Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX) reports a maiden ore reserve of 13.5 million tonnes (Mt) at 2.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) for 1.1 million ounces (Moz) at its Fletcher deposit within the Beta Hunt mining complex at Kambalda, Western Australia.
The company also announces a 30% increase in Fletcher’s mineral resource estimate (MRE) to 40.1Mt at 2.3g/t Au for 3Moz, including a 426% increase in indicated MRE ounces to 1.55Moz at 2.7g/t Au.
Approximately 74% of the updated indicated MRE ounces have converted into the Fletcher maiden ore reserve, supported by completed mine planning, commercial evaluation, and a Prefeasibility Study (PFS).
According to Westgold, the total Beta Hunt ore reserve now stands at 21.7Mt @ 2.34g/t Au for 1.6Moz, while its mineral resource now holds 74.6Mt @ 2.25g/t Au for 5.4Moz.
Managing Director and chief executive Wayne Bramwell says the emerging Fletcher
“Beta Hunt is the key growth driver in our Southern Goldfields business, with our capital investment focused on lifting mine productivity,” Bramwell says.
“Westgold is currently mining from two established mining fronts with mine output scheduled to increase from 1.7 million tonnes per annum [Mtpa] to 2 Mtpa during FY27.
“This planned uplift excludes any contribution from the emerging Fletcher and Mason orebodies.”
Since acquiring Beta Hunt in August 2024, Westgold has completed more than 85km of drilling across the Fletcher Zone. The increasing scale now supports assessment of a 4 Mtpa processing case, with the Definitive Feasibility Study being advanced ahead of the 2.6 Mtpa Higginsville expansion.
Westgold says the Fletcher ore reserve estimation is based on a PFS using cost assumptions from current Beta Hunt rates. Fletcher has been modelled as a complete load-haul-dump operation with multiple declines installed from the surface separate from the Beta Hunt mine, utilising longhole stoping mining methods.
“Drilling will continue at Fletcher and commence at Mason, with Westgold advancing related studies, alongside key debottlenecking activities at Higginsville to support a larger processing facility,” Bramwell says.
The company also plans to commence an underground haulage study and expects to complete the 4 Mtpa processing expansion study towards the end of FY27.
Westgold Resources is a gold producer and explorer operating multiple processing facilities across Western Australia’s Murchison and Southern Goldfields regions.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au
