Three nickel plants in WA to be converted to process gold
Three mothballed nickel plants in Western Australia are set to be converted to process gold due to rising gold prices. The Black Swan, Cosmic Boy, and Lake Johnston plants will undergo retrofitting at a cost of millions. This shift marks a significant change for the region's mining industry, which has seen a decline in nickel production.
- ▪The Black Swan nickel concentrator has been in care and maintenance since 2009 and is set to be converted to process gold ore.
- ▪Gold prices have surged from about $4,000 an ounce to over $7,000/oz, prompting the retrofitting of idle nickel infrastructure.
- ▪The state's income from gold royalties is projected to rise to $1.3 billion in 2026-27, second only to iron ore.
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| Original publisher | ABC News (Australia) |
| Canonical URL | https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-20/wa-nickel-plants-retrofit-process-gold-high-prices/106438482 |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 00:29:38 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T01:09:58.824Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T01:09:58.824Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Plans to revive WA's once-booming nickel plants to cash in on high gold pricesBy Jarrod Lucas and Tara de LandgrafftABC GoldfieldsTopic:GoldWed 20 May 2026 at 10:29amWed 20 May 2026 at 10:29amWed 20 May 2026 at 10:29amThe Black Swan nickel concentrator has been in care and maintenance since 2009 and is set to be converted to process gold ore. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)In short: Idle infrastructure from WA's once-booming nickel industry is set to be converted to process gold amid surging prices for the precious metal. The three mothballed nickel plants spread across regional WA will be retrofitted at a cost of millions of dollars. The nickel concentrators — Black Swan, Cosmic Boy and Lake Johnston — are expected to start producing gold bars from next year.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).