# Ora Banda Mining starts underground development at Waihi as high-grade Midnight drilling adds growth potential Canonical Atlas analysis: https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e Original source: https://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/1098320/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight-drilling-adds-growth-potential-1098320.html Publisher: proactiveinvestors Original announcement: 2026-09-10T01:00:37.187Z Analysis by Minestarters Atlas Atlas analysis published: Unknown date Atlas analysis updated: Unknown date - Company: Ora Banda Mining Ltd - Ticker: OBM - Exchange: Unavailable - Region: Western Australia - Primary commodity: Gold - Secondary commodities: None reported - Document categories: Drill results, Production - Extracted: 2026-09-10 01:02:33 UTC Narrative sentiment: 0.80 · Bullish ## Minestarters Atlas summary Ora Banda Mining has commenced underground development at its Waihi gold mine in Western Australia, with ore production expected from mid-2027. Recent drilling at the nearby Midnight prospect has returned exceptional high-grade gold intercepts, prompting an expanded diamond drilling program. Reasoning: The announcement combines operational progress \(underground development\) with high-grade exploration results \(bonanza-style intercepts at Midnight\), providing both near-term production visibility and long-term growth potential. - Positive factor: High-grade drill intercepts at Midnight prospect - Positive factor: Commencement of underground development at Waihi - Positive factor: Expansion of drilling program to test system at depth Facts used in scoring: 9 ## Classification and evidence **Bonanza Intercept** Polarity: positive Definition: Exceptionally high-grade zone, well above the deposit-type norm. Why it applies: Midnight drilling returned 11.5m at 26.0 g/t gold and 1.0m at 104.0 g/t gold. Evidence · text > standout 11.5 metres at 26.0 g/t gold, including 8.9 metres at 32.4 g/t, alongside 1.6 metres at 65.9 g/t including 1.0 metre at 104.0 g/t **Step-Out Extension** Polarity: positive Definition: Mineralization extended beyond the previously known limit. Why it applies: Recent shallow drilling targeting southern extensions returned high-grade results. Evidence · text > recent shallow drilling targeting southern extensions returned results **Mill Route** Polarity: neutral Definition: Processing via mill or concentrator \(CIL, CIP, tank leach, flotation\). Why it applies: the document describes a mill\_cil route \("CIL"\) ## Extracted facts Stored fact records: 9. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record. ## Drill Results (9) ### Fact 1 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-0) Waihi · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Waihi - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 5 - Grade Unit: g/t #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: resource - Sample Type: drill - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Golden Pole lode - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Stated Ore Reserve grade for the Golden Pole lode. #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated **Infill Drilling** Polarity: neutral Definition: Confirmatory drilling to raise resource confidence, not new discovery. Why it applies: drill\_program\_type is "resource" ### Fact 2 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-1) Waihi · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Waihi - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 8.4 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 4.5 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Waihi:shallow-extension - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Waihi southern extensions - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: High-grade shallow drilling result. #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 3 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-2) Waihi · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Waihi - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 19.3 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 1.3 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Waihi:shallow-extension - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Waihi southern extensions - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Very high grade over a narrow interval. - Positive factor: Bonanza grade intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 4 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-3) Waihi · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Waihi - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 14.5 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 2 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Waihi:shallow-extension-2 - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Waihi southern extensions - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: High-grade shallow drilling result. #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 5 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-4) Waihi · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Waihi - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 26.2 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 1 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Waihi:shallow-extension-2 - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Waihi southern extensions - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Extremely high grade over a 1m interval. - Positive factor: Bonanza grade intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 6 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-5) Midnight · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Midnight - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 26 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 11.5 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Midnight:standout - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Midnight prospect - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: High grade over a significant width. - Positive factor: Bonanza Intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 7 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-6) Midnight · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Midnight - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 32.4 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 8.9 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Midnight:standout - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Midnight prospect - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Exceptional grade and width. - Positive factor: Bonanza Intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 8 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-7) Midnight · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Midnight - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 65.9 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 1.6 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Midnight:standout-2 - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Midnight prospect - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Very high grade intercept. - Positive factor: Bonanza Intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ### Fact 9 [Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/ora-banda-mining-starts-underground-development-at-waihi-as-high-grade-midnight--63e12845-bfae-4ca2-889b-04c84512600e#fact-drill-facts-8) Midnight · gold Needs review: drill\_no\_hole\_id #### Identity - Project: Midnight - Commodity: gold - Region: australia\_wa - Reported Region: australia\_wa - Ticker: OBM #### Geometry - Grade: 104 - Grade Unit: g/t - Intercept: 1 m #### Classification - Deposit Type: other - Program: exploration - Sample Type: drill - Group ID: Midnight:standout-2 - Mining Method: underground #### Location - Location: Midnight prospect - Loc. Source: document #### QA/QC - QA/QC Methods: standards #### Review - Needs Review: Yes - Review Reason: drill\_no\_hole\_id - Interp. Status: scored - Historical: No #### Dates - Event date: 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z Reasoning: Extreme bonanza grade. - Positive factor: Bonanza Intercept #### Tags used in scoring **No QA/QC Disclosure** Polarity: negative Definition: Release does not disclose QA/QC — lab certification, CP/QP sign-off and assay protocols cannot be checked from this document. Why it applies: qaqc\_disclosed is not true **Cut-off Undisclosed** Polarity: negative Definition: High-grade interval reported without stating the cut-off grade used for compositing. Why it applies: no cutoff\_grade was stated ## How Atlas produces this analysis Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.