Black Cat has announced mining is ahead of schedule at the Myhree and Boundary open pits, part of the larger Kal East gold project in Western Australia.
In May, Black Cat announced a turn-key funding, development and processing package for Myhree and Boundary that will see ore sold to and processed at the Paddington facility, 35km north of Kalgoorlie.
The package includes production of at least 52,000 ounces of ore at 2.2 grams per tonne of gold from ore reserves.
Management of the project is to be carried out by Mineral Mining Services (MMS).
Black Cat has now announced mining to be ahead of schedule, with crews operating around the clock.
The Myhree open pit is now at 12.5m below surface with 30,000 tonnes of more mined to date.
“Excellent progress is already being made in free-dig material with ore haulage a month ahead of plan,” Black Cat managing director David Solly said.
“With a 200-tonne excavator arriving this month to further increase material movement, the current trajectory will continue.”
The first Ore stockpile of approximately 14,000 tonnes has undergone assaying and metallurgical test work and is being hauled to Paddington one month ahead of plan.
Following recovery of start-up costs, the first $30 million of cashflow generated will be received by Black Cat. Thereafter, Black Cat and MMS will share profits.
In July, Black Cat announced that underground services had commenced at its Paulsens gold operation in Nanutarra, WA.
“Black Cat is rapidly expanding the operations team and mobile fleet as we ramp up mining activities as part of our high-grade stockpile strategy,” Solly said at the time.
“Paulsens is a hive of activity with upgrades to site facilities, underground mining and processing plant refurbishment all underway and accelerating.”
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