Maritana Minerals (ASX:MRT) is targeting first gold from its Black Swan processing hub (BSPH) in the second half of 2027 as construction advances near Kalgoorlie.
The 2.5-million-tonne-per-annum hub sits about 50km northeast of Kalgoorlie in the Western Australian Goldfields. The company says all statutory approvals required to build the plant are in place.
Contractor Civitech started the first carbon-in-leach (CIL) tank ring-beam foundations in October, completing reinforcement and formwork before placing concrete. Further foundation work and tank erection will follow as construction fronts open.
Maritana has extended its early works agreement with GR Engineering Services (ASX:GNG) to 31 December 2026 at an additional committed cost of $19.9 million. The original agreement, announced on 20 July 2026, committed $31.5 million in expenditure through to 31 October.
The extension sustains detailed engineering, long-lead procurement, and earthworks while the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract is finalised.
Orders for the regeneration kiln, electrowinning cells, and slurry samplers progressed in October. Negotiations are well advanced for elution columns, bolted CIL tanks, intertank screens, and platework.
Demolition of redundant front-end infrastructure was completed in October, freeing space for new conveyors and a regrind circuit.
Specialised Reline Services began removing liners from the semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill, which rotated earlier this year for the first time in about 17 years. Hofmann Engineering has received a letter of award for refurbishment works.
PCH Civil is expanding the run-of-mine pad to receive, stockpile, and blend ore from multiple regional operations under a hub-and-spoke model.
Operational readiness takes shape
A further lift of tailings storage facility four (TSF4) is about to go to tender. The lift is planned to provide about three years of processing capacity, giving the company time to design, permit, and build TSF5.
Chris Mardon, formerly with Mineral Mining Services, Focus Minerals (ASX:FML), and Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), has joined Maritana as general manager for operations to lead the move from construction to commissioning.
Mining at the company’s Boorara Gold Project is targeted to restart in mid-2027. Meanwhile, a 60,000m resource conversion campaign continues across the Kalgoorlie Eastern Hub deposits.
Managing Director Grant Haywood says the shift from demolition to building new processing infrastructure marks a key phase for BSPH.
“The commencement of concrete works for the new CIL circuit is another visible step forward at the BSPH,” Haywood says.
“This is more than a plant refurbishment — we are building a regional gold processing hub for multiple Kalgoorlie ore sources, targeting first gold in H2 CY2027.”
Maritana Minerals is an emerging WA gold producer advancing a portfolio of open-pit and underground deposits through BSPH in the Goldfields region.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Maritana Minerals
