Big Bell Undergound Gold Mine Restarts Operations

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Westgold Resources announced that it has restarted underground sub-level cave mining operations at the Cue Gold Operations (CGO) Big Bell underground gold mine. The first mass cave blast was carried out on Monday 2 March 2020, which in turn is expected to led to steady-state production rates by the end of 2020, as planned before.

The Big Bell site has been idle and flooded since 2003. The company has been making significant capital reinvestments over the past three years, in order to bring the site up to specifications so as to restart operations. Upon full operation, the mine is expected to become Westgold’s largest single gold mine in the Murchison region. Estimates suggest a mine life of at least 10 years. The total output for calendar year 2020 is projected at around 600,000 tonnes.

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Commenting on the development, Peter Cook, Executive Chairman, Westgold Resources noted that it is a significant milestone for the company and a terrific achievement for its Cue Gold operations team. The mine represents last critical piece in its Murchison strategy. It aims to underwrite over 300,000 ounces of production per year in the longer term, Cook added.