Highlights

  • The first 68-tonne antimony concentrate shipment from Hillgrove was collected at the mine gate by offtake partner Wogen Resources in October 2026.
  • Larvotto is targeting tungsten production from Hillgrove in 2027, with metallurgical test work under way in Australia and Canada.
  • First gold concentrate and gold doré deliveries are expected in the December 2026 quarter.
  • Hillgrove's JORC 2012 resource totals 8.77 million tonnes at 4.0g/t gold and 1.1% antimony, containing about 1.14 million ounces of gold.

Larvotto Resources Limited (ASX:LRV) is preparing to turn Hillgrove from a two-metal antimony and gold operation into a three-metal producing asset, with managing director Ron Heeks outlining the tungsten plan at IMARC in Sydney in late October 2026 while the mine continues its ramp-up in northern New South Wales.

Ramp-Up and First Concentrate

Hillgrove, east of Armidale, started commissioning in July 2026 and produced its first concentrate in September. On 14 October, Larvotto announced that 68 tonnes of antimony concentrate had been collected at the mine gate by Wogen Resources, satisfying a delivery condition under the offtake agreement and triggering an initial part-payment to Larvotto. Plant availability was described as ahead of schedule, with daily processing tonnages rising in line with plan and concentrate grades improving. Heeks said at IMARC that the plant was running at more than 50 tonnes per hour against a 60-tonne target; that figure does not appear in the company's written disclosures. The company's presentation says first gold concentrate and gold doré deliveries are expected in the December quarter.

The Tungsten Case

The company's annual production targets from its May 2025 DFS are 40,500 ounces of gold and 4,900 tonnes of antimony. The IMARC presentation adds 600 tonnes a year of tungsten as potential output, targeted for 2027, with metallurgical test work in progress in Australia and Canada returning positive results so far. Equipment and flowsheet selection is still in progress, and no tungsten grades, recoveries or capital cost estimates have been released.

Both antimony and tungsten feature on critical minerals lists. A circuit recovering tungsten from material already mined and processed would avoid the cost of a separate orebody development and spread revenue across a third market.

Resources and Caveats

Hillgrove's JORC 2012 mineral resource totals 8.77 million tonnes at 4.0 grams per tonne gold and 1.1% antimony, containing about 1.14 million ounces of gold and 96,000 tonnes of antimony. Ore reserves stand at 3.01 million tonnes at 3.1g/t gold and 1.2% antimony. The company notes that about 19% of the life-of-mine production target relies on inferred resources, which carry lower geological confidence. Beyond Hillgrove, Larvotto holds the Blockade copper mine and more than 1,000 square kilometres of exploration tenure near Mount Isa in Queensland.

Next Steps

Near-term priorities are lifting plant availability and concentrate grades, shipping first gold concentrate and pouring first gold bars. A mineral resource upgrade is expected in 2027 alongside a tungsten flowsheet decision. Verification drilling at Blockade continues alongside the Hillgrove ramp-up.