Western Gold Resources (ASX:WGR) has launched a Scoping Study for the Gold Duke Gold Project in Western Australia, in hopes of providing an opportunity to become a gold producer.
The Scoping Study, which will be delivered in Q2 2024, is based on Gold Duke’s current Mineral Resource Estimate of 4.57 million tonnes and 2 grams per tonne gold.
An experienced study team with technical and commercial analysis has been appointed by Western Gold to lead the study.
Western Gold Managing Director Warren Thorne says the company has uncovered heap-leach processing as a viable solution for the project, providing ‘significant’ cost benefits.
“Following on from this, the board has approved a formal Scoping Study on the technical and economic development of the project.
With granted mining leases and mining approvals in place, we will examine the potential standalone heap leach treatment/development pathway. I am very excited by these latest developments which support our goal to become a gold producer.”
The Scoping Study will include 4 resources, namely the Golden Monarch, Gold King, Eagle, and Emu, that currently optimise as 8 shallow pits comprising above-water-table oxide ore.
Western Gold says the gold at all deposits are BIF-hosted and share similar physical and metallurgical properties, simplifying blending and processing options.
A diamond drilling is planned to begin later next month to further define processing and geotechnical parameters for future studies.
The company aims for drilling to determine geotechnical and metallurgical parameters for future studies and optimisation of the mine plan.
Western Gold Resources is a gold-focused explorer that wholly owns the Gold Duke Project, which is a ‘highly prospective’ brownfields gold project, west of Wiluna in Western Australia’s mid-west.
As of 31 December 2023, the company had $941,000 cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Western Gold Resources
