Westgold Provides 3-Year Outlook
Westgold Provides 3-Year Outlook |
[30-September-2025] |
High confidence plan to deliver 470Koz pa of high margin production from FY28 PERTH, Western Australia, Oct. 1, 2025 /CNW/ - Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX) (TSX: WGX) Westgold or the Company) is pleased to present its 3-Year Outlook (3YO) – a high confidence plan that increases annual Group gold production from 326koz (delivered in FY25), lifts production and lowers all in sustaining cost (AISC) from FY27 and delivers 470Koz from FY28. The 3YO is conservative by design and excludes several material organic growth opportunities such as the Fletcher Zone at Beta Hunt. It is underpinned by our current portfolio of operating assets and predicated upon:
Highlights The 3YO is a high confidence, executable 3-year plan underwritten by 2025 Ore Reserves1
3YO sees Group gold production lift to 470koz per annum from FY28
3YO underpinned by fully utilising existing processing hubs
3YO is fully funded
1 Refer to the Company's Announcement on 3 September 2025 – '2025 Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore Reserves' available on the ASX or SEDAR+ On a hub-by-hub basis:
3YO upside (opportunities being actively developed but not included in the 3YO):
Cautionary Statements There is a low level of geological confidence associated with inferred mineral resources and there is no certainty that further exploration work will result in the determination of indication mineral resources or that the production target itself will be realised. The stated production target is based on the entity's current expectations of future results or events and should not be solely relied upon by investors when making investment decisions. Further evaluation work and appropriate studies are required to establish sufficient confidence that this target will be met. Westgold Managing Director and CEO Wayne Bramwell commented: "Westgold's three-year outlook (3YO) articulates a high confidence, executable plan that sees the business step up from 326koz of production in FY25 to more than 470koz by FY28. It provides a baseline for a larger, more profitable and sustainable gold producer. Most critically this growth is organic and fully funded. The outlook is underpinned by realistic production forecasts, cost assumptions and focuses on maximising the performance of our existing processing infrastructure to drive our costs down. Westgold's FY25 Mineral Resource Estimate of 16.3Moz and Ore Reserves of 3.5Moz underwrites the 3YO. With our operations now being optimised on higher-grade mine outputs, consistent operational delivery will lower our AISC, driving free cash flow and delivering higher returns to our shareholders. The 3YO is conservative by design. Additional growth can be delivered through mill optimisation, mine productivity improvements, systematic exploration and resource development, with our larger Beta Hunt and Bluebird-South Junction mines ripe for resource expansion. Westgold continues to evolve and mature. In articulating the first multi-year view of our business, we can now provide our shareholders, employees and stakeholders with a clear plan for the Company's objectives and trajectory over the next three years." 3YO underpinned by Westgold's existing portfolio Overview Westgold (ASX/TSX: WGX) is an unhedged, well-funded Australian gold producer with an extensive portfolio of operating and exploration assets in the Murchison and Southern Goldfields of Western Australia (Figure 1). The Company's 3YO foundation is the 2025 Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore Reserves1. It defines a high confidence, executable plan to grow gold production to 470Kozpa by FY28, at a competitive all in sustaining cost of circa A$2,500/oz. The 3YO outlines how increasing Group outputs, free cash flows and operating margins will be delivered and is premised upon fully utilising our existing extensive processing infrastructure, a transition to higher-grade Group mine outputs and expansions to key mining and processing assets over the 3YO period. 3YO – Gold production lifts, AISC falls The 3YO articulates the first multi-year view of Westgold's business and details how organic growth is delivered. The underlying plan is conservative by design and frames near-term capital allocation priorities, alongside indicative AISC out to FY28. Figure 2 below illustrates the production and cost profile from FY25 (where the business produced 326koz @ AISC of A$2,666/oz) to a projected FY28 outlook of 470koz @ AISC of ~A$2,500/oz, together with corresponding forecast capital investment. Westgold's 3YO demonstrates organic production growth to FY28 utilising its existing portfolio of assets, to a run rate capable of being sustained well beyond the outlook. Our AISC$/oz profile falls during the 3YO, to circa A$2,500/oz by:
3YO – Key Assumptions The 3YO objective is to deliver safe and profitable gold production, near-term value generation and long-term sustainable shareholder returns. Optimising higher grade ore feed and increasing throughput from our processing hubs is key, requiring an increase in growth capital in FY27 to expand the Higginsville processing plant in the Southern Goldfields to 2.6Mtpa. Key assumptions underpinning the 3YO include:
Importantly, there is no ore contribution from the Fletcher Zone at Beta Hunt in the 3YO. The Fletcher zone has the potential to add significant scale to the Southern Goldfields and requires further drilling to determine its scale and the optimum mine design. The projected timing for key capital investment or project commencement in the 3YO is outlined in the following, Figure 3. Processing Hubs – Leveraging and expanding existing 6Mtpa processing capacity for enhanced FCF Outside of the Higginsville processing plant upgrade (due for completion in FY28), debottlenecking and incremental capital investments have been planned for the Bluebird and Tuckabianna processing hubs in the Murchison. The resulting annualised processing capacities (in million tonnes per annum), excluding our existing third-party toll-treating agreement assumed for the 3YO are shown in Figure 4 below. The Murchison Westgold owns and operates three processing hubs in the Murchison region of Western Australia (Figure 5). Key assumptions used in the 3YO for the Murchison assets are detailed below. 1. Fortnum Hub (0.9Mtpa processing capacity)
Starlight Underground (Life of Mine: 7 Years) - As demonstrated in Q4, FY25, investment in the load and haul fleet and ventilation systems at Starlight is expected to incrementally increase mined tonnage from FY26. This will reduce the proportion of lower-grade stockpiles in mill feed, lifting the mill head grade. Newer mobile fleet will further increase mining productivity, reduce costs and enable sustained higher-grade mill feed. 2. Meekatharra Hub (1.8Mtpa processing capacity)
3. Cue hub (1.4Mtpa processing capacity)
The Southern Goldfields Westgold owns and operates one processing hub within the Southern Goldfields region of Western Australia (Figure 8). 4. Higginsville Hub (1.6Mtpa processing capacity)
The 3YO does not include production from the emerging Fletcher Zone at Beta Hunt. Resource Confidence Key to the delivery of the 3YO is confidence in the mine plan. Over 80% of Westgold ore mined throughout the 3YO is within the Proven and Probable Reserve categories with an average of over 60% Proven and Probable in FY28 (Figure 10). Business plans are aligned with increasing resource confidence over the latter half of the 3YO. The 3YO assumes ~$50M investment each year in exploration and resource definition drilling to improve resource confidence beyond the 3YO. Upside to the 3YO The 3YO depicts an executable baseline for Westgold. There are multiple opportunities to outperform the 3YO with a non-exhaustive list of those opportunities that are actively being advanced (but not included in the 3YO) summarised below:
2 See announcement from 17 December 2024 Fortnum Expansion Study
Conclusion Westgold's three-year outlook is focused on growth and lowering our all in sustaining costs. It outlines a high confidence, executable plan detailing how the business steps up from 326koz of production in FY25 to more than 470koz by FY28, at an AISC of ~$2,500 from FY27. The 3YO provides a foundation and baseline for a sustainably larger gold producer. Most critically - this growth is fully funded and organic. It focuses on maximising the performance of our existing processing infrastructure - and is underpinned by realistic production forecasts and cost assumptions. Westgold continues to evolve and mature. In articulating the first multi-year view of our expanded portfolio, we can now provide our shareholders, employees and stakeholders with a clear plan for the Company's trajectory over the next three years. Westgold Update Webcast Wayne Bramwell (Managing Director & CEO), Tommy Heng (Chief Financial Officer) and Aaron Rankine (Chief Operating Officer) will present an update on the 3YO via webcast on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 at 9:00AM AWST / 11:00AM AEST, followed by a Q&A session. To listen to the Webcast live, please click on the link below and register your details, or cut and paste the URL into your web browser: WESTGOLD 3-YEAR OUTLOOK WEBINAR https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6926810455494630997 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please log on a few minutes before the scheduled commencement time to ensure you are registered in time for the start of the call. This announcement is authorised for release to the ASX by the Board. Compliance Statements Competent/Qualified Person Statements Exploration Results and Mineral Resources Estimates The information in this release that relates to Exploration results and 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 and who has verified, reviewed and approved such information. 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 is an employee of the Company and, accordingly, is not independent for purposes of NI 43-101. Mr Russell consents to and approves the inclusion in this release 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. The Mineral Resource Estimates contained herein have an effective date of 30 June 2025 and was completed by Westgold technical employees and contractors under the supervision of Mr Jake Russell. The key inputs and assumptions are provided in Appendix C to this release including Section 1 – Sampling Techniques and Data, Section 2 – Reporting of Exploration Results, Section 3 – Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources and Section 4 – Estimation and Reporting of Ore Reserves. Ore Reserves The information in this release that relates to Ore Reserve is based on information compiled by Mr. Leigh Devlin B.Eng. FAusIMM, who has verified, reviewed and approved such information. 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 is an employee of the Company and, accordingly, is not independent for purposes of NI 43-101. Mr. Devlin consents to and approves the inclusion in this release 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. General Mineral Resources, Ore Reserve Estimates and Exploration Targets and Results are calculated in accordance with the JORC Code. Investors outside Australia should note that while Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates of the Company in this announcement comply with the JORC Code (such JORC Code-compliant Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources being "Ore Reserves" and "Mineral Resources" respectively), they may not comply with the relevant guidelines in other countries. The JORC Code is an acceptable foreign code under NI 43-101. Information contained in this release describing mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of US securities laws, including Item 1300 of Regulation S-K. All technical and scientific information in this release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101 and has been reviewed on behalf of the Company by Qualified Persons, as set forth above. This release contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Mineral Resources that are not Ore Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource estimates may require re-estimation based on, among other things: (i) fluctuations in the price of gold; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) results of metallurgical testing, process and other studies; (iv) changes to proposed mine plans; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates; and (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licenses. 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 the Company's 3YO, including estimates of gold production, grades, recoveries and its expectations regarding ASIC, the timing of updates to Mineral Resource estimates or Ore Reserves, 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. SOURCE Westgold Resources Limited | ||
Company Codes: Australia:WGX,Toronto:WGX,ASX:WGX,NYSE:NMG |