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Larvotto Resources Begins Antimony-Gold Concentrate Production at Hillgrove
By Drooid · · How we work
First Saleable Concentrate Delivered
On September 21 2026, Larvotto Resources announced that its refurbished Hillgrove processing plant in New South Wales successfully produced its first antimony-gold concentrate. The company confirmed that the flotation circuit and concentrate filter presses were commissioned, enabling shipment under binding seven-year offtake contracts with Wogen Resources (antimony) and Glencore International AG (gold).
Project Overview and Resource Potential
The Hillgrove operation, located 23 km east of Armidale, hosts an estimated 1.7 million ounces of gold-equivalent resources at a grade of 7.4 g/t, placing it among the world’s top ten antimony deposits and the largest in Australia. Over an initial eight-year mine life, Larvotto projects annual output of 4,900 tonnes of antimony and 40,500 ounces of gold. Exploration has identified the adjacent Midas lode, with a midpoint estimate of 3.95 million tonnes at 5.16 g/t gold-equivalent (?656,000 ounces of gold) and a broader range of 2.7–10.7 million tonnes yielding 223,000–2.95 million ounces. Recent drilling returned an 8-metre intercept grading 16.11 g/t gold-equivalent, the highest-grade intersection recorded for the zone. A separate Blacklode prospect revealed 0.4 m of 9.09 % tungsten trioxide, leading to an initial tungsten resource of 4,774 tonnes.
Production Forecasts and Offtake Agreements
The antimony concentrate, cleaned to a 60 % specification, is covered by a seven-year exclusive sales agreement with Wogen Resources, granting the trader global rights to all antimony from Hillgrove. A parallel agreement obligates Glencore to purchase all gold concentrate for the first seven years, with an expected annual delivery of roughly 15,000 dry metric tonnes. The plant’s gravity circuit, anchored by a Knelson centrifugal concentrator, is designed to recover a portion of the projected 40,500 ounces of gold as doré bars on-site.
Official Statements
“With the successful production of first concentrate, we now move into the delivery phase of the offtake agreements we have secured, namely the antimony offtake with Wogen Resources and the gold concentrate offtake with Glencore. These partnerships are significant, providing Larvotto with established access to global commodity markets and supply chains.” — Ron Heeks, resources managing director
Market Significance
Antimony is designated a critical mineral in Australia, the United States and Europe, and geopolitical pressures are driving demand for non-Chinese supply chains. Concurrently, gold prices have remained above A$6,000 per ounce in 2026, offering a strong revenue tailwind for new producers. With fully funded operations, secured offtake contracts for two commodities, and the potential to add tungsten as a third critical metal, Larvotto’s transition from explorer to producer marks a notable development in the Australian mining sector.