• First freshly blasted ore sourced from initial stoping blocks
• Ore to be processed through Gravity Only gold processing plant
• Underground electrical transformer energized, ventilation fan commissioned

Vertex Minerals Ltd has announced the commencement of development of the first two stope blocks at the Reward Underground Gold Mine. Since the commissioning of the ventilation fan on August 21, a total of 500 tonnes of ore has been blasted and transported to the processing plant. The underground broken stocks include 200 tonnes at 5.4g/t from the 1325 strip, while the remaining 300 tonnes is pending assay grades but from the 1438 stope area and 1555 decline strip. The company is spreading the initial production areas around 400 metres of strike length to provide operational flexibility. Significant effort is underway setting up the 1720 stopes to the northern end of the mine, primarily accessed from the 1555 Decline. Vertex is focused on initially mining high-grade ore, primarily from the Mica 1 and Mica 2 veins, using multiple mining methods to diversify risk and maximize head grade. These include airleg gallery and shrink stoping, jumbo cut and fill stoping, and narrow vein longhole open stoping. The underground electrical transformer has been energized, and the 110kW primary ventilation fan was commissioned on August 21, enabling mining to commence in earnest.