Fletcher Zone Maiden Mineral Resource of 2.3Moz
Stage 1 Fletcher Resource almost doubles the current Beta Hunt Resource
PERTH, Western Australia, June 23, 2025 /CNW/ – Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX) (TSX: WGX) – (Westgold or the Company) is pleased to announce its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Fletcher Zone at the Beta Hunt mine in the Southern Goldfields of Western Australia.
Stage 1 drilling only tested 1 kilometre of the 2 kilometres of known strike of the Fletcher Zone, with a Stage 2 programme now being planned to test strike and depth extensions (see Figure 1).
Highlights
- Maiden MRE for Fletcher Zone of 31Mt @ 2.3g/t Au for 2.3Moz Au
- Inclusion of Stage 1 Fletcher MRE effectively doubles the September 2024 Beta Hunt Mineral Resource
- Stage 1 Fletcher Zone mineralisation extends over a zone up to 500m in width – and 2 km in strike length with a vertical extent in excess of 800m
- Significant opportunity for resource extensions
- MRE drilling tested Stage 1 – the first 1km of the known 2km strike of Fletcher
- Stage 1 Mineral Resource remains open at depth
- Stage 1 Mineral Resource conversion drilling commenced at Fletcher – targeting a maiden Ore Reserve in FY26
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Stage 1 Fletcher Zone – Mineral Resource Estimate |
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Classification |
Tonnes (t) |
Grade (g/t Au) |
Ounces (Au) |
|
Measured |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
|
Indicated |
3,708,000 |
2.5 |
295,000 |
|
Inferred |
27,266,000 |
2.3 |
2,030,000 |
|
Total |
30,974,000 |
2.3 |
2,325,000 |
Westgold Managing Director and CEO Wayne Bramwell commented:
“Westgold is rapidly unlocking the value we identified at Beta Hunt. This is a circa 7km long, multi-lode mineralised system that is under-drilled and the Company has delivered a maiden Mineral Resource of 2.3Moz from the Fletcher Zone, from just 1km of Fletcher’s apparent strike.
This result points to the growth potential of Beta Hunt, and while this is a material milestone for Westgold, it is simply the first step on what is likely to be a multi-decade journey for Fletcher in an expanded Beta Hunt mine plan.
Critically, mine life at Beta Hunt today exceeds ten years without any contribution from Fletcher. Mine outputs are lifting from the existing Western Flanks and A Zone mining areas and this improvement provides scope to evaluate the optimum mining and processing strategy for Fletcher, as it represents a transformational opportunity to further expand the scale of Beta Hunt outputs.
Our drill teams are not slowing down. They have commenced drilling to upgrade the current Stage 1 Mineral Resource, targeting a maiden Ore Reserve during FY26 and in addition, are preparing to commence testing the northern ~1km extension of Fletcher in the Stage 2 programme.”
Maiden Stage 1 Fletcher Zone Mineral Resource Estimate
In September 2024, Westgold declared a global Fletcher Zone Exploration Target of 23-27Mt @ 2.1-2.5g/t Au for 1.6-2.1Moz, including an initial Stage 1 Exploration Target of 12–16Mt @ 2.1-2.5g/t Au for 0.8-1.2Moz Au1.
With drilling access to the southern zone of Fletcher established, Westgold undertook an accelerated drilling program aimed at developing a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for Stage 1 of the Fletcher zone (southern 1km of the 2km strike). The result, which exceeds expectations set out by both the Stage 1 Exploration Target and the Global Exploration Target, are shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2 – Stage 1 Fletcher Zone Mineral Resource Estimate
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Stage 1 Fletcher Zone Mineral Resource Estimate |
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|
Classification |
Tonnes (t) |
Grade (g/t Au) |
Ounces (Au) |
|
Measured |
0 |
0.00 |
0 |
|
Indicated |
3,708,000 |
2.5 |
295,000 |
|
Inferred |
27,266,000 |
2.3 |
2,030,000 |
|
Total |
30,974,000 |
2.3 |
2,325,000 |
Background to the Mineral Resource Estimate
The Fletcher Zone is a gold-bearing shear zone located within the Hunt Block of the Beta Hunt Mine at Kambalda (Figures 1 and 2), approximately 50 metres west of the Western Flanks vein system. It is interpreted as a parallel, structural analogue to the Western Flanks and A Zone deposits and is considered the third major mineralised shear zone system hosted in the Hunt Block.
Gold mineralisation at Beta Hunt, inclusive of the Fletcher Zone, is located along the crest and flanks of the Kambalda Anticline and is controlled by northwest-trending, steep, southwest-dipping shear zones associated with re-activated normal faults that previously controlled the komatiitic channel flow and associated nickel sulphide deposits for which Kambalda is famous.
Gold mineralisation is interpreted as a D3 extensional event associated with porphyry intrusives, the source of magmatic hydrothermal fluids carrying the gold.
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1 |
Refer to ASX release titled “Fletcher Exploration Target Defined at 1.6 – 2.1Moz Au” – 16 September 2024 |
Mineralisation is hosted predominantly in Lunnon Basalt with minor amounts associated with specific porphyry intrusives. Gold mineralisation occurs in broad, steeply dipping, north-northwest striking quartz vein systems with biotite-albite-pyrite alteration.
Mineralisation at Stage 1 Fletcher comprises a main, northwest-striking (320°), steep southwest dipping collection of shear zones extending over a zone up to 500m in width, over 2 km in strike length with a vertical extent in excess of 800 m.
The zone remains open to the north and down dip (see Figures 3 and 4).
Estimation Methodology
The maiden Fletcher Mineral Resource Estimation was completed internally by Westgold personnel. The Mineral Resource Estimation involved the following steps:
- Database compilation and verification of drill hole survey data and collar locations;
- Construction of wireframe models for cross-cutting faults, host rock types and mineralisation domains (with interpreted shapes for faults modelled prior to the host lithologies, due to the faults disrupting stratigraphy and mineralisation);
- Data conditioning (compositing assays and capping of extreme grades) for geostatistical analysis and variogram modelling;
- Block modelling and grade interpolation, with all domains estimated using the Ordinary Kriging (OK) method; and
- Mineral Resource classification and validation.
The gold Mineral Resources have been reported at a cut-off grade of 1.2 g/t based on prevailing operational practice at Beta Hunt.
Gold mineralisation at Beta Hunt is predominantly hosted in steeply dipping shears within basalt host rock. These shears are orientated sub-parallel / oblique to porphyritic intrusives that are more competent than the surrounding basalts and where present, meta-sediments.
Fault zones offset rock strata small distances (5 m offsets are common, however, 10 m to 20 m offsets do occur) and post-date mineralisation. Modelling of mineralised domains was accomplished after modelling cross-cutting faults (first) and host rock types (second) in order to correctly depict the architecture of the mineralisation.
For the construction of the gold mineralisation domains, drill hole cross-sections were evaluated at intervals matching drill hole spacing. All available assay, lithology and structural data from the drill hole logs was examined to define mineralised zones. Margins of logged intervals that include mineralised shears / penetrative foliation in drill core logs were used to delineate the margins of mineralised shear domains. A geological approach for determining the margins of mineralised shear domains often captures intervals of low grade or waste within the interpreted domains.
Mineralisation domains were identified using geological characteristics (shear intensity, biotite and / or pyrite alteration and logged veining intensity and style), orientation of logged structures and assay grades. There are three principal styles of gold mineralisation at Beta Hunt:
- Shear related envelopes – with variable grades related to plunging mineralised shoots that dip steeply to the west.
- Vein swarms – that consist of east dipping extensional quartz veins with minimal to no associated west dipping shear fabric.
- “Father’s Day Vein” style mineralisation – where mineralised extensional veins host coarse gold in areas where structures transect favourable geology including intrusive intermediate porphyries and sulphidic meta-sediments.
Mineralised intervals selected for the purposes of modelling were validated against the logging and core photographs, with the hangingwall and footwall contacts generally defined by the presence / absence of biotite + pyrite alteration. These defined mineralised intervals were then solid modelled utilising Leapfrog GeoTM software.
Validations of the wireframes were carried out in section and plan view, and all wireframes were verified as coherent solids. Mineralised domains were subject to internal peer review.
The mineralisation wireframes were used to code the drill holes with a numeric domain value, and these were manually validated to ensure correct interval selection.
The drill hole database used in the compilation of the Mineral Resource Estimate for Fletcher was exported from the Westgold server on June 6, 2024. A total of 73 Fletcher diamond drill holes were available for use in the Mineral Resource Estimate, totalling approximately 46,000m.
Leapfrog GeoTM software was used to extract downhole gold intersections within the different resource domains. Drill hole assays were composited to 1m with a minimum of 0.5m using the best-fit methodology using SurpacTM software. The composites were checked for spatial correlation with the objects, the location of the rejected composites, and zero composite values. Individual composite files were created for each of the domains in the wireframe models. A statistical analysis was subsequently completed using Supervisor software.
Understanding the grade continuity and determining its extent and orientation is achieved through interpreting and modelling the experimental variogram. The experimental variogram requires sufficient sample data to provide a reliable measure of the grade continuity. Experimental variograms were modelled using SupervisorTM software using a normal score transformation. The normal score transformation reduces the effect of outliers and helps to identify the underlying structure of the variable. The variogram models were back transformed to real space for use in the estimation process. The nugget effect was defined using downhole variograms for the domain to be estimated.
Kriging neighbourhood analysis (KNA) was carried out to determine the optimal search parameters for ordinary kriging estimation of gold grade. A multiple blocks approach was used rather than a single block analysis.
A block model was created using SurpacTM software to cover the extent of the Fletcher deposit. The parent block size was selected based on the results of the KNA while the selected sub-block size was necessary to provide sufficient resolution to the block model.
Gold grades were estimated in SurpacTM software using ordinary kriging interpolation.
Bulk density values were assigned to each rock type based upon observed values in the existing Beta Hunt mine.
Model validation was completed to check that the grade estimates within the model were an appropriate reflection of the underlying composite sample data, and to confirm that the interpolation parameters were applied as intended. Checks of the estimated block grade with the corresponding composite dataset were completed using several approaches involving both numerical and spatial aspects.
Fletcher has been classified as an Indicated or Inferred Mineral Resource based upon a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria which included geological continuity and confidence in volume models, data quality, sample spacing, lode continuity and estimation parameters. No Measured material has been assigned.
This approach is particularly suited to structurally controlled gold deposits such as Fletcher.
Next Steps
Westgold has commenced infill drilling Stage 1 of the Fletcher Zone, with the additional data targeted towards delivering a maiden Ore Reserve for Stage 1 during FY26. In parallel, drilling is planned to commence within the Fletcher Stage 2 target area, the northern kilometre of Fletcher, in the first half of FY26.
Additionally, Westgold has already commenced work aimed at defining the fault-offset extension of Fletcher to the south of the Alpha Island Fault, known as Mason2. The Company has also been assaying historical nickel-focused drilling previously conducted by Western Mining Corporation, which intersected the Mason Zone but was not assayed for gold, in an effort to accelerate the understanding of this high-potential area.
Importantly, scoping-level work is now underway to determine how best to maximise value from the significant Mineral Resource now defined at Fletcher. This work will consider the substantial potential for increases in operational scale that Fletcher offers and will not be bound by the constraints of the current operating model at Beta Hunt.
This approach will allow Westgold to fully capitalise on the transformational opportunity that Fletcher offers.
This announcement is authorised for release to the ASX by the Board.
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2 |
Refer to ASX release titled “Beta Hunt Drilling Update” – 18 February 2025 |
Competent Person Statements
Mineral Resource Estimates
The information in this report that relates to Mineral Resource Estimates is compiled by Westgold technical employees and contractors under the supervision of Mr Jake Russell B.Sc. (Hons), who is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr Russell is a full-time employee of the company and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activities which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the “JORC Code“) and as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Guidelines and National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101“). Mr Russell consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr Russell is eligible to participate in short- and long-term incentive plans of the company.
Ore Reserves
The information in this report that relates to Ore Reserve is based on information compiled by Mr. Leigh Devlin B.Eng. FAusIMM. Mr. Devlin has sufficient experience which is relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activities which they are undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person as defined in the CIM Guidelines and NI 43-101. Mr. Devlin consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Mr. Devlin is a full-time senior executive of the Company and is eligible to and may participate in short-term and long-term incentive plans of the Company as disclosed in its annual reports and disclosure documents.
Forward looking statements
These materials prepared by Westgold Resources Limited include forward looking statements. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward looking words such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “believe”, “forecast”, “predict”, “plan”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “continue”, and “guidance”, or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production outputs.
Forward looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the Company operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation.
Forward looking statements are based on the Company and its management’s good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect the Company’s business and operations in the future. The Company does not give any assurance that the assumptions on which forward looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the Company’s business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the Company or management or beyond the Company’s control.
Although the Company attempts and has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the Company. In addition, the Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors outlined in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR+ or the ASX, including, in the Company’s current annual report, half year report or most recent management discussion and analysis.
Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward looking statements in these materials speak only at the date of issue. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances.
Appendix A – JORC 2012 Table 1– Gold Division
SECTION 1: SAMPLING TECHNIQUES AND DATA
(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.)
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Criteria |
JORC Code Explanation |
Commentary |
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Sampling techniques
Drilling techniques
Drill sample recovery |
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Logging
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Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation |
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. |
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Quality of assay data and laboratory tests |
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Verification of sampling and assaying |
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Location of data points |
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Data spacing and distribution |
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. |
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Orientation of data in relation to geological structure |
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Sample security |
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Audits or reviews |
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SECTION 2: REPORTING OF EXPLORATION RESULTS
(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)
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Criteria |
JORC Code Explanation |
Commentary |
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Mineral tenement and land tenure status |
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Exploration done by other parties |
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Geology |
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BHO
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CGO
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FGO
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HGO
MGO
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Drill hole Information |
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Data aggregation methods |
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Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths |
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Diagrams |
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Balanced reporting |
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Other substantive exploration data |
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Further work |
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SECTION 3: ESTIMATION AND REPORTING OF MINERAL RESOURCES
(Criteria listed in section 1, and where relevant in section 2, also apply to this section.)
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Criteria |
JORC Code Explanation |
Commentary |
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Database integrity |
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Site visits |
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Geological interpretation |
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Dimensions |
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BHO
CGO
HGO
MGO
STOCKPILES
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Estimation and modelling techniques. |
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Moisture |
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Cut-off parameters |
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Mining factors or assumptions |
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Metallurgical factors or assumptions |
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Environmental factors or assumptions |
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Bulk density |
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Classification |
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Audits or reviews |
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Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence |
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SECTION 4: ESTIMATION AND REPORTING OF ORE RESERVES
(Criteria listed in section 1, and where relevant in sections 2 and 3, also apply to this section.)
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Criteria |
JORC Code Explanation |
Commentary |
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Mineral Resource estimate for conversion to Ore Reserves |
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Site visits |
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Study status |
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Cut-off parameters |
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Mining factors or assumptions |
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Open Pit Methodology
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Underground Methodology
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Metallurgical factors or assumptions |
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BHO
CGO
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FGO
HGO
MGO
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Environmental |
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BHO
CGO
FGO
HGO
MGO
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Infrastructure |
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BHO
CGO
FGO
HGO
MGO
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Costs |
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BHO
CGO
FGO
HGO
MGO
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Revenue factors |
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Market assessment |
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Economic |
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Social |
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BHO
CGO
FGO
HGO
MGO
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Other |
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Classification |
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Audits or reviews |
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Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence |
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SOURCE Westgold Resources Limited
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