Westgold Resources Limited has announced a significant milestone at its Beta Hunt mine in Western Australia by releasing its maiden Mineral Resource Estimate for the Fletcher Zone. The Stage 1 drilling programme, which tested only one kilometre of the known two-kilometre strike, has defined a resource of 31 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.3 grams per tonne gold, equating to approximately 2.3 million ounces of gold. In particular, the resource is classified as 3.7 million tonnes at 2.5 g/t gold indicated (yielding roughly 295,000 ounces) and 27.3 million tonnes at 2.3 g/t gold inferred (equivalent to about 2,030,000 ounces). This discovery effectively doubles the current resource at Beta Hunt and extends mineralisation over a vertical interval exceeding 800 metres and up to 500 metres in width. The announcement details that the exploration work used industry-standard methodologies, with a cut-off grade of 1.2 g/t and a robust geostatistical analysis framework based on the Ordinary Kriging method. The successful delineation of the Fletcher mineralisation—hosted in shear zones within Lunnon Basalt and controlled by reactivated fault zones—has opened up significant upside potential. Plans are already underway for Stage 2 drilling to evaluate strike and depth extensions, as well as conversion drilling aimed at delivering a maiden Ore Reserve in FY26. Company leadership emphasized that this is only the first step in unlocking a potentially multi-decade development path for the Fletcher Zone, which should further enhance the operational scale and mine life at Beta Hunt. From an investment sentiment perspective, the news carries both bullish and cautious signals. On the bullish side, the doubling of the resource base, promising geological continuity, and the strong technical framework used in the estimate underscore a transformational opportunity that could significantly enhance production outputs and long-term asset value. The company’s proactive approach in expanding the drilling program and targeting an Ore Reserve within the next fiscal year further reinforces this optimistic outlook. On the bearish side, potential investors should be mindful of the inherent exploration risks such as the uncertainties associated with resource conversion and future drilling results across the untested portion of the Fletcher strike. While the early indications are positive, the full economic viability will depend on the successful upgrade of the mineral resource, further testing, and favourable market conditions for gold.