Auric Mining has commenced mining operations at the Munda gold mine starter pit near Widgiemooltha in Western Australia.
The company forecasts that approximately 125,000 tonnes (t) of ore will be extracted from the starter pit over the next five months, with an estimated grade of 1.8 grams per tonne gold and an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of A$2,635 ($1,685) per ounce.
The company has secured full funding for the starter pit operations through the proceeds from mining at the Jeffreys Find Gold Mine near Norseman.
The ground-breaking event took place on 10 May 2025. The company has completed site preparation including the construction of a new haul road, run-of-mine pads and a waste dump.
Additionally, all necessary infrastructure, such as a mine site office and camp, is now in place.
Mining at the starter pit is currently under way, with the initial phase involving free-digging in the weathered upper portion of the pit.
Auric Mining anticipates that the first blasting operations will be required within the next two weeks as the team reaches the fresher rock layers.
The Munda gold mine has an estimated resource of 145,000oz of gold. Following the completion of the starter pit, Auric Mining plans to undertake detailed planning for the development of the Munda main pit, which is expected to commence in 2026.
Auric Mining managing director Mark English said: “We can currently dig without blasting and anticipate the first blast will be sometime in the next two weeks as we get down into fresher material. It won’t be long before ore stockpiles build at Munda. This is an exciting time for Auric. When we bought the tenements in September 2020 it was always our intention to get into production as quickly as possible.
“Munda is our major asset. We have a target to mine 125,000t of ore from the starter pit and produce around 6,100oz of gold at a projected AISC of A$2,635/oz.”
In April 2025, Auric Mining initiated the development of the Munda gold mine with the mobilisation of plant and equipment for the mine’s starter pit.
