Stephen Gunnion discusses Greatland Gold's strategic advances with the junior's managing director Shaun Day.
SG: Shaun, thanks for joining us. Can we start with the recent shift in your joint venture partnership at Havieron from Newcrest Mining to Newmont Mining? How significant is this change for the project?
SD: We're extremely excited about the new partnership with Newmont. They are the world's largest gold miner, bringing a wealth of expertise and capacity to the Havieron project.
This change, which happened in mid-November, has already started to positively impact our operations. Newmont's expertise, particularly in large-scale underground mining operations, is a great asset as we advance with our feasibility study and optimization efforts throughout 2024.
SG: Moving on to the Havieron project itself, can you update us on the current status, especially regarding the depressurization and dewatering efforts?
SD: Of course, Stephen. Our primary focus at Havieron right now is on the depressurization and dewatering of the lower-contained aquifer.
We've successfully drilled six boreholes and are actively extracting water to the surface. This step is crucial for both data collection related to water management and ensuring safe access to the ore body. It's a critical phase before we reach the ore body, and we're approaching it with the highest level of precision and care.
SG: That sounds like significant progress. Could you also shed some light on the updated mineral resource estimate for Havieron?
SD: Absolutely. The updated mineral resource estimate has been a major highlight for us, showing a remarkable growth of 29% to 8.4 million ounces. This consistent growth is a testament to our team's hard work. The indicated category, which can be converted into reserves, has grown by over 30%.
Additionally, over 70% of the additional ounces are in the deeper sections of the ore body, now reaching down to 1000 vertical meters. This further underscores the continuity and quality of the deposit.