Westgold Resources appears to have been vindicated in its strategy of going deeper in search of greater mineralisation at the historic Great Fingall mine near Cue in Western Australia’s Mid West region, with assays again returning solid hits – this time from just three drill holes.
Management is adamant the results signal a new future for the mine, which threw out a hulking 1.2 million ounces from 20 levels developed underground to a depth of 786m below surface and at a staggering grade of 19.5 grams per tonne gold between 1891 and 1929. It now expects to release a new mineral resource estimate early next month.
Drilling in the 1980s confirmed the ore body continued to a depth of greater than 1000m. Westgold now asserts that its latest drill holes support its newly-revised geological model.
The company says new geological data shows Fingall Reef is not flattening with depth, believing the completed holes were not in the optimal positions and the data validates a steeper interpretation in line with historic workings. The company’s interpretation has the Great Fingall Reef splitting into two parallel reefs below the historic workings – Upper Fingall and Lower Fingall.
The three most recent drill holes boast headline figures from Upper Fingall of 5m at 5.66g/t gold from 869m and 1.3m going 46.72g/t from 849.7m.
Lower Fingall has given up 5.5m at 16.68g/t gold from 925m and 10.5m going 2.58g/t from 997m. Previous drilling at Great Fingall returned a headline figure of 3.5m at 45.15g/t gold from 1337.5m.
Westgold says its new results open the door to a potentially significant upgrade for the deposit’s mineral resource estimate, which stands at 1.1 million tonnes at 8.52g/t gold for 305,000 ounces gold. The company has previously estimated that Great Fingall Deeps – the underground mine below the Great Fingall open pit – could cough up between 250,000 and 350,000 tonnes per annum going 5-plus grams per tonne gold.
This new interpretation significantly de-risks development plans and has the potential to materially increase Mineral Resources and improve potential mine economics above prior estimates. Our confidence continues to grow in this near-term development target and pending a new Mineral Resource Estimate and a Final Investment Decision, we will be ready to recommence decline development in Q1, financial year 2024. Westgold Resources managing director Wayne Bramwell
Mr Bramwell added that Great Fingall was a “WA icon”. To see it restart and become a long-term sustainable and profitable operation was Westgold’s objective.
If the company’s predicted final investment decision is positive, it says it has surplus underground mining equipment ready for rapid deployment, meaning a new life for the legendary mine could begin as early as next year’s first quarter.
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