Auric Mining has acquired a major package of second-hand processing equipment for its Burbanks gold project in Western Australia for $1.2 million, securing infrastructure the company estimates would cost between $15 million and $20 million to replace.
The purchase includes crushing and processing equipment, conveyors, screening components, a fine ore bin, material-handling equipment and a milling structure. Auric said the plant was in excellent condition and would support the planned 600,000-tonne-a-year carbon-in-leach processing operation.
The equipment was bought from a closed mine in New South Wales after being identified during work on Auric’s Burbanks-Munda integrated scoping study in July. The acquisition secures the capital and development timetable outlined in that study.
Auric managing director Mark English said the company had secured the fixed plant at a substantial discount to replacement cost.
“For $1.2 million we’ve secured a substantial package of fixed plant infrastructure for the Burbanks rebuild at a significant discount to replacement cost,” he said. “Importantly, it gives Auric immediate access to high-quality, critical crushing infrastructure and locks in both capital estimates and the development timeline used in our study.”
The deal also covers associated spare parts and consumables, as well as two complete spare cone crushers and one spare jaw crusher. Auric said the additional equipment was expected to support the plant’s reliability and reduce future capital and operating costs.
Burbanks plant relocation planned for 2026
Specialist contractor Interquip is due to begin dismantling and relocating the plant in the fourth quarter of this year. Auric expects the equipment to arrive at Burbanks, 9km south of Coolgardie, during the first quarter of 2027, allowing reconstruction to begin.
The company is targeting a restart of processing operations in the first quarter of 2028. The acquired infrastructure is also intended to provide a platform for a potential expansion to 1.2 million tonnes a year.
Auric is funding its wider development plans from cash generated by its Munda gold mine starter pit near Widgiemooltha. The company reported $44.8 million in revenue and net profit before tax of $28 million for the six months to June, alongside net operating cash flow of $33.8 million.
Its strategy also includes the Union Jack gold project north of Coolgardie, acquired recently. The deal increased Auric’s global resource inventory by 51 per cent to 301,000 ounces of gold, while the project’s location about 15km by road from Burbanks could provide a potential ore source for the planned mill.
