ASX-listed Bellevue Gold reported on Monday that its production growth strategy is progressing as planned, with significant advancements in project infrastructure, including the commencement of underground decline development at the Tribune portal.

This development marks a major milestone, providing Tribune with a second independent mine access route.

The new decline, Bellevue’s sixth independent mining area, is being developed with an additional fifth jumbo and is expected to reach ore from the Tribune lode by the December quarter.

“The commencement of Tribune is important as it not only provides an additional mining area and haulage decline, but it also creates the platform for commencement of the southern drill drive to target mine life extensions,” said MD and CEO Darren Stralow.

Key infrastructure upgrades are central to Bellevue’s growth plan, aimed at achieving the mining rates needed for increased production. Stralow noted that the company was already experiencing benefits from increased ventilation and additional work areas in underground mining rates. Further, the successful dewatering of old workings had unlocked previously inaccessible high-grade ore, expected to be mined in the upcoming quarters.

Underground development rates are expected to accelerate over the first half of the 2025 financial year, as infrastructure constraints ease and more working areas become accessible.

Production is expected to be weighted towards the second half of the 2025 financial year, with development headings and underground advance rates projected to ramp up to a run rate of 1.35-million tonnes a year by the end of the 2025 financial year.

Bellevue has issued a production guidance for 2025 of between 165 000 oz to 180 000 oz at an all-in sustaining cost of A$1 750/oz to A$1 850/oz.

Bellevue’s five-year growth plan forecasts production to ramp up to more than 200 000 oz/y by the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching about 250 000 oz/y by the 2028 financial year.

A critical element of the growth strategy is the ongoing ramp-up of underground tonnages, supported by key ventilation upgrades, which are currently under construction and set for commissioning next week. This upgrade will initially increase underground ventilation flows by 50% and introduce fit-for-purpose ventilation fans suitable for the mine's lifespan.

Further, dewatering of historic workings has reached a significant milestone, allowing the removal of the safety exclusion zone from historic underground areas. This will enable the mining of high-grade development and stoping in the Armand mining area, further de-bottlenecking underground operations and optimising the use of the mining fleet.

Bellevue has also introduced a fully electrified Sandvik 422iE battery electric vehicle jumbo, underscoring the company’s commitment to the electrification of its mining fleet where feasible. The development of the Tribune decline will also lay the groundwork for the Southern drill drive, enabling drill testing of the main down-plunge extents of the Bellevue lode system.