New Murchison Gold joins the producer ranks at Crown Prince

New Murchison Gold (ASX: NMG) has achieved first production from its Crown Prince Gold Mine near Meekatharra, marking its transition from explorer to producer just months after committing to development.

The company confirmed that the first parcel of 10,000 tonnes of ore has been crushed, assayed and stockpiled, with trucking underway to Westgold Resources’ Bluebird processing facility, located 36 kilometres south of the mine. Ramp up to the targeted 40,000 tonnes per month run rate is expected through September and October.

The commencement of production was formally triggered by the first Collection Notice under the Ore Purchase Agreement with Big Bell Gold Operations, a subsidiary of Westgold. The deal allows New Murchison to leverage Westgold’s extensive processing hubs without the capital burden of building its own plant.

Chief executive Alex Passmore said the milestone was a credit to the team’s speed of execution.

“After executing the Ore Purchase Agreement in December 2024, the company is very pleased to bring the Crown Prince Gold Mine into production at record Australian dollar gold prices and ahead of the 30 September 2025 anticipated commencement date established in the agreement. We look forward to further growth from both Crown Prince and the company’s regional portfolio.”

Westgold chief executive Wayne Bramwell said the partnership was a strong example of how juniors and majors can work together.

“In providing a processing solution for the Crown Prince ore we have fast tracked New Murchison from explorer to producer and can fully leverage our extensive processing infrastructure. This is a capital efficient template for what can be achieved when a major mining company and a dynamic junior cooperate, not compete.”

Crown Prince is the most advanced deposit within New Murchison’s Garden Gully Gold Project, which spans 677 square kilometres of the Abbotts Greenstone Belt. The project underwent a resource update in late 2024 and was followed by a maiden ore reserve and feasibility study in early 2025. The first blast at Crown Prince was fired on 30 June, making the start of production just over two months later a rapid turnaround by industry standards.

With ore now moving through the system, New Murchison’s focus shifts to delivering consistent production and advancing the rest of its regional portfolio. Investors will be watching to see how quickly the company can establish cash flow and whether it uses the Crown Prince model as a springboard for other deposits in the district.

For a company that only a year ago was firmly in exploration mode, New Murchison now finds itself in the enviable position of producing into a record gold price environment.