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Highlights
- Auric Mining begins ore processing at Three Mile Hill plant in Coolgardie.
- BML Ventures manages operations with plans to process up to 75,000 tonnes.
- Additional toll milling deals aim to accelerate gold production.
Auric Mining (ASX:AWJ) has announced the start of ore processing from the Jeffreys Find gold project at the Three Mile Hill plant in Coolgardie. The plant, operated by BML Ventures, has initiated milling high- and low-grade ore. This marks a significant step forward for the gold project, with a minimum of 40,000 tonnes expected to be processed during the initial campaign.
BML Ventures, Auric Mining's joint venture partner based in Kalgoorlie, manages the mining and milling process. Once gold is sold, all operational costs—including mining, haulage, and milling—are deducted, with the surplus proceeds shared equally between the two partners.
Production Goals and Challenges
Auric Mining's managing director, Mark English, highlighted the momentum of the project while noting challenges such as heavy rainfall that has slowed haulage operations. Despite these hurdles, BML plans to process up to 75,000 tonnes during the first campaign. Further cash distributions are anticipated in December, supporting the accelerated development of the Jeffreys Find project.
Toll Milling Agreements Expand Capacity
In a bid to scale operations, Auric Mining and BML Ventures finalized a toll milling agreement with the Three Mile Hill plant’s owner, Focus Minerals (ASX:FML), to process an additional 120,000 tonnes of ore. The plant, capable of processing 4,000 tonnes per day, is expected to play a crucial role in meeting production targets.
BML has already delivered 25,000 tonnes of ore to the plant, with another 50,000 tonnes stockpiled at Jeffreys Find awaiting haulage.
Greenfields Contribution
Parallel to Three Mile Hill operations, BML has secured a contract with the Greenfields mill to process 142,000 tonnes of ore. Ore from Jeffreys Find has been successfully processed at Greenfields since 2023. The combined efforts at Greenfields and Three Mile Hill are projected to process 420,000 tonnes of ore by early 2025, marking the completion of Stage 2 of the project.
This milestone positions Auric Mining to strengthen its production capacity and underscores the potential of Jeffreys Find as a promising gold resource in the region.
