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YouthCARE Gold, gold, gold  Transmission repairs and replacements made easy  Torque, grit and diesel Securing the Future of Mining with Intelligent, Integrated Solutions  Truflo Anderson Aviation NAPA  Treotham McLanahan Auslift Custom buckles Australia Turning old into gold: Gekko and Vertex redefine sustainable gold processing Steuler expands your horizons Taylor Made Engineering Still Here. Still Powering Australia. Jarahfire Drilling — Certified. Local. Proven. Oli Group: Pioneering Excellence in the Mining and Extractive Industries P&D Stephen transport Pty Ltd Reliable mine water management MineGlow: A decade of lighting the way for miners Shute upton Engineering The cable management specialist Australia’s Largest Shotcrete Provider Roxset JetCorp international – Australia’s premier Jet Charter Specialist United Aero Helicopters Concrete pumping with precision Raglan Drilling  MOXI’s EEHA Toolkit Expertise and precision with CMI Your partner in strategic asset management AC Hargreaves Purpose designed agitator and mixer drives Oreflow Q-Pilot MEWP Certified Control System United fasteners Making the invisible visible Mastering flue gas analysis Double down with Broons Graderoll Mono World leading industrial transmission solutions Modec Connect Solution Access meteorological support for tropical cyclone season Hoshizaki’s efficient solutions Engineered for Mining Excellence Prime performance PLC Hardware Pty Ltd – Independent distributor of automation hardware Turning sound into critical data – With Automation Acoustics Konecranes – Retrofits to improve safety Schaeffler’s OPTIME CM Driving safety and profitability Multotec Group of Companies | Powering up and going strong SBR Contracting- Get your minesite operational, faster. United Fasteners – Everything you need to keep it together Speed Queen’s Stack Washer / Dryer is Mining’s Most Wanted, Why? Smarter mine water management with ResMix Trusted from sky to site OEM vs. Aftermarket Aussie ups the pressure 120 years of unrivalled excellence Driving performance and precision Historic goldfield — modern innovation  Industry innovation leadership at GRX25 First of its kind  Gold’s new heavy hitter    Australia’s premier mining forum  The Australian Mining Review July 2025 Edition Evolution mining’s Mungari expansion   Algae: An unlikely solution for post-mining transitions  Total elimination  Mining matters  Norton gains momentum  Coal comfort: Queensland’s power play  Heating up in a flash  Getting real on rare earths 

Turning old into gold: Gekko and Vertex redefine sustainable gold processing

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Vertex Minerals and Gekko Systems have come together to breathe new life into the historic Hill End gold field in New South Wales. Their collaboration has not only revived a second-hand Gekko modular processing plant but also implemented technology that sets a benchmark for sustainable, high-efficiency gold recovery in Australia’s mining sector.

At the core of the Hill End Reward plant is an innovative pre-concentration circuit, combining sensor-based ore sorting with Gekko’s InLine Pressure Jig (IPJ). This system is designed to maximise ore grades and reject waste rock

“This small but high-tech plant utilises advanced ore sorting and gravity methods to process high-grade gold without the use of chemicals or a large ball mill,” said Roger Jackson, Executive Chairman of Vertex Minerals. With more than 90% of the total gold expected to be recovered through gravity separation, the project exemplifies how modern engineering can align with environmentally conscious practices.

Gekko Systems has successfully refurbished, installed, and commissioned the gold processing plant. The achievement showcases Gekko’s capabilities and commitment to delivering rapid, high-quality outcomes. “I would like to express our gratitude to the efforts made by Gekko on their professionalism in taking a second-hand plant and refurbishing it to an excellent standard within a very short lead time,” Jackson added.

The IPJ is pivotal in enhancing overall recovery. Its flexibility in handling a wide range of particle sizes allows it to adapt to various ore types, increasing efficiency while maintaining low water and power consumption. This positions the IPJ as both a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to other separation technologies, offering a reduced plant footprint and lower capital cost requirements.

Nigel Grigg, General Manager – Global Sales and Solutions at Gekko Systems, emphasised the importance of the collaboration: “Gekko Systems is pleased to have engaged in a productive partnership with the Vertex team. We successfully developed a cost-effective flowsheet within a short lead time, and we look forward to the project’s success.”

The project’s success appears to be imminent. The ore sorter and the Gekko gravity gold plant are fully installed and commissioned, with the first concentrates already being sold. The mine is now well on its way to being developed to access the high-grade hard-rock ore. Gekko’s technical team has been working closely with Vertex’s plant operators to ensure a smooth transition to full commercial production. All plant personnel are onboarded and operational, setting the stage for underground ore to be processed.

As Vertex targets the commencement of underground mining by July 2025, the Hill End, Reward project, with a current resource of 419,000 tonnes at an impressive 16.7g/t for 225,200 ounces of contained gold (May 2025), stands to become a showcase for how legacy mining operations can be revitalised.

The partnership between Gekko Systems and Vertex Minerals is more than a refurbishment story; it is a demonstration of how collaboration, innovative technology, and sustainability can come together to redefine gold processing in Australia.