On 26 June, construction of Norton Gold Fields’ new 2 million tonnes per annum （Mtpa） crushing system was completed ahead of schedule, successfully commencing feeding for its trial run. Following the commissioning of the project, the heap leaching processing capacity will increase from 5 Mtpa to 7 Mtpa, with an expected annual increase in gold production of approximately 360 kg.
Since its approval in July 2025, the project has adhered to the principle of "swift decision-making, rapid implementation and expedited production". By coordinating the entire lifecycle of design, procurement, construction and commissioning, the project achieved its trial run with feeding in just 12 months. This shortened the standard construction cycle for similar projects in Australia by 6 months. Furthermore, the total investment was kept within AUD 20 million, which is approximately half the investment level required for a local fixed crushing system of equivalent scale.
During construction, the project team implemented a series of innovative measures tailored to the characteristics of mining engineering in Western Australia. The team optimised the design of the crushing system by pairing large semi-mobile crushing equipment with a modular conveyor belt system. By utilising early procurement for critical equipment, incorporating a three-stage crushing and stacker bypass design and applying precast concrete structures, they effectively minimised construction costs and shortened the construction timeline. Additionally, site organisation was reinforced to enable simultaneous construction across multiple work fronts. The highly efficient, interleaved execution of structural steelwork, equipment installation and electrical works allowed the completion of the main structure installation and individual equipment commissioning in just two and a half months.
Following its commissioning, this system will also serve as a pilot area for the company's production model reform aimed at "integrating operations and maintenance". It will provide robust support for the company's production and operations across multiple dimensions, including comprehensive resource utilisation, cost reduction, efficiency enhancement and operational model optimisation.
