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Ora Banda Mining directors and London-based investor Hawke's Point have stumped up a combined $9.2m as part of a $30m capital raise to fund the cost of operating the reimagined underground Riverina project. The company says the well-supported shares placement and planned development of the underground system will help set it on the path to producing 100,000 gold ounces annually by the 2025 financial year.

Ora Banda Mining has been given the green light to start mining at its Riverina underground gold deposit near Kalgoorlie after receiving financial investment decision approval from its board of directors. While the mining decision is still subject to the company securing a capital requirement of about $30 million, the approval supports its 2025 financial year production target of 100,000 gold ounces per annum.

Ora Banda Mining looks set to pocket $4.2 million in a three-way deal that includes the sale of four non-core tenements to Beacon Minerals and a new royalty agreement with key investor Hawkes Point. Ora Banda has agreed to sell four of its Lady Ida licences in the Goldfields region of WA to Beacon through its wholly owned subsidiary for $2.5 million while still retaining all non-silver and non-gold mineral rights over the tenements.

Ora Banda Mining will collect a cool $10 million for the sale of non-core tenements at Lady Ida, 65km south of its Davyhurst gold processing plant in WA. The company says the move will strengthen its balance sheet ahead of a decision on the go-ahead for its Riverina underground gold mine. The sale includes low-grade gold resources in addition to related mining and infrastructure licences.

A comprehensive exploration campaign has paid off for Ora Banda Mining with the company revealing it has doubled the underground mineral resource at its Riverina gold system to more than 300,000 gold ounces. The gold producer also announced a maiden ore reserve for the Riverina system near Kalgoorlie of 73,000 ounces at a solid grade of 4.3 grams per tonne gold with an additional reserve only limited by drilling density at the site.

Ora Banda Mining is on track to deliver an updated mineral resource estimate at its Riverina gold system near Kalgoorlie this month after positive results from phase 1 drilling at the site. Assay highlights from exploration at the company's Main Lode East prospect showed some impressive grades including a 2m hit at 49.8 grams per tonne gold from 163m.

Ora Banda Mining is steadying itself for a year of strong gold production with lower costs at its mining operation in WA's Goldfields. The company's ongoing improvement strategies have boosted its key performance indicators by increasing mining productivity and ounces mined. A string of strong exploration results will feed into an updated mineral resource estimate slated for February this year.

Ora Banda Mining has secured funding support from shareholder Hawkes Point Holdings to continue developing its Riverina underground operation including exploration, resource development and capital expenditure. Hawkes Point is the gold producer's largest shareholder and will provide Ora Banda with an unsecured loan of $11 million towards work at the project near Kalgoorlie.

Ora Banda Mining has extended mineralisation of its Riverina gold system by more than 100m to the south and 100m vertically with the deposit remaining open in all directions following positive assay results. The company has completed 46 diamond drill holes for a total of 13,046m at the site near Kalgoorlie as Ora Banda explores the system for underground mining potential. The success has encouraged the company to expand the program to 54 holes for a total of 15,331m.

Ora Banda Mining has recorded high-grade hits from extensional drilling at its Main Lode prospect under the Riverina open pit that has increased mineralisation at the deposit to more than 350m below surface. The company has completed 12 holes of a planned 30-hole campaign at the project north-west of Kalgoorlie with assay highlights including a 1.2m hit at an impressive 29.3 grams per tonne gold from 359m in addition to 2.8m going 6 g/t gold from 357m.

Ora Banda Mining has reduced the assumed gold price used to calculate its ore reserve figures at the company's Davyhurst gold project near Kalgoorlie as it focuses on higher-margin ounces and increased quality from deposits. The change to the price assumption means the company will target higher gold grades to improve the economic viability of each of its deposits at Davyhurst.

Ora Banda Mining's strategy to simplify mining, raise plant efficiency, cut costs and improve cash generation has stabilised performance and delivered a timely boost as the company heads into the new financial year. The June quarterly report has marked the first time the gold producer has delivered a positive cash flow since inception. The $3.8 million net operating position came on the back of the sale of 15,060 ounces of gold during the period.

West Australian gold miner Ora Banda Mining has pulled off a recruitment coup by appointing Northern Star Resources' highly regarded former Chief Operating Officer, Luke Creagh as its Chief Executive Officer. Ora Banda Chairman, Peter Mansell said Creagh's appointment was a major fillip for the company, adding: “We couldn't be happier that Luke is joining us.”