Galantas Gold has approved the purchase from G&F Phelps of a Hitachi EX800, 80 t weight, tracked excavator and two, Volvo A40C, (40 t capacity), articulated dump-trucks for its wholly owned subsidiary, Omagh Minerals. Omagh Minerals operates an open-pit gold mine situated near Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Additionally a Hitachi ZX470LCH excavator, of low operating hours has been separately purchased. A Volvo EC460 (46 t weight) tracked excavator was sold.

The purchase of the G&F Phelps equipment is expected to reduce future rental costs and consequently reduce mining costs. The second excavator purchase is expected to improve fleet availability and utilisation by a reduction in downtime. The purchases are part of the planned program of capital expenditure.

A second ball mill, which will initially act as a stand-by unit during the renewal of bearings on the main ball mill, has been refurbished and is awaiting delivery to site pending an improvement in local road conditions. Northern Ireland is being impacted by winter weather, extreme even for this time of year, and parts of the local road network are impassable save by four-wheel drive vehicles. This has caused personnel shortages and difficulties in maintaining fuel and other deliveries, which have impacted production.