Australia's Manuka Restarts Gold Production at Wonawinta

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 21, Manuka Resources resumed gold production at its Wonawinta processing plant in Australia, with the initial phase processing ore supplied from its wholly owned Mt Boppy gold mine. The plant site has already stockpiled over 50,000 tonnes of gold-bearing material, with an average gold grade of approximately 1.10 grams per tonne. The company plans to process 125,000 to 140,000 tonnes of ore over the next three months and gradually increase equipment utilization.

This restart is built on five months of recommissioning and modification work, including upgrades to the power generation system, laboratory facilities, and key mineral processing components. Mt Boppy ore had previously been crushed, screened, and transported from the mine site to Wonawinta. As such, this restart involves processing external gold ore using the Wonawinta processing facilities and does not represent the commencement of gold mining at the Wonawinta mine site.

Gold processing is the first phase of Manuka's recovery of its Cobar Basin precious metals business. The company is installing a new desliming circuit and continuing to modify the processing line to address the challenges posed by the high clay content in Wonawinta silver ore. Silver production is scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2026. Once the relevant facilities are completed, the Wonawinta processing plant will be equipped to receive both gold and silver ore, enabling Mt Boppy gold feed and Wonawinta silver ore resources to share the same processing infrastructure.

The Wonawinta silver mine's updated probable ore reserve as of July stands at 7.9 million tonnes, with a silver grade of 50.4 grams per tonne, containing approximately 12.8 million ounces of silver. Compared with the May 2025 estimate, ore reserves increased by 28% and contained silver increased by 15%. The related mineralization is primarily located within 60 meters below the surface, dominated by shallow oxide ore. This reserve will serve as the primary resource base for transitioning the plant to silver production after the gold processing phase is completed.

Prior to the restart, Manuka secured the final US$4 million tranche of financing from Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund to support production readiness at the Wonawinta silver mine and Mt Boppy gold mine. Site staffing has increased from 5 personnel during the care-and-maintenance phase to over 80, and the processing facility has a capacity exceeding 1 million tonnes per year. Key operational priorities going forward include stabilizing gold recovery rates, completing the installation of the desliming system, and coordinating the introduction of silver ore feed in the fourth quarter.