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Posted: 2023-06-05 04:54:54

Australia's third-biggest gold miner, Evolution Mining, has approved a $250 million expansion of its Mungari operations near Kalgoorlie, despite concerns about the overheated construction sector. 

The expansion would more than double the capacity of the processing plant from 2 million tonnes a year to 4.2 million tonnes.

The investment follows Evolution Mining's $400 million acquisition of the Kundana mines at Kalgoorlie in 2021. 

Evolution Mining's executive chairman Jake Klein said the expansion would extend the mine's life out to 2038, making Mungari "one of the longest-life mines in the Goldfields".

Evolution Mining is currently ranked behind Newcrest Mining, which is the subject of a $28.8 billion takeover by US giant Newmont, and Northern Star Resources as Australia's biggest gold producer.   

The company's chief operating officer Bob Fulker called the approval a "critical milestone for the operation".

"In line with our thinking during the Kundana acquisition, the feasibility study demonstrates sound economics, which combined with the stable operating performance, makes this the right time to commence execution," he said.

Jake Klein hopes gold prices continue to rise as the Mungari expansion gets the green light.()

Work is set to begin in the December quarter and is expected to take 30 months to complete, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2026.

Evolution Mining's managing director Lawrie Conway said the capital cost estimate was "rigorously tested" and the company was "confident in our capacity to deliver this project on time and budget".

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