Black Cat Syndicate has reached a major operational milestone with the first gold pour at its newly acquired 1.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Lakewood processing facility, located 6km from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (WA).
The company acquired 100% of the shares in Lakewood from Westgold Resources for a total consideration of A$85m ($53.2m).
Go deeper with GlobalData
Ore haulage to Lakewood commenced immediately post-acquisition, with the plant operating safely and smoothly without interruption.
Since commencing operations on 1 April 2025, approximately 60,000 tonnes (t) of Myhree Ore has been hauled, with processing throughput reaching an annualised rate of 1.2mtpa.
Crushed ore stockpiles have steadily increased, now sitting at more than 10,000t on the run-of-mine pad.
Unreconciled production to date totals 42,000t at 2.10 grams per tonne of gold, delivering an estimated 2,740oz of gold at recovery rates exceeding 95%. A significant milestone was achieved with the first gold pour on 16 April 2025, producing 757oz.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataBlack Cat managing director Gareth Solly said: “The commencement of processing through Lakewood has started well with throughputs, grade and recoveries all above expectation. First gold at Lakewood is yet another successful milestone in the accelerated Kal East plan.
“With an active drilling programme now under way, Black Cat enters an exciting period of gold production with substantial exploration potential. Black Cat is now transforming into a significant WA gold producer – producing more gold, sooner.”
The Lakewood processing facility is located within 40km of Black Cat’s wholly owned Kal East gold project and 24km from the Myhree underground mine.
The company has received approval for underground mining at the Myhree deposit, which is part of its Kal East gold project.
Underground mining is scheduled to start after the completion of open-pit operations in October 2025, subject to operational priorities and planning requirements.
Solly said: “The Myhree underground mining approval provides optionality for Kal East and mining approvals for other deposits are also expected soon. With Lakewood running well, and the open pits ahead of schedule, we are looking forward to a smooth transition to additional mines, as we continue our more gold sooner strategy.”
