Great Divide Mining Ltd. has shipped its first gold concentrate from the historic Challenger gold mine, marking a return to production for the New South Wales site.
The inaugural shipment, consisting of 19 tonnes of commercial-grade gold concentrate, departed for further refining this week.
The milestone follows a rapid 12-month turnaround after Great Divide secured the asset, with the company achieving its first gold pour in under four months and transition to shipment in record time.
The Challenger Mine, which last recorded production in 2017, is now operating at 50 per cent of its nameplate capacity.
Great Divide intends to ramp up operations in the coming months, targeting a schedule of up to two concentrate shipments per week.
Great Divide CEO Justin Haines expressed significant pride in the team’s tightly executed restart program.
“This is a significant milestone for GDM. To move from securing an interest to first shipment in under 18 months reflects the strength of our strategy, the quality of the Challenger asset, and the capabilities of the GDM team,” Haines said.
“From securing an interest to first gold shipment in just over 12 months, yeah, I’m smiling.”
The company utilised a low-impact, brownfield approach. By leveraging existing infrastructure and historic mine workings, the company has accelerated production while keeping upfront capital costs and environmental disturbance to a minimum.
The restart has provided a welcome boost to the Adelong region, bringing renewed economic activity and employment to the local goldfield.
The company’s strategy of processing historic tailings and mullock using modern recovery techniques has proven to be a capital-efficient blueprint for bringing legacy assets back into commercial production.
With commissioning now complete, GDM’s focus shifts to steady-state operations and further exploration across its 17 tenements as it seeks to cement its position as a key player in the gold sector.
