Sunshine Metals’ Mt Moss Refurbishment Remains on Track for First Gold Production Next Year

Sunshine Metals (ASX: SHN) has confirmed the refurbishment of its newly acquired Mt Moss processing facility in northern Queensland remains on track for commissioning and first gold production in mid-2027.

Engineering and environmental works are progressing in line with site works focused on decommissioning the magnetite-associated plant, including emptying a ball mill and stripping mill liners, drives, and bearings.

The assessment and reconditioning of pumps, fuel stores, and electrical, mobile, and fixed plant has also been completed, along with recommissioning of the camp and office complexes.

Decommissioning of all magnetite-associated processing equipment has included removing the filter press belt and shed, magnetic separation rollers, mill control room, conveyor, and a small shed, with the mill feed hopper also successfully relocated.

Construction Progress

Detech Engineering is nearing completion of mill design works such as detailed piping and instrumentation diagrams, the procurement of long lead-time items, and tender preparation for local steel fabrication of carbon-in-leach (CIL) tanks, launders, and platforms.

Wulguru Technical Services has been assisting Sunshine with environmental permitting works relating to waste rock characterisation drilling on existing mine dumps, as well as updating baseline environmental datasets and preparing an estimated rehabilitation cost (ERC) submission and progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRCP).

Sunshine is currently finalising tenders for site civil work designs including formwork and concrete supply for CIL tank foundations, feed hopper, fine ore bin, and extending mill foundations.

Tenders for steel fabrication are scheduled to be finalised next month, after which the company expects to seek tenders for fuel, cyanide, and mill consumables.

The company anticipates the refurbishment of existing structural elements including feed hoppers, conveyors, and miscellaneous structural beams will be completed by November.

Mt Moss Acquisition

Sunshine spent $18 million in July to acquire the Mt Moss operation, which features a 300,000 tonnes per annum plant, highly prospective mining leases and exploration permits, and a tailings storage facility.

The site also contains substantial infrastructure including a 32-room camp, mess hall, mobile fleet workshop, office complex, core shed, laydown yard, and critical spares such as conveyors, screens, pumps, and generators.

The deal was locked in with a view to transforming the site into a gold processing facility to service Sunshine’s nearby Sybil epithermal and Liontown gold-base metals deposits.

Refurbishment, construction, and final permitting at Mt Moss are expected to allow first gold processing from Liontown by the middle of next year.

Managing director Dr Damien Keys said the acquisition was the “next step in Sunshine’s rapid progression from explorer to developer”, offering the company a clear path to production.