Vertex Minerals Begins Underground Gold Production at Reward Mine

Vertex Minerals has commenced underground production at the Reward Gold Mine in New South Wales, marking a critical step towards high-grade gold production. The first blast on the Lady Belmore Reef has produced gold-bearing ore that will supplement the existing low-grade stockpile feed to the gravity processing plant, with high-grade stope ore processing expected to begin soon. Key infrastructure including an 11kVA to 1,000V transformer substation and primary fan cabling is operational, supporting continuous feed to the plant from multiple mining fronts. The Reward gold deposit contains approximately 225,000 ounces of gold at a grade of 16.7g/t, with plans to mine high-grade stopes using various methods, including a long hole stope method starting in August 2025. The company aims to develop at least four mining fronts to sustain production, leveraging a gravity processing plant optimized for free-milling, high-grade ore, which could achieve up to 95% recovery. This development positions Vertex Minerals to capitalize on the high-grade gold system with over 25km of strike potential, advancing its goal to become a significant gold producer.