ASX-listed Spartan Resources has taken a step forward in the development of its Dalgaranga gold project, in Western Australia, announcing on Monday that it had secured all the necessary regulatory approvals to start underground mining and processing operations at the site.

The approvals, granted by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and the Department of Water and Environment Regulation, allow Spartan to transition from the development phase to full-scale mining and production of underground ores at Dalgaranga.

This follows the completion of the current Juniper exploration drill drive decline development, a key part of the company’s expansion plans.

With the green light in place, Spartan will also begin the installation of a ball mill and pre-leach thickener at the existing processing plant, which will enhance the facility’s capacity. A significant part of the project will involve the operation of a paste plant, designed to use recovered tailings as feedstock for backfill support in underground mining operations. This will maximise ore extraction from each underground level, ensuring that the mine can operate at full capacity.

Further, Spartan has been granted approval to re-mine tailings from the disused Gilbey’s tailings storage facility (TSF), which will feed the paste plant.

The company has also secured approval for the Golden Wings in-pit TSF, which still holds about 23-million cubic metres of storage capacity, and for the dewatering of the low-grade Gilbey’s openpit which has been out of operation for some time.

The regulatory approval marks a milestone in Spartan’s plans to restart operations at Dalgaranga, a project that has been in development for several years. With these key approvals now in hand, Spartan is set to advance to the next stage of its development programme, which is expected to ramp up towards a production restart in the near future.

Spartan interim executive chairperson Simon Lawson has praised the efforts of the regulatory agencies and the company’s technical teams for a smooth approvals process. He pointed out that strong environmental management practices have been put in place, noting that the Dalgaranga operation is designed with a low environmental risk profile.

Lawson also highlighted the growth potential of the Never Never and Pepper gold deposits, which have continued to show strong promise as Spartan works to further define resources and reserves in preparation for the restart.