Cavalier Taps SSH as Preferred Contractor for Crawford Stage 1 Gold Project
Cavalier taps SSH as preferred mining contractor for Crawford Stage 1 gold project
Cavalier Resources (ASX: CVR) has selected SSH Group Ltd (ASX: SSH) as its preferred mining services contractor for Stage 1 of the Crawford Gold Project, located approximately 20km east of Leonora, Western Australia. The parties have entered a Letter of Intent (LOI) — not yet a binding agreement. They intend to progress toward a binding Heads of Agreement (HOA) followed by a Mining Services Agreement (MSA). The proposed arrangement is expected to cover approximately 12 months of active mining operations once Stage 1 commences. This represents another building block moving Crawford toward production, though key conditions remain to be satisfied before mining can begin.
Key figures:
- Contractor: SSH Group Ltd (ASX: SSH)
- Project: Crawford Gold Project, ~20km east of Leonora, WA
- Scope: Mining services for the Stage 1 oxide pit
- Duration: ~12 months of active mining
- Deal stage: Letter of Intent → HOA → MSA
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What the proposed SSH arrangement covers
The proposed scope encompasses the mining services required for the Stage 1 oxide pit, as outlined in Cavalier’s revised Pre-Feasibility Study announced on 15 April 2026. Ore from the pit is intended to be processed through the Project’s planned on-site heap leach circuit. SSH provides contract mining, civil, plant hire and workforce services to the Australian resources industry.
Final commercial terms remain subject to several conditions. The company has not disclosed a contract value or pricing structure. What this tells you is that the selection is a milestone, but material details — including cost — are still being negotiated and benchmarked.
Remaining conditions before a binding agreement:
- Completion of due diligence
- Final pricing and benchmarking
- Stage 1 funding
- Execution of definitive agreements
Daniel Tuffin, Technical Director and Interim CEO
“Selecting SSH as our preferred mining contractor is another important step towards getting the Crawford Stage 1 pit into production. Site preparation is underway and our focus is firmly on execution; putting the people, equipment and contracts in place to commence mining. SSH has the capability and experience we need for Stage 1 and has worked closely with our team to develop a practical approach for mining at the Crawford operation. With site works underway and our preferred mining contractor now selected, we continue to put the key pieces in place to commence mining at Crawford.”
Understanding heap leach and oxide pit mining
An oxide pit refers to near-surface, weathered ore. The oxidation process breaks down the original rock structure, making the ore typically easier and cheaper to mine and process compared to deeper, harder rock (sulphide ore). Heap leach processing involves stacking crushed ore on an impermeable pad and applying a chemical solution (usually cyanide for gold) that percolates through the heap, dissolving the gold, which is then recovered from the solution. This method is favoured for oxide gold deposits because it requires lower capital investment and operating costs than conventional milling and processing plants.
For investors, a lower-cost Stage 1 pathway supports a faster, more capital-efficient route to first gold production. This matters because it reduces funding requirements and shortens the timeline to cash flow.
Crawford development and financing progress
Cavalier is progressing multiple workstreams in parallel as it moves toward Stage 1 mining. Key activities nearing completion include MDCP and road intersection approvals, commencement of carbon services planning, and progression of Perth Mint refinement arrangements.
On the financing side, Cavalier continues to progress previously announced Stage 1 project financing with Javelin Global Commodities. The parties have agreed to extend the conditions period by up to 30 days to finalise remaining documentation. This is a procedural extension to complete paperwork, not a structural change to the financing arrangement.
| Workstream | Status |
|---|---|
| Preferred mining contractor (SSH) | Selected — LOI signed |
| MDCP & road intersection approvals | Nearing completion |
| Carbon services planning | Commenced |
| Perth Mint refinement arrangements | Progressing |
| Stage 1 financing (Javelin Global Commodities) | Conditions period extended up to 30 days |
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What it means for investors and what comes next
Selecting a preferred contractor de-risks a key operational input for Stage 1 and signals momentum toward first production at Crawford. It demonstrates the company is systematically working through the pre-mining checklist. What you still need to see is execution of binding agreements with SSH and finalisation of Stage 1 funding. Until those conditions are satisfied, mining cannot commence.
Next steps:
- Negotiate and execute binding HOA, then MSA with SSH
- Complete due diligence, pricing and benchmarking
- Finalise Stage 1 financing with Javelin Global Commodities (within extended conditions period)
- Complete remaining site preparation, access and regulatory approvals
- Commence Stage 1 mining (~12-month programme once underway)
The company is progressively putting the key pieces in place to commence mining at Crawford. The contractor selection adds certainty around execution capability. The next material milestone will be finalising the binding agreements and closing the funding package.
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