including 11.42 meters at 4.92 g/t gold and 8.95 meters at 4.01 g/t gold.

Wayne Bramwell, Managing Director and CEO of Westgold Resources, commented on the developments: “Drilling continues to unlock value and point to the potential scale of the Bluebird-South Junction mining complex at Meekatharra. The commencement of mining on the South Junction Lode is a company milestone, achieved in short order by a focused team. This lode is one of many mineralised lodes being tested across the Bluebird-South Junction mining complex, with the Polar Star Lode the next target to be evaluated.”

The company is also advancing its drilling program to explore deeper extensions of the South Junction and Polar Star Lodes, with current drilling reaching depths of up to 800 meters below surface. The Polar Star Lode, located directly east of the South Junction Lode, has been identified as a promising target with several high-grade intercepts and remains open to the south and down dip.

Looking ahead, Westgold Resources plans to release an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Polar Star Lode in Q3 FY25. This estimate will be accompanied by mining studies to assess the potential for expanding the resource base and enhancing the overall mining operation at Meekatharra.

Key Points:

• Mining Commencement: Sub-level open stoping began in August 2024.
• Production Target: 100,000 tonnes per month by Q3 FY25.
• Recent Drilling Results: High-grade intersections including 14.93m @ 15.95g/t Au and 6.83m @ 15.31g/t Au.
• Resource Definition Drilling: Ongoing with two surface rigs targeting deeper extensions.
• Future Prospects: Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Polar Star Lode expected in Q3 FY25.