Meeka gold output lift at Andy Well: grade, recovery and cost lens for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on Australian Mining
30 Second Briefing
Ore from Meeka Metals’ Andy Well underground mine is averaging about one-third above reserve grade, lifting September-quarter gold output 13 per cent to 7237oz from 6424oz in June. The processing plant treated 150,000 tonnes of ore at 95 per cent recovery, indicating strong metallurgical performance as underground stoping ramps up. Higher-than-modelled head grades and stable recoveries will feed directly into unit cost reductions and may justify updates to resource models and mine scheduling.
Technical Brief
- Quarter-on-quarter production increased by 813oz relative to the June quarter’s 6424oz.
- Underground ore source is the Andy Well mine, indicating a shift from historic open-pit production.
- Higher-than-reserve ore grades imply selective stoping and effective grade control in underground development headings.
- Stable 95% recovery at rising grades suggests existing plant configuration is not yet recovery‑constrained.
- Above-model grades will likely trigger updates to block models, stope designs and underground scheduling assumptions.
- Similar grade outperformance in other narrow-vein underground mines often leads to re-optimised cut-off grades and extended mine life.
Our Take
The 95% plant recovery at Andy Well, combined with the separate report that the operation has already hit its 600,000tpa nameplate rate, suggests Meeka Metals is now mainly leveraged to underground stope performance rather than plant bottlenecks for further gold output gains.
Earlier coverage of Judy North ore development at Andy Well indicates that the current lift in Australian gold production is likely coming from higher-grade stopes entering the mill, which can materially improve unit costs even at relatively modest quarterly ounces.
Multiple recent pieces in our database on Meeka Metals’ Turnberry depth extensions and the Forrestania (Blue Vein/Bushpig/Razorback) acquisitions imply that Andy Well’s ramp-up is being paired with a pipeline of new Western Australian gold feed sources, giving the company optionality on sequencing and mine life beyond the current underground workings.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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