** Shares of Western Gold Resources WGR.AX rise as much as 21.1% to A$0.046, their highest levels since Sept 25, 2024
** The gold explorer says it raised A$720,000 ($446,184) through a share placement at A$0.04 per share
** Issue price represents a premium of 5.3% to the stock's last closing price
** Says funds will be used to support the ongoing advancement of its Gold Duke Project in Western Australia
** Nearly 3.9 mln shares change hands, 15.2 times of the 30-day average volume of 254,252 shares
($1 = 1.6137 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Jasmeen Ara Shaikh in Bengaluru)
((Jasmeenaraislam.shaikh@thomsonreuters.com))