GR Engineering Services has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Ora Banda Mining associated with the restart of the existing Davyhurst gold processing plant, in Western Australia.

The EPC contract price is A$10.8 million ($7.6 million) and will be undertaken on a fixed price basis, which includes a provisional sum component.

The scope of works include the refurbishment, optimisation and recommissioning of the existing 1.2 Mt/y processing plant, borefields and associated infrastructure. Work will start immediately and is expected to be completed in the March quarter, GR Engineering said.

GR Engineering Managing Director, Geoff Jones, said: “We are excited to be working with Ora Banda’s management team and look forward to Ora Banda becoming Australia’s newest gold producer.”

Ora Banda’s definitive feasibility study for the Davyhurst Restart project outlined a production target of 418,000 oz of gold over an initial five-year mine life based on an ore reserve of 460,000 oz (6.1 Mt at 2.4 g/t Au) from six deposits within 50 km of the existing plant.

A conventional gold three stage crushing circuit followed by a carbon in pulp processing plant will produce gold doré bars, according to Ora Banda, which hopes to commence mining in the December quarter and pour first gold in the March quarter.