All Construction Approvals Secured for Australia's Black Swan Gold Processing Hub

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 5, Australian mining company Maritana Minerals confirmed that its Black Swan Gold Processing Hub, located approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, has obtained all statutory approvals required for earthworks and construction of the new processing facility. The project is planned to process 2.5 million tonnes of ore per year, converting the existing nickel ore processing plant into a centralized gold processing facility. The company has also extended its early works agreement with GR Engineering Services to October 31, 2027, with an additional committed expenditure of AUD 6.5 million, bringing the cumulative early works commitment to AUD 31.5 million.

Western Australia's Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety issued a native vegetation clearing permit on September 19, completing the final statutory approval for earthworks and facility construction at the new processing site. Previously, the mining regulator approved the project's mine development and closure plan in July, and the water and environmental regulator approved works related to the new carbon-in-leach process facility in August. This permit covers the statutory approval scope required for construction of the new processing facility, while the full engineering, procurement and construction contract for the project is still being finalized.

The company previously signed an early works agreement with GR Engineering on July 20, with an original committed expenditure of AUD 25 million. The extended agreement continues to cover detailed engineering design, long-lead equipment procurement, demolition of existing facilities, and large-scale site earthworks. Current procurement items include gold desorption columns, bolted storage tanks for the carbon-in-leach process, inter-tank screens, and steel plate fabrication components. These activities will proceed in parallel with formal EPC contract negotiations, with equipment procurement and site preparation advancing under the early works agreement.

Maritana Minerals plans to resume mining activities at the Boorara gold mine in mid-2027 and continue a total of 60,000 meters of resource conversion drilling in the Kalgoorlie project area. Boorara is one of the planned ore supply projects for the Black Swan Processing Hub, with its subsequent mining schedule aligned with the processing hub's commissioning timeline. The company has set its first gold production target for the second half of 2027.