Latest Underground Development News

Southern Cross Gold has accelerated drilling and underground development at Sunday Creek, spending $32.9 million during the August quarter while cash fell to C$84.0 million. The company remains aimed at a maiden mineral resource in the first quarter of 2027, but poor ground conditions have pushed exploration decline completion back by a month.

West African Resources produced a record 127,950 ounces of gold in the September quarter, keeping its 2026 guidance within reach. Strong output at Kiaka offset weaker Sanbrado production, although explosives permitting remains an unresolved operational constraint.

West Wits Mining has received a second R236 million senior debt drawdown, taking total funding received for Qala Shallows to R575 million and supporting its claim that the project is funded through steady-state production. Underground development is accelerating, with stoping scheduled to begin in February 2027 and annual recovered gold targeted at 70,000 ounces by early 2029.

Rox Resources has reached financial close on A$350 million of debt facilities for the Youanmi Gold Mine, removing the conditions that had stood between the funding package and construction spending. The company has initially drawn A$90.2 million in project debt and used a further A$4 million bank guarantee facility allocation.

Tolu Minerals has set out a Q1 2027 restart target for its Tolukuma gold-silver mine in Papua New Guinea, backed by a recently upgraded 909,000-ounce resource and refurbishment of an existing processing plant. The company says it has sufficient funding to reach production, but the timetable remains dependent on mine development, plant work and operating execution.

WA Gold has posted a A$2.36 million annual loss and warned that additional working capital is needed to continue as a going concern. The company is nevertheless pressing ahead with Abercromby drilling and a potential 114,000-ounce staged development.

Celsius Resources has reported a sharply wider FY2026 loss after impairing its disputed interest in the MCB copper-gold project, while an Equinaire credit bid has complicated ownership of the Philippine asset. The company is relying on a pending Opuwo sale, fresh financing and arbitration to keep its development strategy alive.

Cobre Limited (ASX:CBE) says its Sierra Atacama turnaround delivered a first cash-positive quarter, higher recovery and 879 tonnes of copper cathode production. The company remains loss-making at group level, but enters FY27 with more cash, a larger project stake and an ambitious drilling and expansion programme.

Larvotto Resources has extended high-grade antimony-gold-tungsten mineralisation at Clarks Gully about 100 metres beyond its 2025 resource model, with drilling also identifying several hanging-wall lodes. The results could support a larger resource and a potential underground feed source for Hillgrove, but assays, modelling and permitting work remain outstanding.

Liontown has approved a $389 million expansion of Kathleen Valley, targeting average spodumene concentrate production of about 780,000 dry metric tonnes a year from FY30. The project is expected to lower unit costs, but its economics rely on lithium price assumptions, execution and a production inventory containing 21.5% inferred resources.

Develop Global has issued its first full-year production, operating cost and capital guidance, pairing steady Woodlawn output with the planned start of Pioneer Dome lithium sales. The growth comes with a substantial A$411 million to A$458 million investment program, while Yitirrti remains a construction story until FY28.

Perenti has secured drilling contracts across Australia, the United States and Canada expected to contribute about A$185 million in FY27 revenue, alongside an initial A$20 million underground development award in Senegal. A larger Sabodala-Massawa production phase remains conditional on Endeavour Mining issuing a notice to proceed.