PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Junior gold miner Wiluna Mining has reported steady production for the three months to December.

Gold production in the December quarter reached 13 398 oz, consistent with the 13 360 oz delivered in the September quarter, while all-in sustaining costs for the quarter reduced by 17%, to A$1 675/oz.

Wiluna noted on Friday that openpit mining only occurred at Williamson, where it would cease in the March quarter. Mining at low strip ratios and cessation of mining will lower aggregate costs for the next nine months during the transition to sulphide mining and treatment, which will start in October.

“The company had a very solid quarter. Our strong transitional cash flows continue to support development and commissioning of concentrate production aimed for October 2021. Our current free-million operations have been de-risked significantly via the build-up of high grade stockpiles from the Williamson mine and margins are expected to increase as the company’s operating cost base trends lower with the cessation of mining at Williamson,” said executive chairperson Milan Jerkovic.

“The company continued to make in-roads into solidifying its immediate development plans with commencement of the development of Stage 1 and the signing of contracts with GRES to construct the concentrator.”

Wiluna in December approved the Stage 1 sulphide development at its namesake gold project, which would see Wiluna transition from its current production profile of producing some 62 000 oz/y from mining free milling ore through the current 2.1-million-tonne-a-year carbon-in-leach processing facility, to initially produce between 100 000 oz/y to 120 000 oz/y of gold and gold in concentrate.

This shift will be done using the current, recently refurbished crushing circuit, as well as the previously expanded mill circuit and a new 750 000 t/y concentrator.

Wiluna was further planning to increase production by, at a minimum, doubling the mining rate and the concentrator to produce some 250 000 oz/y of gold by the end of 2023, or early 2024.

Total costs for the project have been estimated at A$81-million, with some A$20-million already spent on the project.

“Exceptional drilling results are continuing to be achieved in high priority target areas at the Wiluna mining center, which confirms the geological significance of the Wiluna mining center. The company is determined to continue to define the large-scale geological potential as part of becoming a Tier 1 producer in a Tier 1 jurisdication,” said Jerkovic.