Bellevue Gold (ASX:BGL) successfully mined its first ore from the high-grade Deacon North area in May on schedule, with early results surpassing expectations and reinforcing plans to increase production through fiscal year 2027, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.

Development at Deacon North in Western Australia will continue through fiscal 2026, with stoping expected to commence in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 and production anticipated to gradually ramp up throughout 2027, per the filing.

Early production face and grade-control drilling results show better-than-expected development grades, with mineralization matching geological models and including high-grade intersections such as 6 meters at 32 grams per tonne gold, the filing said.

Exploration activities are advancing with ongoing surface drilling, additional underground rigs being deployed, and downhole electromagnetic surveys in progress to improve targeting and support resource expansion, the filing added.