Latest Underground Development News

Catalyst Metals has increased the Trident underground Ore Reserve by 32% to 524,000 ounces, supporting a planned mine life of more than 10 years. The result strengthens the company’s ambition to build a 2Moz Reserve base across the Plutonic Belt, although further growth depends on drilling and mine execution.

Gorilla Gold Mines has lifted its reported Mineral Resource to approximately 2.0Moz of gold after a year of intensive Western Australian drilling. The gain comes with strong exploration momentum, but the company remains pre-revenue and expects to seek further funding.

Ora Banda Mining has begun underground development at Waihi in Western Australia, where drilling has returned intersections of up to 1.6 metres at 65.9 g/t gold. The mine is scheduled to deliver first underground ore in mid-2027, ahead of the company’s planned 3.0 Mtpa Davyhurst processing plant.

Rox Resources has started surface diamond drilling at Youanmi, targeting resource conversion, incremental growth and deeper extensions of the high-grade United North system. The campaign could support future reserve growth and mine-life extensions, but its value still depends on drilling results that have yet to arrive.

Westgold Resources has outlined a fully funded plan to lift gold production to 460-510koz by FY29 while reducing AISC to A$2,640-A$3,000/oz. The formal outlook excludes its potentially transformative Fletcher Zone, leaving a sizeable but still conceptual growth option beyond the plan.

Haranga Resources is preparing to begin a 16-hole underground drilling campaign at its Lincoln Gold Project, targeting the southern resource and an under-drilled gap between the Lincoln and Comet zones. The programme arrives alongside new underground power infrastructure, completed dewatering and several assays that could shape a later resource update.

Polymetals Resources moved its Endeavor silver-zinc-lead mine from restart to commercial production in FY2026, generating A$100.0 million in revenue. The milestone came alongside a A$47.0 million loss, negative operating cash flow and an auditor warning over going-concern uncertainty.

Tolu Minerals has locked in a K95 million (approx. A$30 million) debt facility from a Papua New Guinea bank, complementing its A$50 million cash reserves to fully fund the restart of its Tolukuma Gold Mine. Production is targeted for the first quarter of 2027, with an updated Mineral Resource Estimate due imminently.

Core Lithium has finalised the sale of its remaining lithium fines stockpile at Finniss, locking in approximately A$38.5 million in incremental revenue for 2026 through a deal with Glencore.

FireFly Metals has raised approximately A$180 million through a dual-market equity raising to accelerate development of its Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada.

Vault Minerals has reported a 9% increase in its 2026 Ore Reserves to 3.9 million ounces of gold, driven by notable gains at its Leonora and Deflector operations, underpinning a robust production outlook through FY29.

Vertex Minerals has revised the Reward Gold Mine resource to 146,900 ounces at 16.68 g/t gold, boosting the Indicated grade by 36% to 21.17 g/t. The update refines geological confidence and outlines three priority underground drilling targets ahead of planned 2027 operations.