Australia's Rox Gold Mine Processing Plant Project 39% Complete
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 12, Australia's Rox Resources announced the latest construction progress at its Youanmi Gold Mine in Western Australia, confirming that the processing plant project with a designed annual processing capacity of 1 million tonnes is 39% complete, and that tailings storage facility dam wall filling construction has commenced. In September, the project completed 566 meters of underground tunnel excavation, and the ore drives for the first two mining levels at United North have been completed. Production drilling for the first stopes is planned to begin in mid-October, maintaining the target of first gold production in mid-2027.
The processing plant project is being constructed under an EPC contract by Interquip, with civil works, structural installation, and mechanical equipment foundation works currently advancing in parallel. Foundation, ring beam, and backfill works continue to progress in the Albion oxidation treatment tank, leach feed thickener, and IsaMill grinding equipment areas. Of the 8 carbon-in-leach tanks, 6 have been installed. Backfill of the ball mill foundation has been completed and rebar installation is underway, while foundation and structural works for the primary crusher remain under construction.
The secondary and tertiary equipment foundations for the crushing and screening system are essentially complete. Steel structure installation for the maintenance workshop and warehouse has been completed, and exterior wall cladding construction is in progress. The ball mill, the first batch of steel structures, and IsaMill equipment components have begun being transported to the mine site. Pre-assembled roofs and connecting components for the Albion tanks have completed pre-shipment inspections.
The tailings storage facility has entered foundation treatment, interception ditches, seepage collection systems, drainage systems, and zoned dam wall filling construction. The mine site power station has simultaneously commenced excavation and backfill of underground pipeline trenches, creating conditions for subsequent pouring of the engine room foundation. The mine site accommodation camp has completed construction of all room areas and has been officially put into use, and detailed earthworks have also begun in the mine administrative facility area.
The underground mine advanced a total of 566 meters of tunnel development in September. United North has completed ore drive excavation for the first two mining levels and is installing ladderways, primary and secondary ventilation networks, and drainage pipelines. The first main dewatering pump station at the 2280RL level is being prepared for commissioning, and production drilling for the first stopes is planned to begin in mid-October.
The Youanmi Main mining area continues to establish initial mining levels and is upgrading dewatering facilities for historic mine workings. The pit dewatering pump station has been commissioned, with the second underground dewatering bore planned to commence in late October and pump installation in November. Once the additional dewatering facilities are operational, the dewatering rate in the historic mine workings area is expected to approximately double.
On October 5, the project completed the drawdown of A$350 million in debt financing and drew the first tranche of A$90.2 million in project loans. As of the completion of the first drawdown, the company's cash balance was A$149.2 million. The remaining major contract is the oxygen supply contract, for which a preferred supplier has been selected and an early works agreement signed.
