Black Cat Syndicate Advances Underground Mining at Paulsens Gold Operation

Tajha Pritchard
Gold Nugget

Black Cat Syndicate has reported significant progress at its Paulsens gold operation in Western Australia, with underground mining activities advancing ahead of schedule. The company’s high-grade stockpile strategy continues to yield encouraging results, positioning the operation for accelerated growth.

“Mining activities at Paulsens are gaining momentum, with jumbo development now underway ahead of schedule alongside selective mining,” said Black Cat managing director Gareth Solly. “Strong gold mineralization observed to date highlights the growth potential beyond our published studies. With only 11 of 45 pre-existing levels developed so far, every level has shown promising potential.”

This progress has reinforced Black Cat's commitment to high-grade selective mining throughout the life of the mine.

Key Developments:

  • Drive Development: Approximately 760 meters of mineralized drive development has been completed, with strong continuity and extensions of mineralization exceeding expectations in several areas.
  • Stoping Timeline: Stoping activities are projected to begin as early as December 2024.
  • Enhanced Workforce and Equipment: Additional miners have joined the team, with new equipment and personnel expected to mobilize in the coming weeks to enable mechanized mining by January 2025.
  • Rehabilitation Efforts: Upgrades to mine services and ventilation systems are advancing, ensuring sustained access to high-grade zones.

Ore drives continue to demonstrate consistent high-grade gold mineralization, with notable intercepts including:

  • 0.6m at 23.57g/t gold and 0.6m at 23.59g/t gold in vein widths, and
  • 0.7m at 47.37g/t gold from the 823_AL_East ore drive, which intersected high-grade structures earlier than anticipated.

The commencement of jumbo development on the 1146 east ore drive ahead of schedule further enhances the operation’s growth outlook.

Black Cat plans to begin commissioning Paulsens using low-grade stockpiles in December, marking another milestone in the operation’s ramp-up.