Valiant Gold Ltd. has successfully re-entered the Comet underground mine, taking a significant step toward restarting operations at the Western Australian site.
The initial underground inspection, conducted jointly by Valiant personnel and underground mining contractor Mako Mining, revealed dry workings, lower-than-expected water levels, and structural ground support in generally good condition.
Essential services including air, water, ventilation infrastructure, and emergency escapeways were also found to be largely serviceable.
Located 20 kilometres southeast of Cue in the Murchison region, the Comet gold project holds an estimated Mineral Resource of 3.77 million tonnes at 2.5 grams per tonne of gold, containing 304,000 ounces.
The broader Comet Mine Trend encompasses the Eclipse, Comet, Comet North, and Pinnacles gold deposits.
The favourable site conditions are expected to reduce the scope and duration of initial rehabilitation works, prompting Valiant management to evaluate options to accelerate its operational restart timeline.
Valiant Gold CEO Brendan Tritton described the underground inspection as a pivotal milestone for the project.
“The successful re-entry of Comet is a key milestone in our restart strategy,” Tritton said.
“Initial observations have been very positive, with water levels, ground support and infrastructure all presenting favourably.
“These findings strengthen our confidence in the restart pathway as we advance engineering, mine planning, dewatering and site establishment activities.”
Underground data collected during the inspection will feed directly into ongoing technical studies and initial Life of Mine engineering designs.
Site establishment and dewatering activities managed by Mako Mining are currently accelerating on-site.
Valiant maintains an ore processing agreement with Westgold Resources, allowing mined material to be processed at either the nearby Tuckabianna Mill or the Bluebird Mill via the Great Northern Highway.
The company plans to award a full underground mining contract for Comet as technical studies progress.
