With commissioning concluding on the A$53 million (US$32.6 million) upgraded ore processing circuit at Peak both on time and in-line with guidance, the plant has capacity to produce gold doré and separate copper, lead and zinc concentrates at a rate of 800,000t/y of high-grade gold and/or base metal feed.

New plant components were installed in the first week of February and the circuit was commissioned with separate batches of copper and lead-zinc ores the following month.

Over a continuous seven-day period, the new circuit and equipment performed at design levels and the nameplate rate was achieved.

Minor punch list activities and final documentation will be finished off before workers demobilise in April.

While Aurelia gets 65% of its money from gold, the plant upgrade means it can maximise by-product revenue by selling other high-grade copper, lead and zinc ores it makes.

Lead-zinc ores from the Chronos deposit are being processed, with Aurelia planning to process high-grade gold-lead-zinc ore from the newly discovered Kairos zone.

Dan Clifford, CEO and managing director of Aurelia Metals, said while the company's focus was gold, the Peak plant upgrade delivers greater flexibility and increased levels of throughput at a reduced cost.