Hillgrove Resources (ASX:HGO) established an underground link between the Nugent and Kavanagh mine areas at its Kanmantoo copper mine in South Australia, which will allow it to add mining fronts and production levels, according to a Friday Australian bourse filing.

The firm is on track to increase mining rates to 1.7 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 1.8 mtpa in the first half of 2026, its Chief Executive Bob Fulker said.

Its shares rose 3% in recent trading on Friday.