Horizon orders in long-lead gear for Kalgoorlie gold hub

Horizon Minerals has taken a key step towards turning its proposed Black Swan gold processing hub near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, into a fully-fledged operation. 

The company has ordered critical long-lead equipment needed to convert its former Black Swan nickel-processing plant into one that will treat gold-bearing ores.

The move aims to materially de‑risk the project’s development timeline, underlying management’s confidence in the hub’s economics and pushing the project beyond planning and firmly into execution mode.

The early orders cover major components that sit at the heart of the refurbished flowsheet, including a new pre-leach thickener to stabilise feed density in the carbon-in-leach circuit, alongside upgraded semi-autogenous grinding and ball mill motors, fitted with modern variable-speed drives. 

Together, these items will support improved reliability, water balance control and future scalability, while also fitting into the overall construction schedule.

Notably, Horizon has committed to these purchases ahead of awarding a full engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract. 

That decision reflects a deliberate strategy to protect long-lead infrastructure items and maintain momentum, rather than allowing supply chain times dictate the pace of development.

Horizon Minerals managing director Grant Haywood said: “Closely following the release of the Black Swan Studies and the successful capital raise fully funding development, Horizon Minerals has ordered key long lead items to ensure the timely conversion of the Black Swan Processing Hub to gold processing.” 

The move follows the mid-February release of the Black Swan scoping studies, which outlined a compelling case for a standalone gold development built around the existing Black Swan infrastructure. 

Those studies demonstrated a technically robust project capable of processing 2.2 million tonnes per annum, producing an average annual gold output of around 102,000 ounces over an initial five-year mine life.

The studies showed the plant modifications and upgrades could use much of the existing plant, while selectively upgrading critical systems to deliver a modern, reliable gold processing facility. 

Additionally, by acting early on the most schedule-sensitive equipment, Horizon is effectively banking time and reducing construction risk.

Front‑end engineering design work is now underway and expected to be completed within four to five weeks, further tightening the project’s execution framework. 

As that work progresses, Horizon is also advancing operational readiness across its initial ore feed sources, including its Boorara, Burbanks and Cannon deposits, positioning the hub for a smooth transition from construction into commissioning.

Black Swan’s real strategic value lies in its role as a central processing hub rather than as a single‑deposit project. 

The scoping work highlighted the company’s pipeline of diverse open-pit and underground feed sources, most of which are on granted mining leases, helping streamline approvals and accelerate development timelines.

That hub‑and‑spoke model is central to Horizon’s broader strategy in the Kalgoorlie Goldfields. 

By breathing new life into existing infrastructure and funnelling regional ore through a single processing hub, the company can slash upfront capital costs. The centralised plant also gives the company the flexibility to juggle mine sequencing, ore blends and grades as gold prices move or the odd mining curveball appears.

The decision to proceed with early equipment orders sends a clear signal to the market. Horizon is no longer asking whether Black Swan works - the studies have already answered that. The company is now focused on how efficiently it can be delivered.

As detailed engineering continues and additional work programs move along, Black Swan is steadily transforming from a study‑backed concept into a tangible gold production hub with clear line‑of‑sight to commissioning.

For Horizon, Black Swan is starting to feel very real. With key infrastructure locked in and engineering ticking over, the hub is edging closer to doing what it was always meant to do - turn a portfolio of Kalgoorlie ounces into steady gold production.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au