• Drilling has commenced at the Bowerbird Prospect within the Gold Duke Project
• Bore will provide dedicated water supply for mining operations and dust suppression
• Early stage site establishment underway, including delivery and installation of site offices

Western Gold Resources Ltd (ASX: WGR) has announced the commencement of drilling at the Bowerbird production bore and the start of early stage site establishment activities at its 100%-owned Gold Duke Project in Western Australia. The Bowerbird production bore will provide a reliable and fit-for-purpose water supply to support dust suppression across all mining activities, haul road and ROM pad dust management, as well as general site operations and infrastructure requirements. The groundwater extraction licence associated with this production bore has been approved by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER). In parallel with the bore drilling, the company has commenced the delivery and installation of site offices to support the current production bore drill programme as well as clearing and grubbing and the next phase of site establishment. A dedicated laydown area has also been established to support the storage and staging of mining and support equipment, logistics coordination, and the efficient mobilisation of contractors and operational crews. These milestones represent a significant step in the progressive de-risking and development of the Gold Duke Project, with multiple workstreams now advancing in parallel, including site establishment, mining mobilisation, water infrastructure development, haulage agreements, and Life of Mine (LOM) drilling programs supporting production readiness.

Progress toward Stage 1 mining operations and first ore production, including completing bore drilling, construction and commissioning, undertaking pump testing and confirming sustainable water supply, integrating the bore into the site water management system, continuing mining mobilisation and contractor deployment, clearing, grubbing and haul road construction activities, and commencing mining and advancing toward first gold production targeted for Q2 2026. The company also plans to execute Life of Mine (LOM) extensions to fast track expected additional ounces into the project.