Gold explorer Black Cat Syndicate (ASX:BC8) started activities to accelerate and expand gold production at its Kal East gold operation in Western Australia, according to a Thursday filing with the Australian bourse.

Work involves ramping up the construction or acquisition of an enlarged processing facility using existing mills, increasing the capacity to 1.2 million to 1.5 million tonnes per year from 800,000 tonnes per year, the filing said. It also includes mining studies to re-optimize the open pit and underground mines.

Starting next year, extensional and infill drilling will be conducted to feed an expanded processing facility, including base loads from Fingals and Trojan, according to the filing.

Shares fell nearly 5% in morning trade Thursday.

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