# Vertex Minerals clears final hurdle for 24/7 Reward operations

Canonical Atlas analysis: https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/vertex-minerals-clears-final-hurdle-for-24-7-reward-operations--099ce812-49df-4acc-bd9a-7b04c8c53988

Original source: https://stockhead.com.au/resources/vertex-minerals-clears-final-hurdle-for-24-7-reward-operations/

Publisher: stockhead

Original announcement: 2026-09-18T03:02:09.000Z

Analysis by Minestarters Atlas

Atlas analysis published: 2026-09-18T05:01:27.251Z

Atlas analysis updated: 2026-09-18T05:01:27.251Z

- Company: Vertex Minerals

- Ticker: VTX

- Exchange: Unavailable

- Region: NSW

- Primary commodity: Gold

- Secondary commodities: None reported

- Document categories: Metallurgy, Permitting, Production

- Extracted: 2026-09-18 05:01:27 UTC

Narrative sentiment: 0.80 · Bullish

## Minestarters Atlas summary

Vertex Minerals has secured regulatory approval to conduct underground mining and blasting 24/7 at its Reward gold mine in NSW. This expansion of operating hours is expected to significantly improve development rates and support the company's goal of reaching full production by October.

Reasoning: The securing of a key Environment Protection Licence allows for continuous underground operations, removing a major bottleneck to full production at the Reward gold mine.

- Positive factor: Secured 24/7 underground mining and blasting authorisation

- Positive factor: Significant increase in available working time from 9 to 22 hours daily

- Positive factor: Enables full production ramp-up from October

- Positive factor: Improved development rates and reduced dilution potential

- Negative factor: Processing remains restricted to daytime hours \(6am-6pm\)

Facts used in scoring: 1

## Classification and evidence

**Permitting Milestone**

Polarity: positive

Story-specific tag

Definition: No canonical definition is currently available.

Why it applies: Secured Environment Protection Licence and council approval for 24/7 underground operations

Evidence · text

> Vertex Minerals has cleared the way for continuous underground mining at its Reward gold mine in NSW

**Gravity Route**

Polarity: neutral

Definition: Gravity separation forms a material part of the flowsheet.

Why it applies: the document describes a gravity route \("gravity"\)

**POX/BIOX Route**

Polarity: neutral

Definition: Pressure or bio-oxidation for refractory ore — high CAPEX and OPEX.

Why it applies: the document describes a pox\_biox route \("albion"\)

**Single Domain Only**

Polarity: negative

Definition: Testing limited to one composite or domain — representativeness not established.

Why it applies: only one composite was tested

## Extracted facts

Stored fact records: 1. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record.

## Metallurgical Results (1)

### Fact 1

[Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/vertex-minerals-clears-final-hurdle-for-24-7-reward-operations--099ce812-49df-4acc-bd9a-7b04c8c53988#fact-metallurgical-facts-0)

Reward · gold

#### Identity

- Project: Reward
- Commodity: gold
- Region: australia\_nsw
- Reported Region: NSW
- Ticker: VTX

#### Test Work

- Sample: August processing

#### Recovery

- Recovery: 64 %
- Recovery Basis: actual\_test
- Head Grade: 1.62
- Head Grade Unit: g/t

#### Review

- Needs Review: No
- Historical: No

#### Dates

- Event date: 2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z

Reasoning: Historical processing data for August provided as context for current operations.

- Negative factor: Low recovery \(64%\) noted for current feed

Evidence · text

> In August, VTX processed 1262t at 1.62g/t gold with 64% recovery

#### Tags used in scoring

**Low Recovery**

Polarity: negative

Definition: Recovery below the weak band for the commodity and processing route.

Why it applies: 64% is below the weak band \(80%\)

## How Atlas produces this analysis

Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.