West Red Lake Gold (WRLG) has begun a 5,000m drilling programme at its Rowan project in the Red Lake gold district of north-western Ontario, Canada.
The Rowan project drilling programme will include infill drilling on veins 001 and 004 to potentially upgrade inferred resources to indicated.
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This effort supports the findings of a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) released on 8 July 2025.
The report indicates that an underground mine at Rowan could yield an average of 35,230oz of gold annually over a five-year life with an average grade of eight grams per tonne.
At Rowan, the conversion drilling efforts will concentrate on veins 001 and 004.
The aim is to upgrade the inferred resources to the indicated category as these veins represent the PEA production tonnage.
In the Rowan PEA, around 63% of the tonnage and 72% of the ounces from these veins were already classified in the indicated category.
Infill drilling will target veins 006b and 013, which could extend the mine’s life and allow earlier ore extraction, potentially improving the project’s net present value.
The outcome of the drilling programme and its impact on future mine plans will be reviewed as part of the planned combined pre-feasibility study (PFS).
This study will explore the development of the Rowan and Madsen projects using shared infrastructure to identify operational and economic synergies.
WRLG president and CEO Shane Williams said: “It is very exciting to have a drill turning again at Rowan. The Rowan project, according to the PEA, is projected to produce 35,000oz of gold a year.
“Success in advancing Rowan through permitting and development could position WRLG to target a combined production rate of up to 100,000oz per year gold in Red Lake in the coming years.
“The drilling at Rowan not only aims to increase confidence in the existing mineral resource but will also provide the physical core material needed to complete advanced metallurgical and geotechnical studies ahead of the planned combined PFS.”
Additional geotechnical, metallurgical and engineering studies are scheduled at Rowan to inform the PFS, alongside ongoing permitting efforts to advance the project towards the advanced exploration phase.
This status is essential for extraction of bulk samples, with permits for advanced exploration activities such as underground development targeted for 2027.
The timeline for obtaining the advanced exploration permit aligns with Ontario’s newly implemented One Project, One Process mine permitting framework, designed to reduce the review times for designated projects by 50%.
Williams added: “With gold prices continuing to trade around all-time highs we anticipate strong economics in the combined PFS, which is expected to be completed by Q3 2026 [third quarter of 2026]. This study will be a significant milestone for WRLG, establishing a valuation benchmark for our total Red Lake assets.
“The study will also inform our permit applications; based on our discussions with permitting authorities in Ontario, we are encouraged that the new One Project, One Process permitting framework has potential to truly expedite permitting of projects like Rowan.”
