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Waihi Mine Taps High-Grade Gold Potential
10 Sep
Summary
- Underground mining commenced at Waihi gold mine near Davyhurst.
- High-grade ore expected from Waihi from mid-2027.
- New drilling reveals significant gold grades at Midnight prospect.
Ora Banda Mining has initiated underground mining at its Waihi gold mine, located near Davyhurst in Western Australia. This marks the company's third underground mine development within the last three years. The Waihi mine is projected to commence contributing high-grade ore by mid-2027, aligning with the planned commissioning of Ora Banda's new 3.0 million tonnes per annum processing plant in early 2028.
Development at Waihi involves establishing a decline portal through the existing open pit, granting access to the Golden Pole lode and enabling the creation of underground drill platforms. Ora Banda intends to conduct intensive underground drilling to further define and expand the mineralized system.
The Golden Pole lode boasts an Ore Reserve grade of 5.0 g/t gold. Recent shallow drilling targeting southern extensions yielded impressive results, including 4.5 meters at 8.4 g/t gold. Simultaneously, new exploration at the Midnight prospect, approximately 500 meters south of the Waihi portal, has identified a significant high-grade target.
Drilling at Midnight has returned exceptional grades, such as 11.5 meters at 26.0 g/t gold. Ora Banda has launched a diamond drilling program at Midnight, with initial holes identifying multiple parallel mineralized lodes and a major north-south shear. Visible gold has been observed across a 10-meter zone, prompting plans for an expanded drilling program.
