Rumble Resources on Track for October Scoping Study and Year-End Decision
Key Takeaways
- Rumble has delivered pit dewatering pipework to Western Queen and lodged the Notification of Commencement of Operations, so pumping can start once installation is complete.
- The updated Scoping Study has slipped to October 2026, but the Feasibility Study and Decision to Mine remain targeted for the December quarter 2026.
- The Mine Development and Closure Proposal is the key outstanding approval before underground pre-development works can begin.
- Debt providers are waiting on the updated Scoping Study before issuing term sheets, and the Feasibility Study depends on acceptable indicative financing terms.
- Western Queen holds 433,600oz of gold at 2.6g/t, with a 13.2kt WO3 tungsten resource as upside and ore headed to the Kirkalocka plant under a toll milling deal.
Western Queen development update: pit dewatering and Scoping Study timing
Rumble Resources has delivered pit dewatering pipework to site at its Western Queen Gold and Tungsten Project and submitted the Notification of Commencement of Operations, which is required to commence pumping, to the relevant authority. The update is dated 6 October 2026.
The updated Scoping Study is now aiming for release during October 2026, slightly delayed, with mine design completed and scheduling well advanced. The Feasibility Study and Decision to Mine are still targeted for the December quarter 2026.
For you as an investor, the point is that the path to a Decision to Mine is unchanged, even though the Scoping Study has taken a bit longer than planned.
Peter Harold, Managing Director and CEO
“The updated Scoping Study is nearing completion. We know it has taken a bit longer than planned, however we are now close to finalising the Study so we can update shareholders on the proposed Western Queen mine development.”
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Progress against key development milestones
Approvals and permits
Three key approvals have been received: the Works Approval, the Native Vegetation Clearance Approval and the Groundwater Extraction Licence.
The Mine Development and Closure Proposal remains outstanding, with requests for additional information from the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration being actioned. Management describes it as the key outstanding approval required prior to commencing underground pre-development works.
Milestone tracker
The table below summarises where each workstream stands, based on the announcement.
| Workstream | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Pit dewatering | Pipework delivered to site; Notification of Commencement of Operations submitted | Pumping to commence once installation of all pumps and pipework is completed |
| Permitting | Works Approval, Native Vegetation Clearance Approval and Groundwater Extraction Licence received | Mine Development and Closure Proposal outstanding; additional information requests being actioned |
| Scoping Study | Work nearing completion; mine design completed, scheduling well advanced | Release scheduled during October 2026 |
| Mining contractor | Discussions continue with underground mining contractors who have expressed interest | Continuing discussions |
| Project financing | Potential project debt providers awaiting the updated Scoping Study | Study to go to preselected providers for indicative term sheets |
| Operational readiness | Drafting of the operational readiness plan continues | Continue drafting the plan |
| Feasibility Study | On track for completion during the December quarter | Subject to positive Scoping Study results and acceptable indicative financing terms, to support the Decision to Mine |
Contractors, financing and processing
Four items sit behind the headline workstreams:
- Underground mining contractors who have expressed interest are in continuing discussions with the Company.
- Potential project debt providers are awaiting the updated Scoping Study before submitting term sheets. The Study will go to preselected providers, after which a preferred debt provider will be selected.
- The operational readiness plan is still being drafted.
- The Toll Milling and Blending Agreement with Gylden Resources Pty Ltd and Kirkalocka Gold SPV Pty Ltd was executed in May 2026. Gylden has advised that engineering work is proceeding on schedule under its construction contract with Interquip Construction Pty Ltd for the refurbishment of the Kirkalocka Gold Processing Plant.
The toll milling arrangement with Gylden and Kirkalocka gives Western Queen a processing route without the capital burden of building a plant, which is why plant refurbishment progress matters to the development timeline.
What a Scoping Study update means for investors
A Scoping Study is an early-stage assessment of whether a project could be technically and economically viable. A Feasibility Study goes further, and in this case it is the study intended to support the Decision to Mine.
Lenders want the Scoping Study first because debt providers are waiting for it before submitting term sheets. The sequence runs from the updated Scoping Study, to indicative term sheets, to the Feasibility Study, then the Decision to Mine.
The Feasibility Study is subject to positive results from the updated Scoping Study and receipt of acceptable indicative financing terms. That condition is worth keeping in view.
The November 2025 Scoping Study, completed by independent mining consultant Baybridge Mining Services, was based on initially mining only a portion of the defined Western Queen South Resource. The update aims to maximise the amount of Indicated Resources from Western Queen South Central material in the updated mine plan, meaning the portion of the resource with higher geological confidence.
The underground economics outlined in the earlier study work show what the updated Scoping Study is refining, with the revised mine plan aiming to lift the share of higher-confidence Indicated material.
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Resource base and tungsten upside
The June 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate at Western Queen is shown below. The announcement body states 433,600oz of contained gold, although a footnote title refers to 443koz. This article uses the body figure.
| Category | Tonnes | Grade | Contained gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 5.13Mt | 2.6g/t Au | 433,600oz |
| Indicated | 2.46Mt | 2.9g/t Au | 227,700oz |
On tungsten, Rumble announced a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate of 4.31Mt @ 0.31% WO3 for 13.2kt WO3 in August 2025. The mineralisation remains open in all directions. A map figure in the announcement shows different tungsten tonnes and grade figures, so the text figures are used here.
Metallurgical testwork on the scheelite material confirmed it can be upgraded to a concentrate containing 48% WO3 at a 45% recovery via a simple and conventional gravity circuit. A Scoping Study will be carried out on the tungsten once the gold Feasibility Study is completed.
Key project details:
- Located 90km northwest of Mount Magnet within the Yalgoo Mineral Field of Western Australia
- 100% owned by Rumble
- Ore intended for processing at the Kirkalocka gold plant, approximately 180km southeast of Western Queen
The next markers are the updated Scoping Study during October 2026, followed by the Feasibility Study and Decision to Mine, still targeted for the December quarter 2026.
Ready to Learn More About the Western Queen Gold and Tungsten Project?
With permits largely secured, pit dewatering under way and the updated Scoping Study targeted for October 2026, Rumble Resources is moving towards a Decision to Mine in the December quarter. The project also offers a 433,600oz gold resource and tungsten upside.
Explore the Rumble Resources company page on Discovery Alert to follow the latest announcements and see how the Western Queen development is progressing.