Meeka Metals (ASX: MEK) has reported strong grades of more than 100 grams per tonne in the first ore from the Andy Well underground development at its flagship Murchison gold project in Western Australia.
The grades – from ore across multiple faces on the prospect’s Wilbur 1350 level – have exceeded those the company’s grade control model predicted since commencing ore development in September.
Meeka has so far completed approximately 90 metres of development on southern extensions to the Wilber lode, where high grades are typical of Andy Well mineralisation.
Underground Development
Underground development at the Andy Well – which hosts a resource of 1.2 million ounces grading 3 grams per tonne gold – commenced in July, with planned access to the first ore level at Wilber 1350 and Meeka to bring in additional levels at the Judy and Suzie lodes.
Meeka will commence a third development before year end, at which point it expects ore development to significantly increase.
Best assays to date have been 4.4m at 14.8g/t gold including 0.3m at 215.6g/t, 4.2m at 30.2g/t gold including 0.4m at 276g/t, and 3.4m at 15.3g/t gold including 0.4m at 127.2g/t.
Other recorded highlights were 3.8m at 4g/t gold including 0.7m at 20.5g/t; 3m at 5.9g/t gold including 0.5m at 34.6g/t; and 3.7m at 5g/t gold including 0.3m at 51.8g/t.
Andy Well Upside Potential
Meeka managing director Tim Davidson said the new grades reinforce the potential development upside from the Andy Well mine.
“There has been 23% more gold recovered historically from the mine between 2013 and 2017 than predicted in the resource, and this is supported by the grade performance we are seeing in this initial ore development,” he said.
“Andy Well’s 500,000oz resource has so far been drilled to 800m below surface—however, our focus over the coming year will be on the shallow lodes within 200m of surface that we can access from the existing decline that will generate strong cash flow.”
