Ramelius Resources has added fuel to the fire under merger and acquisitions in the gold sector with an aggressive $59 million bid for a junior explorer sitting on a 485,000-ounce ore reserve in Western Australia.

The bid, which met with a hostile response from Explaurum Limited, follows Northern Star's recent $US260 million ($356 million) acquisition of Sumitomo's Pogo mine in Alaska as cashed-up gold miners look to boost production, reserves and secure significant exploration projects.