PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Gold-miner Catalpa Resources on Thursday updated the mineral resource and ore reserve for its Edna May project, in Western Australia, to deliver a reserve of more than one-million ounces.

It reported that drilling of the mineralised stockpiles had added a further 28 000 oz to the ore reserve, while a maiden ore reserve of 37 000 oz of gold had been estimated at the Golden Point prospect, adjacent to the current Edna May pit.

Catalpa said in a statement that the total mineral resource after mining depletion was now estimated at 1,66-million ounces of gold.

The total ore reserve after mining is estimated at over one-million ounces of gold.

“Significantly, about 60% of the ore reserve is in the highest confidence proved category,” commented Catalpa MD Bruce McFadzean.

He said that Catalpa would focus on the underground mineralisation in 2010, targeting to move it towards a Joint Ore Reserve Committee-compliant mineral resource towards the end of the year, while continuing to test its regional targets and to evaluate other regional opportunities.

The A$92-million Edna May project poured its first gold in April, and continues to ramp up production to its nameplate capacity of 2,8-million tons a year. The operation is expected to deliver around 100 000 oz/y gold.

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