Pacgold Limited is on the cusp of generating its first revenue, having activated the heap leach process at its recently acquired White Dam gold operation in South Australia. The company confirmed it will irrigate up to 250,000 tonnes of ore with cyanide by mid-January, marking a pivotal shift from project developer to gold producer.
Low-Risk Restart with Proven Pedigree
The White Dam project, situated 80 kilometres west of Broken Hill, is not a greenfield venture. It is a restart of a proven heap-leach operation that yielded approximately 180,000 ounces of gold between 2010 and 2018. This historical performance provides a solid foundation for Pacgold's low-risk strategy.
The site currently holds a resource of 4.6 million tonnes at 0.7 grams per tonne gold, equating to 102,000 ounces. Crucially, this estimate does not include residual gold believed to be trapped within the existing heap leach pads, which the company views as a compelling near-term opportunity.
Initial Campaign Underway as Metallurgical Test
Pacgold has already stacked around 250,000 tonnes of run-of-mine ore onto the first lift of the existing leach dump. Irrigation is now using a recently approved and relined solution pond, with all necessary infrastructure already on site.
Managing Director Matthew Boyes described the start of irrigation as a major company milestone. He framed this initial campaign as a large-scale metallurgical test, designed to validate recovery rates from material in the pads and inform future processing plans. "We anticipate the results will demonstrate the potential to extract significant value from the 7.5 million tonnes of existing run-of-mine ore on the leach pad over the coming months," Boyes stated.
The leaching of the western wall is expected to be completed within five to six weeks.
Parallel Activities to Boost Resources and Production
Alongside the initial processing, Pacgold is advancing other work streams. Plans are in motion to re-crush the final lift of the heap leach pad, with equipment mobilisation scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Exploration is also set to resume after the Christmas break. A 7,000-metre drilling campaign is already underway to upgrade inferred resources to the indicated category. Results from this drilling, expected by May-June 2026, will support an updated mineral resource estimate and refine production plans for the year.
The company's strategy is clear: use the anticipated early cash flow from White Dam to fund growth across its portfolio. This includes exploration at the 854,000-ounce Alice River gold project and the fast-tracked St George gold-antimony tenement in Queensland.
In a robust gold price environment, Pacgold's disciplined push towards near-term production is positioning it to unlock early value while building a platform for long-term growth.
