en.Wedoany.com Reported - Catalyst Metals (ASX:CYL) has reported that its Trident underground deposit in Western Australia has reached a resource of 1.1 million ounces at a grade of 5.40 grams per tonne of gold, with first stope ore expected to be produced in the first half of 2027.
The updated mineral resource estimate includes 633,000 ounces of indicated resources (at a grade of 6.30 g/t gold) and 448,000 ounces of inferred resources (at a grade of 4.60 g/t gold). The indicated resources have increased by 20% compared to the previous estimate. Managing Director James Champion de Crespigny stated that the exploration team continues to make progress across the entire gold belt, and the 145% increase in indicated resources at the Trident deposit, reaching the 1-million-ounce milestone, is a testament to the team's relentless efforts.
The new resource estimate incorporates 111,001 meters of drilling data from 230 diamond drill holes and 110 reverse circulation drill holes, including 72 grade control holes targeting the first 12 to 18 months of planned production. The Trident deposit is located 30 kilometers northeast of Catalyst Metals' underutilized Plutonic processing plant (with an annual capacity of 2 million tonnes), which is situated 195 kilometers northeast of Meekatharra, Western Australia. The deposit currently has a probable reserve of 2.5 million tonnes at a grade of 5.0 g/t gold, containing 397,000 ounces of gold. The company completed mining of the Trident small open pit in May 2026, establishing access for underground development. Ore from the open pit has been stockpiled and will be progressively transported to the Plutonic processing plant for treatment over the remainder of 2026. Catalyst Metals expects the Trident deposit to produce approximately 60,000 ounces of gold per year, serving as a second higher-grade base-load ore source for the Plutonic plant, supporting the company's ten-year production plan to increase annual gold output from 100,000 ounces to 200,000 ounces. Trident remains the second-largest deposit along the 40-kilometer Plutonic Gold Belt, which produces approximately 100,000 ounces of gold annually from three mines at an all-in sustaining cost of $2,300 per ounce. The previous conversion rate of 75% from indicated resources to reserves at Trident has strengthened the company's confidence in future resource conversion.
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