Larvotto Geophysics: NSW Antimony-Gold Targets
- Exploration at the Freehold prospect reveals significant potential for expanding Australia's largest antimony resource, poised for a 2026 production restart.
- Larvotto Resources is revitalizing the Hillgrove Antimony Project in Australia, having acquired the 254 square kilometer project in December 2023 for $8 million.This acquisition positions the company to...
- Previous, sporadic mining at Freehold left significant untapped potential.
Larvotto Resources Revives Hillgrove Antimony Project with Promising Geophysical Results
Table of Contents
Exploration at the Freehold prospect reveals significant potential for expanding Australia’s largest antimony resource, poised for a 2026 production restart.
Project overview & Strategic Acquisition
Larvotto Resources is revitalizing the Hillgrove Antimony Project in Australia, having acquired the 254 square kilometer project in December 2023 for $8 million.This acquisition positions the company to capitalize on the surging prices of both antimony (nearly doubled in the past year) and gold (reaching record highs). The Hillgrove project boasts Australia’s largest antimony resource and ranks eighth globally, making it a strategically importent asset.
The project’s past context is crucial. Previous, sporadic mining at Freehold left significant untapped potential. Larvotto’s approach focuses on low-cost, high-impact exploration techniques to unlock this value.
Geophysical Survey at the Freehold Prospect: A Low-Cost, High-Reward Strategy
Larvotto’s recent induced Polarization (IP) and resistivity survey at the Freehold prospect exemplifies its efficient exploration strategy. The company engaged Fender Geophysics to conduct a gradient-array IP and resistivity survey covering 16.5 hectares,utilizing 396 electrode locations arranged along six 650m lines spaced 50m apart. A refined setup, employing 20m electrode separations and dual readings at 40m and 60m, allowed for deeper probing and improved data resolution for future surveys.
This survey builds upon similar work conducted in April 2025 at Clarks Gully, 4.5km north of the existing mine infrastructure. Results from Clarks Gully demonstrated a clear correlation between chargeable and resistive signatures and the presence of mineralisation within the Hillgrove monzogranite.
Key Findings & Correlation with Historic Mining
The Freehold survey yielded compelling results, demonstrating a strong correlation with the historic Freehold workings. The survey aimed to determine if the host rocks influenced geophysical signatures and to map extensions of sulphide-rich, silica-altered structures – indicators of mineralization.
Two significant anomalies were identified:
- Large Resistivity High (350m east of old workings): This previously undrilled anomaly suggests considerable silicification, a known indicator of antimony-gold zones at Hillgrove.
- Smaller Resistivity High (southwest of old workings): Parallel to the trend of historic surface workings,this anomaly also points to potential silicification.
The chargeability data successfully detected the sulphide component of the mineralization, confirming the IP/resistivity index as a cost-effective tool for target identification.
Drilling Program Launched to Validate Targets
Following the positive survey results, Larvotto Resources instantly initiated an exploratory drilling program at Freehold. This program aims to test the geophysical responses in conjunction with existing historical mining and exploration data, with the goal of expanding the prospect’s potential in the current favorable commodity price surroundings.
Management Commentary
Ron Heeks,Managing director,Larvotto Resources
The Freehold survey has delivered exactly what we hoped for,confirming the potential for significant extensions to the known mineralisation.We are