Kal East Production Depends on Successful Ramp-Up After Fingals Drilling Results
Black Cat Syndicate’s recent shallow drilling at Fingals delivers impressive high-grade gold intercepts, reinforcing the deposit’s role as a cornerstone for Kal East’s production growth. The results underpin ongoing mining ramp-up and future underground development plans.
- Completed 776-hole, 26,444m shallow RC drilling at Fingals
- High-grade gold intercepts including 11m at 13.07g/t Au from 55m
- Fingals holds a Probable Ore Reserve of 2,039kt at 1.7g/t Au for 113koz
- Supports ramp-up of open pit mining and underground development at Majestic
- Ongoing assays and exploration to sustain Kal East’s long-term feed to Lakewood facility
Strong Drilling Results at Fingals
Black Cat Syndicate Limited (ASX – BC8) has announced the completion of an extensive shallow reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its Fingals deposit, part of the Kal East Gold Operation near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The program, comprising 776 holes totaling 26,444 metres, focused on the northern section of Fingals, which represents the early stages of the open pit development.
The drilling returned a series of high-grade gold intercepts, notably including an 11-metre interval grading 13.07 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 55 metres depth. Other significant results include multiple intercepts exceeding 10 g/t Au over several metres, underscoring the deposit’s robust grade profile.
Implications for Kal East Production
Fingals currently boasts a Probable Ore Reserve of 2,039 kilotonnes at 1.7 g/t Au, equating to approximately 113,000 ounces of gold. The recent drilling results reinforce Fingals as a substantial ore source that will feed the Kal East operation for years to come. Black Cat’s Managing Director, Gareth Solly, highlighted that the strong drilling outcomes bolster confidence in Fingals as a base load for the Kal East mine plan.
Preparations are well underway to mobilise mining fleets and recruit key personnel to safely and efficiently ramp up open pit production. Concurrently, the company is advancing underground development at the nearby Majestic deposit, aiming to position both Fingals and Majestic as long-term feed sources for the 1.2 million tonnes per annum Lakewood processing facility.
Strategic Growth and Exploration Outlook
These developments align with Black Cat’s “More Gold, Sooner” strategy, targeting sustained production growth across its portfolio. The company also outlined a busy exploration and mining schedule in the coming months, including ongoing drilling at Paulsens and regional exploration programs, alongside geophysical surveys and antimony drilling at Mt Clement.
Assay results from the Fingals program will continue to be released throughout the September quarter, potentially adding further clarity to the resource base and mine planning. The deposit remains open in all directions and at depth, suggesting upside potential beyond the current reserve estimate.
Context Within Black Cat’s Portfolio
Kal East is one of Black Cat’s three 100% owned operations, alongside Paulsens and Coyote. The company operates the Lakewood processing facility near Kalgoorlie, which is central to processing ore from Kal East deposits. With a combined resource base exceeding 1.2 million ounces at Kal East and ongoing exploration success, Black Cat is well positioned to enhance its production profile in the competitive Australian gold sector.
Bottom Line?
Fingals’ high-grade drilling results set the stage for Kal East’s production ramp-up, but ongoing assay updates and operational execution will be key to sustaining growth.
Questions in the middle?
- How will ongoing assay results impact the updated resource and reserve estimates at Fingals?
- What is the timeline and capital requirement for the ramp-up of open pit mining and Majestic underground development?
- How might fluctuating gold prices influence Black Cat’s production and exploration strategy at Kal East?
