Larvotto Resources has moved Hillgrove from commissioning into revenue-generating operations, shipping its first 68 tonnes of antimony concentrate to offtake partner Wogen Resources. The delivery satisfies a condition for an initial payment, while the company prepares its first gold concentrate shipment.
- 68 tonnes of antimony concentrate shipped from Hillgrove
- Delivery condition met for an undisclosed initial offtake payment
- Plant availability is exceeding schedule as throughput and grades improve
- First gold concentrate shipment is being prepared
- Tungsten processing is targeted for 2027, subject to ongoing testwork
First Hillgrove Shipment Triggers Initial Payment
Larvotto Resources Limited (ASX:LRV) has shipped the first 68 tonnes of antimony concentrate from its 100%-owned Hillgrove Mine in New South Wales, marking the project’s transition from plant commissioning to revenue-generating operations. The concentrate was collected at the mine gate by offtake partner Wogen Resources, satisfying a delivery condition for an initial payment under the agreement.
The company has not disclosed the value of that payment, the realised pricing, payable metal content or the shipment’s final destination. That leaves the milestone operationally significant but financially incomplete: the first sale demonstrates that Hillgrove’s antimony circuit is functioning, while subsequent shipments will provide a clearer measure of commercial performance.
Antimony Circuit Leads the Production Ramp-Up
The shipment follows the first gold and antimony concentrate milestone, which marked the start of Hillgrove’s move into production. Larvotto said plant availability is now exceeding schedule, daily processing tonnages are rising in line with schedule, and concentrate grades continue to improve as the processing and mining teams refine plant performance.
Managing director Ron Heeks said the antimony circuit was now operating at a steady rate, allowing the company to broaden its focus to gold concentrate and gold doré production. Preparations for the first gold concentrate shipment are nearing completion, with the first gold bars also expected in the near term according to the company.
Gold and Tungsten Provide the Next Tests
Larvotto’s stated Hillgrove production profile is approximately 4,900 tonnes of antimony and 40,500 ounces of gold per year. Those figures are targets for the mine’s planned operating profile, rather than evidence of achieved annualised production, and the current ramp-up will need to continue before performance can be judged against them.
Tungsten could add a further by-product to the operation. Testwork in Australia and Canada has produced what Larvotto describes as positive results, but equipment selection and flowsheet design are still underway. The company anticipates processing tungsten in 2027, leaving the timing and economics of that stream dependent on further technical work.
Bottom Line?
The first shipment validates Hillgrove’s route into sales, but the next evidence will be the size of the initial payment and whether throughput, grades and gold production hold as the plant ramps up.
Questions in the middle?
- What initial payment will the 68-tonne shipment generate, and on what pricing and payable-metal terms?
- How quickly can gold concentrate and gold doré production be added to the antimony circuit’s operating rhythm?
- Can ongoing tungsten testwork support the proposed 2027 processing timetable without disrupting Hillgrove’s core production ramp-up?