en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australian gold developer Vertex Minerals (ASX:VTX) has completed its first long-hole open-stope mining blast at the Reward Gold Mine in New South Wales, entering a key trial mining phase.
The trial stope, located at Decline 3, targets the high-grade Mica 1 vein, with initial production screening revealing high-grade quartz containing visible gold in the ore. The 1,200-tonne stope is expected to feed the processing plant at a diluted run-of-mine grade of approximately 8 grams per tonne of gold, based on the company's geological model. The company stated that this trial is a critical step in its transition from air-leg drilling to mechanized long-hole open-stope mining as the mine matures and more levels are established below Decline 3. The shift to long-hole mining is expected to improve drilling accuracy, productivity, and dilution control, while maintaining access to the historically high-grade ore bodies of the Reward-Hawkins Hill system.
Jim Simpson, Executive Director of Operations at Vertex Minerals, stated that this is a pivotal milestone in the development of the Reward Mine. Transitioning to narrow-vein long-hole mining means the ability to extract extremely narrow, high-grade veins with minimal dilution, thereby delivering significantly higher feed grades to the processing plant. He believes this step is an important proof of concept for both the team and the project, as the company moves toward fully mechanized long-hole open-stope mining at Reward. He also noted that while there is still room for improvement in drilling more precise production holes using the dedicated Muki drill rig, this operation demonstrated the underground team's capability and provided real operational data for the broader rollout of long-hole mining as part of the planned expansion of gold production at Reward.
The long-hole trial followed extensive rehabilitation work on historical underground workings at Reward. Previous mining at wider widths had resulted in significant dilution, with the Mica 1 and Mica 2 veins being mined at a combined width of approximately 4 meters, increasing dilution and reducing the ore grade sent to the mill. The trial stope is now designed with a mining width of approximately 1.2 meters, allowing the company to compare productivity, costs, and dilution outcomes against its existing air-leg mining method. Management stated that narrow-vein mining is critical to delivering higher-grade ore to the mill, while also reducing waste rock generation and improving the quartz-to-waste ratio for the feed sorter and processing plant. The company believes this trial stope is one of the narrowest mechanized long-hole open stopes ever mined in Australia.
The Reward Gold Mine is located in the historic Hill End goldfield, renowned for its high-grade deposits, with total resources of 419,000 tonnes at 16.72 grams per tonne of gold, containing over 220,000 ounces of gold. The mine commenced production in August 2025, processing low-grade gold stockpile feed through a Gekko gravity processing plant. Production has since ramped up progressively, with commercial production at the Reward Mine targeted for October this year.
