DRC Drilling has now been engaged to undertake a 1,200m drilling program across the copper-gold project.
The primary decline has advanced to a position suitable to establish the first underground drilling platform.
This means Hillgrove Resources (ASX:HGO) can begin a 1,200m program aimed at stope definition drilling at the Spitfire lode, which will be mined in the early stages of the mining plan.
The decline advance will cease as the stope definition drilling is undertaken by Pybar who have demobilised equipment and people during this period.
HGO says Komatsu has concluded the trials as planned and will begin demobilisation next week.
By the time the drilling is complete, it is expected that the successful mining contractor will have been engaged and ready to commence, pending a positive investment decision.
First high-grade ore delivery
Earlier this month the company hit a milestone with the delivery of the first lode of high-grade underground Kanmantoo ore to the run-of-mine stockpile.
While full-scale underground mining has yet to begin, HGO managing director Lachlan Wallace said the recovered ore represented a symbolic milestone that celebrated the “excellent work” undertaken by the Kanmantoo team in taking underground mining from concept to first ore in three years.
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