Blackham Resources Ltd (ASX:BLK) has received additional drill results from its Golden Age North (GAN) orebody within its Matilda-Wiluna Gold Operation in Western Australia.
Drilling below existing underground workings has led to an extension of the Golden Age Underground mine life.
Notably, low‐cost development of Golden Age Lower underground commences this week providing additional high-grade ore for the mill over at least the next 6 months.
Furthermore, drilling suggests the GAN open pit is likely to be extended along strike and potential for new near surface GAN underground mining exists.
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Blackham's executive chairman Milan Jerkovic said “Blackham has been actively extending Golden Age, its highest‐grade orebody, over the last 2 years and has successfully maintained a rolling mine life of at least 6 months.
"Mining is now due to start in the Golden Age Lower area and extensions to the Golden Age North open pit have already been identified.
"Further, outstanding near surface results support the potential for new areas of underground mining immediately below the existing Golden Age open pits. Further drilling and evaluation is expected to support the early expansion of the underground development to provide additional high‐grade ore feed to the Wiluna gold plant.”
Opportunity to increase high-grade feed to mill
The Golden Age underground, Blackham’s highest‐grade orebody, has been consistently extended over the last 2 years and has successfully maintained a rolling mine life of at least 6 months.
If dual underground mining areas can be opened up at GA Lower and GAN it will significantly increase the volume of high-grade ounces delivered to the plant.
Blackham aims to produce more than 200,000 ounces a year from its Matilda-Wiluna operation.