BMG Resources has sharpened its edge by hiring a seasoned mining executive as general manager to oversee project development and help steer the company’s Abercromby gold project in WA’s Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt towards the earliest possible production timeline
McArthur has landed with 25 years of mining credentials, including project leadership across operational, technical and construction roles at Rio Tinto and smaller developers in WA.
He will drive permitting, stakeholder engagement and mine planning to fast-track Abercromby from exploration to developer status.
Complementing McArthur’s appointment, BMG has also locked in a full-time project geologist for hands-on field supervision. The onsite action will ramp up immediately, with a whopping 10,000m diamond drilling campaign set to kick off later this month.
The new program will focus on confidence-building upgrades to lift more ounces into the indicated category. The drill bit will also zero in on strike and dip extensions to grow Abercromby’s maiden 11.12 million tonne resource, which carries 518,000 ounces of gold at 1.45 grams per tonne (g/t) gold.
The combined indicated open pit and underground resources currently stand at 165,000 ounces of gold, while inferred resources in the same areas add another 353,000 ounces to the mix.
BMG Resources chief executive officer Ben Pollard said: “Gareth’s appointment significantly strengthens our strategic capability as we advance the multiple work streams required to produce gold bars at Abercromby.”
High-grade zones within the resource provide clear points of focus for the drill bit, with good mineralisation starting near surface, amenable to open pit mining and remaining open at depth.
Adding to the project’s credentials, the venture is parked on a granted mining lease in an established goldfields region, smoothing the path forward.
The company also has a Memorandum of Understanding with Wiluna Mining to potentially toll-treat free-milling ore at Wiluna’s nearby Matilda carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold processing plant. Better than 90 per cent recoveries via conventional CIL treatment suggest a quick, shallow start to mining using simple processes.
A scoping study to evaluate BMG’s open-pit and underground options and prioritise indicated resources for solid initial mine planning is due for release later this quarter.
With gold prices remaining hot and WA's tier-1 infrastructure in a prolific gold-producing area, Abercromby has all the hallmarks of a compelling low-capex/fast-track opportunity.
As experienced leadership comes aboard, drill rigs begin turning, metallurgy is de-risked and a key scoping milestone comes into view, an early resource upgrade could add further momentum and help ensure the story keeps rolling.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Doug Bright
