Rox Resources has begun planning production stopes at Youanmi’s United North deposit after drilling extended the mine plan by about 125 metres. New results include 12.10 metres at 13.36g/t gold and 7.54 metres at 11.95g/t.
- Stope planning begins for the 2356 and 2341mRL levels
- 12.10m at 13.36g/t gold, including 7.53m at 20.86g/t
- Grade control modelling confirms approximately 125m strike extensions beyond the DFS plan
- Top six United North levels now sufficiently drilled for production planning
- First gold remains targeted for mid-2027
United North moves from development towards stoping
Rox Resources Limited (ASX:RXL) is moving United North closer to its first production stopes, with preparation works complete and stope planning now underway on the 2356 and 2341mRL levels at its Youanmi Gold Mine in Western Australia.
The operational milestone arrives alongside another batch of strong underground diamond drilling results. The standout intersection was 12.10 metres at 13.36g/t gold from 136.82 metres in hole UNN26_038, including 7.53 metres at 20.86g/t. Other notable results included 7.54 metres at 11.95g/t, including 2.70 metres at 23.60g/t, and 6.89 metres at 10.36g/t.
Drilling extends the existing mine plan
Final assays and grade control modelling for the two upper levels have confirmed mineralisation extending approximately 125 metres along strike beyond the levels originally designed in the definitive feasibility study. Rox said the additional mineralisation provides scope to maintain production at a rate ahead of the schedule contemplated in that study, although it did not provide a revised production forecast or quantify the potential increase.
The extension builds on the 125m United North ore-drive extension previously reported by Rox, where earlier results included 10.30 metres at 12.46g/t gold. The latest release says the current drilling continues to support the initial production stopes and the potential to expand United North beyond the existing DFS mine plan.
Six levels now support production planning
Rox completed 16 underground diamond holes totalling 3,091.7 metres during September. The company says drilling has now sufficiently defined the top six United North levels, while the southern ends of the next four levels, at 2325, 2310, 2290 and 2285mRL, have been infilled to a nominal 20-metre by 20-metre spacing.
Ore interpretation and grade control modelling are still underway for those four levels. Assays also remain outstanding for the northern ore drives, where drilling continues. The programme is intended to maintain a 12-month drilling lead ahead of mining by mid-calendar 2027, supporting future scheduling and ore delivery to the mill.
Strong assays support a larger Youanmi ambition
Rox managing director and chief executive Phillip Wilding said the results were reinforcing confidence in the continuity, thickness and grade of mineralisation at United North. He also pointed to the company’s longer-term aspiration of building Youanmi into a 150,000-ounce-per-year operation, a goal that remains distinct from the mine plan and production profile currently described in the filing.
For investors, the important shift is from underground definition to the practical test of extraction. The company now needs to convert the drilling and modelling into stope designs, mined tonnes and delivered grades, while completing the outstanding northern assays and updating production schedules where justified.
Bottom Line?
United North has cleared a meaningful planning hurdle, but the value of the extension will be tested when stopes are mined and grades reach the mill.
Questions in the middle?
- When will the first United North production stopes be ready for extraction?
- Will the updated grade control models lead to a formal revision of mine scheduling or production guidance?
- Can the northern ore-drive assays match the continuity already seen in the southern levels?