9 Westgold Resources Limited Annual Report 2022 After four years of dewatering, mine rehabilitation, refurbishment and ramp up, the Big Bell mine achieved commercial production in April 2022 and production rates have been growing since. Several open pits were mined around Cue in FY22. With large stockpiles accumulated, the open pit program ceased at the end of the financial year. Exploration and viability studies were carried out during FY22 at the previously mined Fender open pit mine on the southern limits of the Big Bell shear to evaluate the economics of an underground operation. An exploration decline was commenced then paused due with the higher tonnages coming fromBig Bell. In addition to the mining operations, the Company is accelerating exploration activities across Cue with the primary focus being the Day Dawn and Tuckabianna mining centres. This work has been based on new geophysical datasets and geological re-interpretations in early FY22, leading to the discovery of the Sovereign target, between Great Fingall and Golden Crown. Follow up drilling will occur in early FY23, along with definition drilling into Great Fingall at depth and testing of Caustons, right at the doorstep of the Tuckabianna plant.
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