PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Maximus Resources is looking to increase throughput at its Burbanks treatment plant, in Western Australia, in 2019, following strong demand for toll milling capacity.

The company told shareholders that it was currently reviewing the mill capacity of the 180 000 t/y conventional carbon-in-leach mill.

Maximus, through its subsidiary Eastern Goldfields Milling Services (EGMS) has now started the toll treatment of ore supplied by Anova Metals, following a till milling agreement signed in January, that would see up to 120 000 t of gold ore being treated through the Burbanks mill.

The agreement included the ability to extend the campaign up to a further 150 000 t.

Maximus told shareholders that the company has also signed a toll milling agreement with GBF Mining for a campaign of up to 55 000 t of crushed and sorted ore, or 110 000 t of run-of-mine ore, starting in August.

That contract also contained the flexibility for a further 50 000 t of crushed and sorted ore, or 100 000 t of run-of-mine ore.

Meanwhile, Maximus has also denied claims by gold miner Empire Resources regarding ore treated from the Penny’s Find gold mine.

Empire recently started dispute proceedings against EGMS, seeking to recover more than A$830 000 owed to the company following the November and December toll treatment of ore from the Penny’s Find joint venture by EGMS.

Empire claims that EGMS has failed to pay 384.748 oz of gold resulting from the final gold-in-circuit conducted at the Burbanks facility, following termination of the milling campaign in December.

Empire also claims that EGMS has failed to account for some 315 oz of gold contained in ore that was delivered to the Burbanks facility, while also overcharging for toll milling fees due to errors in calculating the belt calibration adjustments.

Maximus said on Thursday that EGMS had consulted with a senior metallurgical industry specialist in relation to the Empire claim, and maintains that the claim for additional gold from the toll milling campaign lacked merit.

The company said that gold-in-circuit calculation was undertaken at the completion of the toll milling campaign, and that both Empire and EGMS signed off on the contained gold owed to Empire.

“All gold recovered from ore supplied by Empire in the toll milling campaign, to which Empire is entitled under the toll milling agreement, has been accounted for in accordance with contractual requirements,” Maximus said in a statement.