Gekko quality is leading world

The $1.2 million order came from mining company Celtic Resources, which is run by Ballarat-born and educated metallurgist and chief executive officer Kevin Foo, and had a significant amount of its development funding raised from the Ballarat community.

''This makes the order of special significance to the Ballarat community,'' Gekko chief executive officer Elizabeth Lewis-Gray said.

However, it is not Ballarat but technical necessity that has brought these two international companies together.

Test work undertaken by Celtic in England, Australia and Russia identified that Gekko technology provided superior results to any other technology in the world.

Because of this the Ballarat company will supply Celtic with a large inline leach reactor and two inline pressure jigs, as well as engineering work.

The goods are destined for the Nezhdaninskoye mining project in eastern Russia and will be shipped to the port of Vladivostok early next year and then trucked over ice to the mining site.

Members of Gekko's technical and laboratory team have worked closely with Celtic for more than 18 months to assist with intensive test and design work, which helped to secure the deal.

Many Ballarat residents, particularly members of the East Ballarat Football Club who invested in Celtic, have followed the company's progress closely.

Next week they will witness Celtic Resources being listed on the Alternative Investment Market in London at an expected market capitalisation of $100 million.

Some Ballarat residents have been involved with Celtic since 1994 when Mr Foo set up the Bakrchyik mine in Kazakhstan.

Celtic also owns the Kazakhstan-based Suzdal Gold Mine which produced about 43,000oz of gold last year.

Mr Foo is now based in now based in London with his family. His brother Brian has remained in Ballarat and provides a link for many local investors.