ECR Minerals plc (AIM: ECR) has reported further progress at its Maddens Flat gold project in North Queensland, Australia, with the processing plant now commissioned and operational ahead of planned gold production activities in October and November 2026.
The gold exploration and development company, which holds a 50% interest in the Maddens Flat Group of Mines, confirmed that underground development is progressing towards the targeted production areas.
The underground decline at Maddens is now advancing through its planned turn, with mining operations continuing in favourable ground conditions as the team works towards accessing the main production ore.
The company expects processing of the main production ore to begin during November, representing a significant operational milestone as the project advances towards gold production.
Meanwhile, the Maddens processing plant has completed commissioning and is now operational, with improvements made to the processing circuit, including the feed configuration into the Knelson concentrator used for gold recovery.
Material generated during underground development has already been stockpiled at surface, with ECR targeting completion of processing this material by the end of October.
The planned schedule provides a sequence of near-term operational milestones, moving from processing existing stockpiles to treating ore extracted from the main underground production areas.
Preparations are also progressing at the nearby Brothers area, which forms part of the wider Maddens Flat Group of Mines.
ECR intends to commence initial alluvial operations at Brothers following completion of processing the Maddens stockpile, providing a second area of operational activity alongside underground development.
Non-Executive Director Mike Parker said progress through the planned underground turn and successful commissioning of the processing plant represented important advances for the project.
He highlighted the company’s focus on processing stockpiled material before moving towards the main production ore in November, while continuing preparations for alluvial activity at Brothers.
Chairman Nick Tulloch said the operational progress reflected growing activity across the Maddens Flat project, with the commissioned plant and advancing underground development positioning the company for its next production milestones.
He added that progress at Brothers demonstrated the broader development opportunities available within the group’s North Queensland operations.
For investors, the commissioning of the processing plant removes an important operational hurdle, while the planned October stockpile processing and November underground ore programme provide near-term milestones.
However, the company has not yet disclosed expected gold recovery volumes, production rates or projected revenues from the upcoming processing activities.
Attention will now turn to the completion of stockpile processing, commencement of main ore treatment and initial operations at Brothers, as ECR seeks to translate its recent development progress into measurable gold production.
