Gold Rush: Westgold's Bluebird–South Junction Project Soars with 134% Increase in Mineral Resource Estimate

The mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Westgold Resources’ Bluebird–South Junction project has surged by 134 percent, equivalent to 474,000 ounces (oz) of gold.

Situated 15km southwest of Meekatharra, Western Australia, the Bluebird underground gold mine forms part of Westgold’s Meekatharra operations.

In late 2019, Westgold initiated underground activities at Bluebird, resulting in the extraction of over 137,000oz of gold. This contributed to a total recorded gold production of 784,000oz at Bluebird and 1.18Moz across the combined Bluebird–South Junction project.

The mineral resource of the Bluebird–South Junction project now stands at 6.4 million tonnes, averaging 3.1 grams per tonne (g/t) for 827,000oz of gold.

Wayne Bramwell, Westgold's managing director and chief executive officer, stated, “Expanding our largest mines to enhance productivity and profitability is a primary goal for Westgold, and our ongoing investment in drilling is adding both scale and value for our shareholders.”

Bramwell added, “A 500,000-ounce increase in the mineral resource at Bluebird–South Junction, despite nine months of mining depletion, underscores the quality of this orebody and the success of our investment.”

Expansion opportunities at Bluebird–South Junction extend to deeper levels and along-strike in the zone between current drilling areas and the base of the South Junction open pit.

A drilling program commenced at Bluebird–South Junction in January, with three surface rigs and two underground rigs currently operational.

Noteworthy recent intercepts from Bluebird–South Junction include:

• 20.40m at 5.12g/t of gold from 278.90m in hole 24BLDD017
• 28.90m at 3.59g/t of gold from 244.64m in hole 24BLDD015
• 10.45m at 3.80g/t of gold from 788m and 3.98m at 10.80g/t of gold from 894.49m in hole 24SJDD001.

“Our expansion endeavors at Bluebird – South Junction are gaining momentum, with five drill rigs currently in operation,” Bramwell remarked.

“A new underground diamond drill platform aimed at exploring the upper reaches of South Junction is slated to begin this quarter.”

It was disclosed last week that Westgold is poised to broaden its portfolio significantly through a merger with WA gold miner Karora Resources.