Westgold reaches stable two-million tonnes a year mine rate at Beta Hunt
ASX- and TSX-listed Westgold Resources has removed legacy mine infrastructure constraints to establish a platform that supports a sustained two-million-tonne-a-year mining rate at the Beta Hunt underground mine at Kambalda.
Beta Hunt achieved a record annualised mining rate of two-million tonnes a year in September, before the interim primary ventilation system was commissioned (ahead of schedule at month-end).
With the supporting infrastructure now in place, the company is targeting sustained performance at this rate from the second quarter of its 2027 financial year, which started on October 1.
Westgold acquired Beta Hunt in August 2024 as a high-quality orebody constrained by ageing infrastructure and limited drilling. Before acquisition, the operation had not sustained mining rates above 1.4-million tonnes a year.
The company has systematically removed these constraints through investment in drilling, ventilation, dewatering, water supply, power distribution, mine services, underground infrastructure and mine design optimisation, establishing Beta Hunt now as a modern underground operation.
Looking ahead, Westgold continues to advance the Fletcher zone as the next key driver of mine expansion at Beta Hunt.
The company is advancing integrated Southern Goldfields expansion studies, which will be completed during the third quarter of its 2027 financial year, or between January and March next year.
The studies are assessing the optimal mining, hoisting, ore-handling and processing pathway for an expanded operation incorporating Fletcher and will define the timing, infrastructure and processing solution required to support higher mining rates.
The processing definitive feasibility study is evaluating two development scenarios, one being a new four-million-tonne-a-year processing hub closer to Beta Hunt - producing 250 000 oz/y on a standalone basis and increasing total Southern Goldfields milling capacity to 5.6-million tonnes a year; and the second being an expansion of the Higginsville processing hub to treat four-million tonnes a year of Beta Hunt ore - which also supports 250000 oz/y of additional production.
The group ultimately targets production of 500000 oz/y by the 2029 financial year.
Meanwhile, Westgold produced 98400 oz in the quarter ended September 30, or the first quarter of its 2027 financial year, which puts in on track to deliver full-year production of between 385 000 oz and 425000 oz from the Southern Goldfields and Murchison gold hubs, in Western Australia.
