Interview with Ron Heeks, MD of Larvotto Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/larvotto-resources-asxlrv-advancing-high-grade-gold-antimony-project-in-nsw-australia-5758

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Larvotto Resources is advancing Australia's largest antimony-gold operation at Hillgrove, New South Wales, with production targeted for mid-2026 following an accelerated 8-month construction program. Managing Director Ron Heeks has structured a $150 million development leveraging inherited infrastructure acquired from administration, compressing what would typically require $300 million and multiple years into a capital-efficient restart. The project secured $100 million USD in bond financing and $60 million AUD equity, reflecting strong investor confidence in the operation's cash generation potential amid surging antimony prices.

The Hillgrove development benefits from exceptional existing assets including 15 kilometers of underground development, a permitted processing plant, mains grid power, and proximity to Armidale, Australia's third most livable town. This infrastructure foundation enables a fully residential workforce, eliminating fly-in-fly-out costs while supporting local community integration. The 500,000-ton-per-annum processing facility will produce approximately 5,000 tons of antimony metal and 40,000 ounces of gold annually, translating to 140,000 gold-equivalent ounces with all-in sustaining costs of negative $2,000 per ounce at current metal prices.

Antimony has emerged as the most critical strategic mineral following China's September 2024 export ban, with prices surging from $20,000 to over $60,000 per ton. The metal's defense applications in armor-piercing ammunition and night vision equipment, combined with solar panel manufacturing requirements, have created structural supply deficits that position Larvotto among fewer than five Western projects approaching near-term production. A strategic offtake agreement with Wogen Resources provides mine-gate pricing based on Rotterdam indices, transferring logistics complexity while maintaining full commodity price exposure. The conservative feasibility study economics modeled antimony at prices $20,000 below current levels, creating substantial margin upside that flows directly to cash generation given the byproduct credit accounting structure.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/larvotto-resources-limited

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