Sunshine Metals Keeps Mt Moss Gold Plant Refurbishment on Track for Mid-2027
Key Takeaways
- Mt Moss construction is scheduled to commence October–November 2026, with commissioning and first gold targeted for mid-2027, keeping the project on track and on budget per Managing Director Dr Damien Keys.
- Long lead-time items — including the elution circuit and gold room — have already been ordered, reducing procurement risk ahead of the October construction start.
- Civil and steel fabrication tenders are both expected to be finalised in early October 2026, covering CIL tank foundations, fine ore bin, feed hopper and structural steel.
- Exploration newsflow is running in parallel, with Francis Creek East, Sybil and Blue Range RC drill results all expected in September 2026, adding near-term catalysts alongside the construction timeline.
- Mt Moss sits within a broader multi-asset portfolio anchored by the Ravenswood Consolidated Project, which hosts an 8.36Mt resource at 3.47g/t AuEq (931koz AuEq), giving the company exposure well beyond a single production milestone.
Mt Moss refurbishment on track as Sunshine Metals targets mid-2027 first gold
The Mt Moss processing facility refurbishment is progressing to plan, with Sunshine Metals confirming construction is expected to commence in October–November 2026 and commissioning targeted for first gold in mid-2027. Located approximately 135km west of Townsville in north Queensland, the brownfield project is advancing across two parallel workstreams: physical site works and engineering and environmental design.
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Recent site activities: what’s been completed
Significant ground has been covered at Mt Moss since acquisition. Two distinct workstreams have been running in parallel, keeping the project on schedule.
Physical and plant works completed:
- Decommissioning of all magnetite-associated processing equipment, including the filter press belt, magnetic separation rollers, mill control room and conveyor
- Ball mill emptied, with liners, drives and bearings stripped and removed
- Mill feed hoppers relocated
- Water and tailings pumps assessed and reconditioned
- Mobile plant evaluated, including the 988 loader
- Fuel storage tanks and generators and electrical switchgear assessed
- Site office complex recommissioned
- Site roads and earthworks rehabilitated
- 30-room Mt Moss camp re-established, covering sewage, painting and electrical work
Engineering and environmental works completed:
- Detailed piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID) complete for the plant
- Mill foundations scanned and assessed
- Long lead-time items ordered, including the elution circuit and gold room
- Waste rock characterisation drilling completed on existing mine dumps
- Baseline environmental datasets updated, including water and runoff sampling
- Revised Environmental Rehabilitation and Closure (ERC) submission nearing completion
What is a CIL processing facility, and why does it matter for gold producers?
Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) is one of the most widely used methods for recovering gold from ore. The process works by crushing mined ore, leaching it in a cyanide solution to dissolve the gold, then passing the solution through activated carbon, which absorbs the gold. The gold is then stripped from the carbon and refined into doré bars.
Refurbishing an existing CIL facility, as Sunshine is doing at Mt Moss, is typically faster and significantly less capital-intensive than building a new plant from the ground up. The major infrastructure is already in place; the work involves upgrading, replacing and recommissioning equipment rather than starting from scratch.
“Commissioning” refers to the phase after construction is complete, where equipment is systematically tested, calibrated and brought online before the first gold pour. It is the final bridge between a construction site and a producing mine.
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What comes next: construction, catalysts and the broader pipeline
Sunshine has a catalyst-rich period ahead. The milestone schedule through to mid-2027 is outlined below.
| Timeframe | Milestone | Category |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | Updated Liontown Gold Mining Study | Study |
| September 2026 | Francis Creek East & Blue Range RC drill results | Exploration |
| October 2026 | Liontown Base Metal Mining Study commences | Study |
| October 2026 | Francis Creek drill results | Exploration |
| October–November 2026 | Mt Moss construction commences | Construction |
| 13–15 October 2026 | Australian Gold Conference, Sydney | Corporate |
In the near term, the company is focused on finalising contracts and procurement. Key next steps include:
Francis Creek East and Sybil drilling results are expected in September 2026, with RC drill programs at Blue Range also scheduled to report around the same time, adding exploration newsflow alongside the construction milestones.
- Civil work tenders to be finalised in early October 2026, covering CIL tank foundations, feed hopper, fine ore bin and mill foundation extensions
- Steel fabrication tenders (CIL tanks, fine ore bin and structural steel) also expected to be finalised in early October 2026
- Structural refurbishment of feed hoppers, conveyors and structural beams to be completed by November 2026
- Tenders to be sought for fuel, cyanide and mill consumables
Dr Damien Keys, Managing Director, Sunshine Metals
“Mt Moss has been a hive of activity since acquisition. Detech Engineering and the Sunshine team have now completed design works and commenced on procurement of long lead-time items… Sunshine remains on track and on budget to be commissioning the Mt Moss Processing Facility in mid-2027.”
The broader SHN asset base
Mt Moss sits within a larger portfolio that gives Sunshine Metals exposure across multiple commodities and project stages. The company’s flagship Ravenswood Consolidated Project (Zn-Cu-Pb-Au-Ag) hosts a resource of 8.36Mt @ 3.47g/t AuEq (931koz AuEq), anchored by the Liontown gold and base metal prospects. The portfolio also includes the Sybil and Francis Creek epithermal gold system, located approximately 135km west of Townsville, and the Investigator copper project situated 100km north of Mt Isa. The Mt Moss commissioning target in mid-2027 represents one near-term production milestone within what is a broader, multi-asset growth story.
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