Westgold’s Big Bell set to ring true to its name
The Big Bell mine, near Cue, Western Australia, is set to get bigger, with Westgold Resources on Tuesday announcing board approval for an expansion project.
The Big Bell mine cornerstones Westgold’s Murchison operations, providing the bulk of the ore tonnage which feeds the Tuckabianna mill, with surplus feed being processed at the Bluebird mill.
“The economics of making our biggest mine bigger are compelling,” said MD Wayne Bramwell.
At a base case gold price of A$2 900/oz, Big Bell will generate an average of A$512/oz free cash flow and boast a net present value of A$313-million.
The base case for the expanded Big Bell envisages 15.7-million tonnes of ore production for 1.5-million ounces of gold. Mine grades will increase from 2.5 g/t to 3 g/t.
On average, Big Bell will produce 93 000 oz/y at an all-in cost of A$2 388/oz.
“Big Bell has a long and profitable life ahead of it now. This expansion underwrites the future of our Murchison operations and provides Westgold with further optionality to leverage our existing processing capital,” said Bramwell.
Big Bell will provide baseload feed for the Tuckabianna and Bluebird processing hubs across its planned 16-year mine life and its ore will be supplemented with high-grade, high-margin ores from the Bluebird mine at Meekatharra, and the recently announced Great Fingall mine, near Cue.
Longhole open stoping (LHOS) development will start immediately, with first ore from the LHOS operations set for the first half of the 2025 financial year.
“There are very few mines in the Australian gold sector that can boast a 16-year mine life. Big Bell has delivered nearly three-million ounces of gold production to date and with this expansion now approved, the mine is set to ring true to its name,” said Bramwell.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest News
Showroom
Developed to exceed the latest EN 15964 standards for police breathalysers proving that it will remain accurate and reliable for many years to come.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
