Maritana Minerals Advances Black Swan Hub with $25 Million Early Works Push

Early Works Signal Major Progress at Black Swan

Maritana Minerals Limited (ASX:MRT) has officially commenced Early Works at its 100% owned Black Swan Processing Hub (BSPH), located about 50km northeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. This phase marks a critical transition from engineering design to physical site activities, with the company targeting first gold production in the second half of 2027.

The Early Works program, valued at approximately A$25 million, is being delivered by GR Engineering Services Limited (ASX:GNG), the same contractor that completed the project's Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase. The scope includes earthworks, demolition, detailed engineering, and procurement of long-lead equipment essential to maintaining the project timeline.

Engineering Continuity and Project Oversight

GRES’s ongoing involvement ensures continuity from pre-feasibility through to execution, with key personnel retained to manage engineering, procurement, estimating, and scheduling in-house. Maritana has also appointed Zeal Engineering as the "Owner’s Engineer" to oversee the Early Works delivery, bringing extensive experience in minerals project development across multiple continents. Zeal Engineering will support project management, construction oversight, and commissioning efforts, reporting directly to Maritana’s Project Director Doug Flanagan.

Refurbishment and Construction Contracts in Motion

Key activities underway include the refurbishment of the SAG mill, which has undergone non-destructive testing revealing minor defects to be repaired off-site or replaced. The company is also progressing contracts for Civil Installation and Carbon-In-Leach (CIL) tank construction, crucial components of the plant conversion to a 2.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) gold CIL operation.

The Early Works phase aims to de-risk the project’s cost and schedule by advancing detailed engineering, awarding critical contracts, and securing long-lead equipment such as mill motors, thickeners, pumps, and gravity recovery systems. This procurement strategy is designed to smooth the transition into the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) phase, which is currently being finalised.

Strategic Timing and Production Outlook

Maritana’s Managing Director Grant Haywood emphasised the importance of this milestone: "The commencement of Early Works is a major step forward for the Black Swan Processing Hub and will see site-based activities begin shortly as we transition from design to delivery." The company remains on track to start full construction in the third quarter of 2026, with first gold production expected in the second half of 2027.

The project builds on the June 2026 FEED update that increased processing capacity from 2.2 Mtpa to 2.5 Mtpa, aiming for an initial five-year life of mine producing an average of 102,000 ounces of gold annually. The Early Works phase is scheduled for completion by early Q4 2026, setting the stage for a final investment decision once all necessary approvals are secured.