Black Cat Syndicate Expands Lakewood Footprint in Western Australia
Black Cat Syndicate Limited has secured additional tenements to support expansion plans at its Lakewood processing facility in Western Australia. The company acquired 90 square kilometres of land adjacent to the Lakewood plant. The site forms part of the Kal East gold operation near Kalgoorlie. The acquisition supports long-term infrastructure planning and future production growth.
New Tenements to Support Tailings Storage Expansion
Black Cat plans to use the new tenements for additional tailings storage facilities. These facilities are critical for increasing processing capacity at Lakewood. Managing director Gareth Solly said the acquisition supports several operational priorities.
“The acquisition, when completed, ticks a number of boxes including providing even longer-term tailings storage capacity and potential additional water sources,” he said.
“The [Lakewood] expansion study is well underway with outcomes expected in March 2026 quarter. Consequently, we look forward to ongoing production growth from Kal East as part of our More Gold Sooner strategy.”
The expanded footprint strengthens Lakewood’s operational resilience and future scalability.
Lakewood Processing Capacity Set to Increase
Black Cat aims to expand Lakewood’s processing capacity from 1.2 million tonnes per annum to 1.5 million tonnes per annum. The Lakewood expansion study is already underway. The company expects outcomes in the March 2026 quarter.
The expansion aligns with Black Cat’s broader production growth objectives.
Tailings Capacity Extended Beyond 20 Years
The new tailings storage facilities will significantly extend operational life. Current capacity supports approximately seven years of material. The expanded facilities are expected to extend capacity well beyond 20 years. This provides long-term certainty for the Kal East gold project. Extended tailings capacity also supports higher throughput and sustained production.
Tenements Acquired From Horizon Minerals Subsidiary
Black Cat acquired the tenements from Black Mountain Gold. Black Mountain Gold is a wholly owned subsidiary of Horizon Minerals. The transaction includes a total cash consideration of $200,000. Payment will occur on completion of the deal. Completion will take place seven business days after all conditions precedent are satisfied or waived.
Lakewood Acquisition Strengthens Kal East Gold Strategy
Black Cat acquired the Lakewood processing facility in March this year. The acquisition increased Kal East processing capacity by more than 50 percent. Current capacity now stands at 1.2 million tonnes per annum. This uplift positioned the company to benefit from higher gold prices. The Lakewood facility plays a central role in Black Cat’s Kal East gold production strategy. The latest acquisition supports continued growth and operational flexibility.
This article was inspired by Australian Mining.