Ora Bandain hits first gold ore at new WA underground mine

Ora Banda Mining has cracked a major milestone, extracting its first development ore just four months after opening a mine portal at the Sand King underground gold mine, which is part of the company’s Davyhurst project in Western Australia’s Goldfields region.

According to the company, the landmark achievement sets the stage for full-scale ore production, expected to begin in the March quarter next year, with steady-state output of about 60,000 ounces of gold per annum anticipated by mid-year.

The Sand King underground mine is a key piece of the company’s ambitious Drive to 150 plan, which aims to produce about 150,000 ounces of gold annually from the Davyhurst project by mid-2026.

Development of the mine has made remarkable progress, with 835 development metres and 427 decline metres already completed within 14 months of Ora Banda plunging its first drill hole into the deposit to target underground mineralisation. The company has also completed 5477m of a planned 45,400-metre grade control program of underground diamond drilling aimed at identifying multiple, high-grade lodes with bulk potential.