Rox fires first Youanmi stope as drilling hints at more high-grade ounces
Rox Resources has fired and extracted the first production stope at United North while new drilling returned several high-grade gold intervals, including 5.50 metres at 15.46g/t. Two intercepts sit outside the current mine plan, and construction remains on schedule for first gold in mid-2027.
- First United North production stope fired and extracted
- 7.42m at 9.91g/t gold and 5.50m at 15.46g/t gold
- Two high-grade intercepts lie outside the existing mine plan
- Record 647m of underground development completed in October
- Youanmi plant construction remains on schedule for mid-2027 first gold
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United North moves from development into stoping
Rox Resources Limited (ASX:RXL) has crossed a practical threshold at Youanmi, firing and extracting its first production stope at the United North underground operation. The first stope, on the 2356 level, was relatively small, but Rox said ground and brow conditions were better than expected and hanging-wall overbreak was minimal. Drilling of the second stope is now underway.
The mining milestone arrived alongside a record 647 metres of underground development in October, continuing a run of advances above plan. Rox is also rehabilitating and stripping the Main and Hill End access declines at Youanmi Main, while a second underground borehole is scheduled to support dewatering of the historic workings. The company expects that borehole to approximately double current dewatering rates once operational.
High-grade drilling extends the United North picture
Grade control drilling delivered the strongest results of the update. Hole UNN26_043 returned 7.42 metres at 9.91 grams per tonne gold from 236.55 metres, including 0.79 metres at 43.81g/t. UNN26_044 produced 5.50 metres at 15.46g/t from 168 metres, with a 1.01-metre section grading 63.12g/t.
Other results included 2.24 metres at 21.79g/t, including 1.50 metres at 27.46g/t, and 5.88 metres at 3.63g/t. Rox said two of the thicker, high-grade intercepts sit outside the existing mine plan and near its current limits, creating potential for additional ounces that will be assessed for possible inclusion in future planning. The results are reported as downhole widths, however, and may not represent true widths. One completed hole remains subject to assays.
The work follows United North stope planning, which earlier identified strike extensions beyond the definitive feasibility study plan. Rox has now completed 18 underground diamond holes totalling 2,454 metres in October, with drilling continuing on an approximate 20-metre by 20-metre spacing and moving below the 2280mRL level.
Processing plant construction keeps to schedule
At the surface, construction of the 1.0 million tonne per annum processing plant is advancing across civil, structural, mechanical and services work fronts. The ball mill has arrived onsite, screening plant steel is being erected, all eight CIL tanks are positioned, and the workshop and warehouse are complete. Power station engine hall concrete works have begun, while the IsaMill is in transit to Australia and Albion tank fabrication is underway in Perth.
The tailings storage facility embankment is well advanced, with the cutoff trench excavation complete and seepage collection installation progressing. Rox said long-lead item deliveries remain on schedule and continues to target early commissioning activities in March 2027 ahead of first gold in mid-2027. That timetable sits against accelerated Youanmi development, which had already reported underground work running ahead of plan.
The next test is converting progress into ounces
Rox has completed the equity component of project funding and reached financial close on its $350 million debt facilities, with first drawdown completed in October. The immediate operating focus is less about another funding milestone than execution: building the ore stockpile, bringing the second stope online, maintaining the drilling lead ahead of mining and preparing the processing team.
The drilling is encouraging because it may add flexibility or ounces around United North, but those intervals have not yet been incorporated into a resource, reserve or mine plan. The more consequential test will be whether the current pace of development, dewatering and construction can carry through commissioning without disrupting the mid-2027 first-gold target.
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Bottom Line?
Rox is now testing the gap between a well-supported mine plan and a working operation, with second-stope production and commissioning the next important markers.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the out-of-plan United North intercepts be converted into additional mineable ounces?
- Can development and stope sequencing sustain the planned ore feed as the project approaches commissioning?
- Will plant construction and the planned March 2027 early commissioning activities remain on schedule through the next work stages?
Sources
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Stoping underway and high grade infill results (opens in a new tab)Verified source. Rox Resources Limited · 9 Nov 2026
