Moolart Well, as part of the DNO, is a mesothermal gold deposit hosted dominantly in intermediate diorite intrusives but also in dolerite, basalt and to some degree ultramafic rock types. Hypogene gold mineralisation is structurally controlled in fresh rock and to a lesser extent in oxidised rock. Competency contrasts between rock types are thought to pay a major role in providing the architecture in which mineralisation occurs. The gold is associated with multiple local moderate to steep east dipping N-S striking structures. These are offset by a series of NW-SE striking post to syn-mineralisation structures which are also partly mineralised.

Moolart Well is a blind gold deposit with several styles of gold occurring within the regolith profile. In transported regolith extending to 20m depth, a Laterite Ore Zone is defined by a coherent sub-horizontal gold blanket consisting of colluvial ironstone and pisolites in a clayey iron rich matrix. The Laterite Zone has an average thickness of 4m, extends over 5km N-S and 1km E-W and in some areas extends within 2m of the surface. Below the Laterite Zone in the residual regolith is the Oxide Zone extending from 20 to 70m vertical depth with a similar lateral extent to the Laterite Zone. Oxide mineralisation consists of numerous primary moderate to steep 60° east dipping gold bearing structures preserved in the clay rich residual profile and sub-horizontal supergene gold developed in the lower part of the profile. Host rock ........

The mining method assumed in the Ore Reserve study is the same as that currently employed at the Moolart Well Gold Mine, which utilises drill and blast, excavator and truck open pit mining. The laterite pits are pre-stripped and then mined to the horizontal geological contacts. The oxide pits are designed to be developed in a series of progressive cutbacks.

Geotechnical and hydrogeological recommendations have been applied during pit optimisation and incorporated in design with ongoing reviews.

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