Norwest Minerals Unveils 74% Surge in Bulgera Gold Resource to Half a Million Ounces
Norwest Minerals has announced a substantial 74% increase in its Bulgera Gold Project resource, now totaling 501,000 ounces, driven by deeper drilling and a strategic cut-off grade revision aligned with heap leach economics.
- Bulgera Gold Mineral Resource Estimate rises to 23.8 million tonnes at 0.65 g/t gold
- Gold resource increases by 212,600 ounces, a 74% uplift from previous estimate
- Phase 1 and 2 RC drilling extends mineralisation up to 300m below prior limits
- Cut-off grade lowered from 0.6g/t to 0.24g/t to reflect heap leach processing benchmarks
- Metallurgical testing underway; production studies and permitting in progress
Resource Expansion and Strategic Shift
Norwest Minerals Limited (ASX:NWM) has delivered a transformative update to its Bulgera Gold Project in Western Australia, announcing a 74% increase in its Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). The new resource now stands at 23.8 million tonnes grading 0.65 grams per tonne gold, equating to 501,000 ounces. This marks a significant milestone, elevating the project’s scale and commercial potential.
The upgrade is underpinned by two key developments. Firstly, the company’s 2025 Phase 1 and 2 reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaigns successfully extended the known gold mineralisation along the Price-Mercuri trend, confirming continuity up to 300 metres below previous resource boundaries. Secondly, Norwest revised the gold cut-off grade downward from 0.6 grams per tonne to 0.24 grams per tonne. This adjustment aligns the project with standard Australian heap leach operations, reflecting current gold prices and processing economics.
Drilling Success and Resource Confidence
The Phase 1 drilling focused on testing downdip extensions of the Mercuri and Price lodes, with eight out of eleven holes intersecting significant gold mineralisation. Phase 2 drilling further infilled and extended these zones, delivering high-grade intercepts such as 5 metres at 3.9 g/t gold from 238 metres depth. These results confirm that the mineralised system remains robust and open at depth, particularly along the 1,500-metre strike of the Price-Mercuri trend.
While the resource now includes a substantial portion classified as Inferred due to wider drill spacing at depth, the company is prioritising infill drilling to upgrade these areas to Indicated status. This will enhance confidence in the resource and support future economic evaluations.
Heap Leach Economics and Metallurgical Testing
The decision to lower the cut-off grade reflects a strategic pivot towards a heap leach processing model, which typically allows economic extraction of lower-grade material compared to conventional milling. By nearly tripling the tonnage of potentially leachable material, Norwest is positioning Bulgera for a larger-scale, low-cost operation.
Metallurgical testwork is currently underway at ALS Laboratories, focusing on oxide and transition material from the upper 100 metres of the deposit. Early indications suggest good amenability to heap leach recovery, though final results are expected in the second quarter of 2026. The company is also progressing environmental desktop reviews, mining optimisation studies, and permitting activities to advance the project towards production readiness.
Context within Australian Gold Sector
Bulgera’s updated resource compares favourably with other Australian heap leach projects such as Apollo Hill and Mulgabbie North, which operate at similar grades and scales. The project’s location within the historically mined Plutonic Well Greenstone Belt adds geological credibility and infrastructure advantages.
Norwest’s CEO, Charles Schaus, emphasised the significance of the upgrade, noting that while the resource expansion is conceptual and does not yet imply economic viability, it substantially enhances the project’s attractiveness. The company’s focus is now on confirming metallurgical recoveries and advancing studies that will define the pathway to a low-capital expenditure, high-margin gold operation.
Bottom Line?
With a half-million-ounce resource and ongoing metallurgical testing, Norwest is poised to define Bulgera’s economic potential in the coming months.
Questions in the middle?
- Will metallurgical test results confirm the assumed heap leach recoveries and support economic viability?
- What is the timeline and scope for infill drilling to upgrade Inferred resources to Indicated status?
- How will environmental and permitting processes impact the project’s development schedule?
