19 ANNUAL REPORT 2025 EXPLORATION At Westgold we maintain and operate our own fleet of drill rigs with 16 to 19 rigs operating across our portfolio at any given time. Operating our own fleet gives us the option and agility to respond more rapidly to opportunities in line with our strategic priorities, with substantive year-on-year investment in both resource definition and exploration drilling (FY25: $43M) underpinning our sustainable growth and value creation. RESOURCE DEFINITION DRILLING – A STRATEGIC PRIORITY Resource definition drilling is a core operational activity at all major Westgold mines. This drilling is used to update geological models, refine stope designs, and support ongoing mine planning. The results are regularly incorporated into resource and reserve estimates, which are critical to inform and sustain production, as well as for forecasting and capital investment decisions. MURCHISON OPERATIONS Fortnum Hub – Starlight Underground Mine Following two years of nearcontinuous drilling, in November 2024 Westgold increased the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of the mineralised system at Starlight by 91%. This increase formed the basis for a Scoping Study on the Fortnum Expansion Project, envisaging an expanded,1.5Mtpa operation at Fortnum, over a ten year life. Meekatharra Hub – BluebirdSouth Junction Underground Mine At Bluebird–South Junction, sustained drilling has resulted in a 240% increase in the Mineral Resource Estimate and a doubling of Ore Reserves in 18 months. The drilling has targeted both infill and extensional areas, enabling us to update mine plans and optimise stope design, and also supported investment decisions for mine infrastructure and processing capacity. Cue Hub - Great Fingall Underground Mine – Sovereign Zone With the initial production milestone reached at Great Fingall, our team stepped up drilling, with multiple rigs defining and infilling early production areas from the Golden Crown and Great Fingall virgin stopes, as well as advancing opportunities outside of the current mine plan in areas such as the Sovereign Reef. Results reinforced the high-grade nature of Golden Crown, and the significant exploration upside of the wider mine complex. A third drill rig is planned to be deployed into Great Fingall in Q1, FY26 to follow up the success of the FY25 campaign.
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