ECR Minerals (AIM: ECR) has provided an operational update on its 50%-owned Maddens Gold Project in Queensland, with multiple development programmes advancing as the company moves closer to gold production.
Underground development at the Maddens Underground Mine has identified an additional mineralised quartz vein containing visible gold, while ore is now being stockpiled on the run-of-mine pad ahead of future processing. The next phase of decline development is expected to begin shortly.
The company is also preparing to install a Knelson gravity concentrator in the coming weeks to improve gravity gold recovery as processing activities commence.
At the Brothers Mining Lease, operational personnel and equipment continue to be mobilised following their redeployment from Raglan, with encouraging prospecting results supporting a planned trial alluvial mining programme.
A recently completed LiDAR survey has enhanced ECR’s geological understanding of the project, with early interpretation indicating potential extensions of the Maddens mineralised system towards the historic Sisters Mine.
The company said it is progressing underground development, geological evaluation, processing plant upgrades and trial mining preparations in parallel as it advances one of its highest-priority gold assets towards production.
Looking ahead, ECR expects to begin the next stage of decline development, install and commission the Knelson concentrator, commence processing stockpiled ore, continue geological assessment of the newly identified quartz vein and begin trial alluvial mining at Brothers during the third quarter.
Chairman Nick Tulloch said the coordinated development programme demonstrates ECR’s strategy of building multiple production opportunities from the Maddens Gold Project while creating long-term shareholder value.
