04:41 PM EST, 12/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Westgold Resources ( WGXRF ) after trade Tuesday reported a 107% increase in the Ore Reserve at its Bluebird-South Junction mine in Western Australia.

The South Junction Ore Reserve rose to 7.2-million tonnes at a grade of 2.5 grams per tonne of gold for 573,000 ounces. The company also said drilling programs will be expanded across the Bluebird-South Junction mining complex and added mining studies focused on "maximising orebody extraction" are underway.

Westgold chief executive Wayne Bramwell in a statement said: "Westgold has delivered a circa 400% increase in the Ore Reserve at Bluebird-South Junction over the past year. Drilling continues to transform our business, and across the Bluebird-South Junction mining complex we have not yet defined the limits of this ever expanding system.

"With multiple surface and underground drill rigs operating, Westgold is confident we will continue to extend and infill the Mineral Resource to further increase the life and expand the scale of this key growth driver in the Murchison," he added

Westgold said it will provide updates on work, as well as the ongoing mining studies at Bluebird-South Junction, as it further increases outputs to more than 1.2Mtpa during the second half of the fiscal 2025 year.

The company's shares closed up $0.04 to $2.57 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.