Name of the Project
King of the Hills (KOTH) processing facility expansion.

Location
The Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Intermediate gold producer Vault Minerals.

Project Description
The KOTH openpit and underground gold mines, the Darlot satellite underground gold mine and the KOTH processing facility form part of the Leonora Operations.

The expansion will increase KOTH’s processing facility capacity to six-million tonnes a year. Stage 1 includes the installation of a new, fit-for-purpose crushing circuit delivering increased throughput capacity and reduced unit operating costs.

Stage 1 also significantly increases wet plant and classification circuit capacity to cater for throughput exceeding seven-million tonnes a year.

Stage 2 mill expansion will focus on the addition of a regrind ball mill, a thickener, increased elution and gravity circuit capacity, and increased tailings discharge capacity.

The upgrade will introduce opportunities for further and ongoing debottlenecking and optimisation to increase throughput to between seven- and eight-million tonnes per annum.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Stage 1 project capital expenditure is expected to be $80-million (inclusive of owner’s costs), with an estimated $8-million forecast to be spent in the 2025 financial year. Preliminary capital for Stage 2 is estimated at between $65-million and $80-million.

Planned Start/End Date
The project was approved in February 2025. Work is expected to be completed within 15 months from April 2025, with commissioning scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
GR Engineering Services (project design, scope of work and costing).

Contact Details for Project Information
Vault Minerals, tel +61 8 6313 3800 or email info@vaultminerals.com.