Vertex Minerals

Vertex to Incorporate TOMRA Laser Sorter into the Reward Gold Plant – with Refurbishment and Build on Target

Vertex Minerals (ASX:VTX) (Vertex or the Company) is pleased to announce that Gekko has incorporated pre-concentration of gold ore into the flow sheet and plant design for the Hill End Project. This comprises the inclusion of a TOMRA ore sorter. Gekko will design and manufacture simple conveyances to and from the proposed ore sorting unit, with the ore unit comprising a separate module to the crushing and gravity recovery circuit.


  • Vertex identified that pre-concentration of ore using TOMRA Laser Sorter technology should have a significant impact on the sustainability and profitability of the mining operation at Reward.
  • Gekko has incorporated ore sorting into the Reward flow sheet and plant design being refurbished/built at their Ballarat factory.
  • By processing only high-grade ore, energy and water consumption are greatly reduced leading to lower operating costs and reduction in carbon footprint.
  • Importantly, preconcentration allows the rejection of barren crushed rock. This greatly reduces the mass of ore to the remaining process and greatly reduces the volume of process sand residue. The rejected material is transported back underground to fill the mined voids. This provides a significant cost advantage and has many ESG benefits.
  • 94kg of sample from the low-grade stockpile at Reward Gold Mine (Reward) was sorted. The following results are reported;
    • Head grade to Sorter weighted average grade (WAG) = 3.70 g/t gold,
    • Ore grade WAG after sorting = 16.22g/t gold (337.20% increase on grade),
    • Ore/waste split after sorting = 19.31kgs Ore vs 74.54kgs Waste (79% mass reduction),
    • Gold lost to waste fraction = 0.03grams/t (>90% efficiency)

Refer to VTX ASX Announcement 26th July 2024

  • Previous scoping test results from TOMRA suggested that the barren country rock that is mined with the gold bearing quartz veins can be efficiently detected and removed from mined material. This leads to significant increase in head grade reporting to the gravity section of the processing plant.
  • Refurbishment of the plant is well underway, and Vertex anticipates that the plant will be re-installed at Hill End later this year. The Company anticipates production will commence in January 2025.

Figure 1. Flow sheet of the Hill End Gravity only Gekko processing plant with an inline TOMRA Ore Sorter

Demobilisation of equipment from the Morningstar and Hill End mines has been completed, and refurbishment of this equipment is underway at Gekko’s factory in Ballarat.

The ore sorting technology can separate high-grade gold bearing quartz ore from the barren sedimentary country rock before it enters the processing stream. This significantly reduces the quantity of material that requires further processing to recover gold. Vertex believes that the application of ore sorting technology at Hill End can achieve more than a 50% reduction in the ore processing volume. Benefits include:

  • Reduction in energy consumption.
  • Reduction in water consumption.
  • Reduction in the process residue that requires dry stacking on surface.
  • Processing plant will only need to be run on a day shift basis.

Commenting on the results, Executive Chairman, Roger Jackson, said “We are very pleased with how Gekko have been able to integrate the Sorter into the Hill End Gravity plant. Further we are very thrilled to see the plant starting to take shape in the Gekko Ballarat factory. We are very much looking forward to its installation and commissioning later this year”.


Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from Vertex Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

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Australia’s next high-grade, green gold producer

Vertex Minerals Limited  Reward Gold Mine Production Update

Vertex Minerals Limited Reward Gold Mine Production Update

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) - Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) (OTCMKTS:VTXXF) is pleased to announce the commencement of development of the first two stope blocks at the Reward Mine. Since commissioning the ventilation fan on Thursday 21 August, a total of 500 tonnes of ore has been blasted and bogged to the Amalgamated portal for processing.

Operational Milestones

- Vertex is today pleased to announce first freshly blasted ore sourced from the first two stoping blocks at the Reward Underground Mine.

- Ore is from development stripping (making ore drives larger for machine access) in preparation for mechanised stoping operations.

- Reward ore will be processed via the Gravity Only gold processing plant located at the entry to the mine.

- The material will start replacing feed from the low-grade surface ore stockpile, with the aim of achieving 100% feed from higher grade underground ore sources over the next few weeks.

- The underground electrical transformer is energised and 1,000 Volt power reticulated underground.

- The Primary Ventilation Fan was commissioned on Thursday 21 August, giving excitement to the Vertex Mining Team. Powered ventilation in the mine means mining can start in earnest.

- 1550 Decline is dewatered, with first ore blasted.

- Vertex aims to have developed multiple mining fronts, with over around 400m of strike, to achieve continuous feed to the plant.

Underground broken stocks include 200 tonnes at 5.4g/t from the 1325 strip, while the remaining 300 tonnes is pending assay grades but from 1438 stope area and 1555 decline strip.

The Company is spreading initial production areas around 400 metres of strike length to provide operational flexibility. Significant effort is underway setting up the 1720 stopes to the northern end of the mine, primarily accessed from the 1555 Decline. The Company is focussed on initially mining high grade ore, primarily from the Mica 1 and Mica 2 Veins. M1 and M2 are parallel veins and around 2m apart.

The Company is employing multiple mining methods to diversify risk and maximise head grade These include airleg gallery and shrink stoping, jumbo cut and fill stoping and narrow vein longhole open stoping.

*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/0CUE41IB



About Vertex Minerals Limited:

Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) is an Australian based gold exploration company developing its advanced Hargraves and Hill End gold projects located in the highly prospective Eastern Lachlan Fold Belt of Central West NSW. Other Company assets include the Pride of Elvire gold project and Taylors Rock gold/nickel/lithium project both located in the Eastern Goldfields of WA. The focus of Vertex Minerals is to advance the commercial production of gold from its NSW projects embracing an ethical and environmentally sustainable approach.



Source:
Vertex Minerals Limited

News Provided by ABN Newswire via QuoteMedia

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Vertex Minerals Limited  Underground Production Commences at the Reward Gold Mine Project

Vertex Minerals Limited Underground Production Commences at the Reward Gold Mine Project

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) - Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) (OTCMKTS:VTXXF) commences underground production at the Reward Gold Mine, moving to high grade gold production.

Operational Milestones

- First blasting of gold producing ore on the Lady Belmore Reef was undertaken over the weekend.

- The material will start complementing the low-grade gold stockpile feed to the Gravity Processing Plant, until all mining fronts are enabled.

- In forthcoming weeks, VTX remains firmly on track to commence processing of high-grade stope ore from the underground mine.

- The Reward Underground 11kva to 1000v Transformer Substation is installed and powered up. Cabling to the Primary Fan is completed.

- Access Drives to the two Starter Stopes are being cleaned, ready for the Production Rig to commence drilling the High-Grade Stopes.

- Decline 3 developed on the Mica Vein is fully dewatered, ready to be flatback mined for providing further gold feed to the Gravity Plant.

- Vertex aims to have developed at least 4 mining fronts and maintain continuous feed to the plant, which will involve various mining methods.

- Mining the Reward Gold Mine - Resource 225kozs at 16.7g/t

As previously announced, the startup mine schedule includes mining 2,075 tonnes at 17.8 g/t Au from a developed airleg stope block. The planned stope width is the same as the interpretation of the mineralisation. Refer to VTX ASX announcement 4th June 2025

Given the stope will take some time to extract, additionally, the Vertex Geology and Mining Team have brought forward a very high-grade long hole stope to commence mining in August 2025. The high-grade long hole stope isto be mined with a long hole stope method, using the Epiroc Production Rig.

*To view photographs, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/2U10401V



About Vertex Minerals Limited:

Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) is an Australian based gold exploration company developing its advanced Hargraves and Hill End gold projects located in the highly prospective Eastern Lachlan Fold Belt of Central West NSW. Other Company assets include the Pride of Elvire gold project and Taylors Rock gold/nickel/lithium project both located in the Eastern Goldfields of WA. The focus of Vertex Minerals is to advance the commercial production of gold from its NSW projects embracing an ethical and environmentally sustainable approach.



Source:
Vertex Minerals Limited

News Provided by ABN Newswire via QuoteMedia

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Underground Production Commences Reward Gold Mine Project

Underground Production Commences Reward Gold Mine Project

Vertex Minerals (VTX:AU) has announced Underground Production Commences Reward Gold Mine Project

Download the PDF here.

Vertex Minerals Limited  Quarterly Activities Report

Vertex Minerals Limited Quarterly Activities Report

Perth, Australia (ABN Newswire) - Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) (OTCMKTS:VTXXF), is pleased to provide a summary of its activities for the quarter ended 30 June 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR QUARTER

- Commencement of operations at the Reward Gold Mine Gravity plant, with processing of low-grade stockpiled gold ore through the gravity gold plant undertaken throughout the quarter, producing saleable gold.

- During the quarter, Vertex remained focused on moving the business to be operationally ready for underground mining at the Reward gold mine.

- VTX remainsfirmly on track to deliver first underground high grade gold ore to the Gravity Gold plant in Q3 2025, with commissioning and underground mine readiness ramp-up activities progressing as planned.

- VTX's Technical Services team has identified a fully developed stope block to include in the mine production start-up.

o Stopes are suitable for airleg mining which will augment jumbo production.

o Stope blocks contain an Inferred Resource of 2,075 tonnes at 17.8 g/t Au and forms part of the 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate. With the lower block having over 700 tonnes at 42.5 g/t. The planned stope width is the same as the interpretation of the mineralisation

- Key management hires, with staff procurement complete for on-site field team:

o Appointment of Mr Vince Fayad and Mr Kurt Laney as Joint CFOs

o Appointment of Mr Ian Morgan as Company Secretary

o Specialist on-site technical services team now fully onboarded

- Firm commitments received to raise approximately A$11 million via a combination of share placement and convertible note issuance to institutional and sophisticated investors.

- Vertex registered office and principal place of business changed to the following address: 6 Bowen St, Hill End, NSW, 2850.

- Vertex will run the mine, drill equipment and the processing plant as an owner operator. Gold Underground Mining Readiness

- First phase of underground specialist miners onboarded under owner operator model

o TD1 Jumbo Drill fully operational and operating underground

o Primary ventilation installed

o First stope development dewatering completed

o Explosive Magazine constructed

o Water feed installed

o Air lines installed and operational -

o 11kva power installation underway

o Jumbo boxes on site

- Revised mine plan and schedule completed and ready to implement.

- Pulse Mining System installed and implemented.

- Underground Ore trialled through gravity plant

o The underground miners have trialled a batch of 90 ton of development material with some reef quartz through the gravity plant with throughput exceeding expectation and beyond the nameplate plant flow sheet value.

- INX Software Installed and Implemented

o INX Software and site access kiosks to go live at mine site in August.

o INX will improve safety framework with real time incident and injury reporting system.

o Strengthens site access controls for employees, contractors and visitors to site.

- Sand Stack facility fully operational

o Facility fully functioning with return water pump station installed and operational (water recycling)

o 57 Megalitre Turon River water licence purchased for back up water supply

- Environmental & Compliance Implementation

o Multiple real-time monitoring systems installed (dust, noise, vibration)

- Underground Drilling site being established

o Drill Cuddy (room for drill rig) drilled and fired for Vertex Diamond Rig readiness

Improvements to plant

- DSM screen installed

- Gemini table improvements with new top and gearbox

- Process water pump upgrade

- Treating of underground rock has shown higher plant throughput

Vertex Minerals Executive Chairman, Roger Jackson, commented:

"We are pleased to present our Activities Report for the June quarter - another busy period where our team worked seamlessly to coordinate the many moving parts involved in the redevelopment of the high-grade Reward mine and associated processing facilities. During the quarter, Vertex delivered on another round of key operational milestones for both mine optimisation and improvements to the processing plant. With the completion of these initiatives, Vertex is now positioned to execute on our stated objective to recommence underground mining in August, underpinning our transition to high-grade gold production."

"Reflecting investor confidence in our development strategy, we were also pleased to complete a successful $11m capital raise during the quarter, which leaves the Company well funded to finalise all pre-development works for mining and processing, and fully unlock the value of this asset. As we head into the September quarter, I'm thrilled to be working as part of a really strong team, all of whom are committed to the execution of our stated development strategy. We look forward to providing more updates in the coming months and mining and production gets underway."

*To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/YA65USAA



About Vertex Minerals Limited:

Vertex Minerals Limited (ASX:VTX,OTC:VTXXF) is an Australian based gold exploration company developing its advanced Hargraves and Hill End gold projects located in the highly prospective Eastern Lachlan Fold Belt of Central West NSW. Other Company assets include the Pride of Elvire gold project and Taylors Rock gold/nickel/lithium project both located in the Eastern Goldfields of WA. The focus of Vertex Minerals is to advance the commercial production of gold from its NSW projects embracing an ethical and environmentally sustainable approach.



Source:
Vertex Minerals Limited

News Provided by ABN Newswire via QuoteMedia

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