Rox Resources Starts Stope Planning as Youanmi Drilling Hits 12.10m at 13.36g/t Gold
Key Takeaways
- Rox has finished preparation works for production stoping at United North and started stope planning on the 2356 and 2341mRL levels, the step directly before mining.
- UNN26_038 returned 12.10m at 13.36g/t Au, including 7.53m at 20.86g/t, and the company says intercepts approximate true width.
- Grade control modelling confirms about 125m of strike extensions beyond the DFS mine plan, though no quantified production uplift was given.
- The top six United North levels are now sufficiently drilled to support production planning, with a target of a 12-month drilling lead ahead of mining by mid-CY2027.
- Northern ore drive assays, southern level estimates and surface growth drilling results are still pending, so further news flow is expected.
Stope planning starts at United North as drilling returns up to 12.10m @ 13.36g/t Au
Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) has completed preparation works for production stoping at United North, part of its 100%-owned Youanmi Gold Mine in Western Australia, and has started stope planning on the 2356 and 2341mRL levels. A stope is the underground excavation from which ore is extracted, so this is the step that sits directly before mining.
Key points from the 7 October 2026 announcement:
- Underground diamond drilling continues to return thick, high-grade gold intersections, with host shear zones observed in all drill holes.
- Final assays are received and grade control modelling is complete for the 2356 and 2341mRL levels, confirming ~125m strike extensions beyond the DFS mine plan.
- The south end of United North is now infill drilled across the next four levels, ahead of development and production.
- The top six United North levels are now sufficiently drilled to support production planning and mine development.
For investors, this shows the project moving from development towards production. The announcement states that planning for first production stopes on the top two levels is progressing ahead of the original DFS mine plan.
Phill Wilding, Managing Director & CEO
“Preparation works for production stoping at United North are now complete, with the mining team progressing stope designs ahead of extraction. This marks an important milestone as we transition from development towards production at the high-grade United North area.”
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Standout drill results confirm thickness and grade
Diamond drilling remained on schedule, with 16 holes totalling 3,091.7m completed during September. Host shear zones were observed in all drill holes.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Interval (m) | Au g/t | Including |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNN26_024 | 155.51 | **7.54** | **11.95** | 2.70m @ 23.60g/t from 156.70m |
| UNN26_031 | 170.00 | **22.34** | **3.37** | 3.30m @ 7.87g/t from 188.60m |
| UNN26_036 | 140.26 | **6.89** | **10.36** | 4.97m @ 12.34g/t from 140.26m |
| UNN26_038 | 136.82 | **12.10** | **13.36** | 7.53m @ 20.86g/t from 140.02m |
| UNN26_040 | 163.51 | **8.05** | **6.18** | 2.60m @ 12.58g/t from 164.12m |
All intervals are downhole widths. Given the drill angle and the interpreted dip of the host rocks and mineralisation, the company states reported intercepts approximate true width.
The headline hit is UNN26038, which returned 12.10m @ 13.36g/t Au, including 7.53m @ 20.86g/t. The highest-grade interval in the table, 2.70m @ 23.60g/t, sits inside UNN26024.
A grams-per-tonne figure tells you how much gold sits in each tonne of rock. Thick intercepts at these grades are what mine planners want to see before committing to stopes.
Phill Wilding, Managing Director & CEO
“Importantly, the consistency of mineralisation continues to stand out. We’re seeing thick intercepts and high grades throughout the drilling, reinforcing the scale and potential of the Youanmi gold system.”
What grade control drilling means for mine planning
Grade control (or infill) drilling places holes close together inside an area already known to hold gold. Exploration drilling looks for new mineralisation, while infill drilling sharpens the picture of what is already there so miners know where the best ore sits.
The spacing matters. A nominal 20m x 20m spacing means holes are roughly that far apart, giving a tighter read on the orebody.
The company’s primary focus is to ensure that, by mid-CY2027, United North is sufficiently infill drilled to maintain a 12-month drilling lead ahead of mining. That is intended to support consistent ore delivery to the mill and greater certainty around future mine production and scheduling.
Stope planning at United North feeds directly into the mid-2027 first gold timeline, which rests on three mining fronts and a fixed-price plant contract being delivered in parallel.
Progress is tracked by level. “mRL” refers to a level’s elevation in the mine.
- 2356 and 2341mRL: final assays received, grade control modelling complete, ~125m along-strike extensions beyond the DFS, stope planning started.
- 2325, 2310, 2290 and 2285mRL (southern ore drives): infilled to a nominal 20m x 20m spacing, with ore interpretation and grade control modelling underway.
- Northern ore drives: assays outstanding, with drilling continuing at a nominal 20m x 20m spacing.
The grade control model indicates additional mineralisation compared with the DFS mine plan. According to the company, that provides scope to maintain production at a rate ahead of the schedule contemplated in the DFS, though no quantified uplift was given.
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Growth ambitions and next steps for Youanmi
Updated estimates for the four southern levels are expected to further inform stope planning and production scheduling. Assays for the northern ore drives remain outstanding, and the growth drilling program from surface is advancing, with results to come.
Management also pointed to a longer-term aspiration of building Youanmi into a 150,000ozpa operation. That is an aspiration, not a commitment.
Context comes from the company’s global mineral resource of 12.4Mt at 5.5g/t for 2.2Moz of gold. With northern assays, southern level estimates and surface growth drilling all pending, you can expect further news flow as these results arrive.
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