PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Blackham Resources has reported an increase at its Matilda gold project, in Western Australia.
The project’s mineral resource had increased from the previous estimate of 12.5-million tonnes, to 12.9-million tonnes, with the grade remaining unchanged at 1.8 g/t gold. Estimated contained ounces had increased from 713 000 oz to 724 000 oz.
Some 61% of the resource had been classified as measured and indicated, comprising some 439 000 oz of the contained gold.
“The increase in the measured and indicated resources at the Matilda mine gives us further confidence that the Matilda mine will keep growing,” said Blackham MD Bryan Dixon.
“We continue to find repeat and stacked lodes along the deeply weathered Matilda system. The Matilda mine is shaping up as an important source of baseload free milling ore to recommission the Wiluna gold plant,” he added.
A prefeasibility study in late 2015 found that the Matilda mine would require a capital investment of A$28-million to deliver an average 98 000 oz/y over a mine life of nearly five years, at a life-of-mine C1 cash cost of A$920/oz.
It was expected that the project would make use of mining contractors and would employ openpit operations for the Matilda, Williamson and Galaxy deposits, while two underground mines have also been designed for the Wiluna deposit.
A definitive feasibility study into the project was currently well advanced.