Sheffield Resources (ASX:SFX) said that Kimberley Mineral Sands, in which it holds a 50% stake, reported a record quarterly concentrate production of 201,234 metric tonnes at the Thunderbird mineral sands mine in Western Australia, including a record quarterly result of 43,267 tonnes of zircon concentrate, in the June quarter, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.
Ore mined at the Thunderbird mineral sands mine totaled 2.9 million tonnes in the quarter ended June 30, rising 14% quarter-over-quarter. Mine productivity improvements are being implemented, which would boost its capacity to up to 16 million tonnes-per-annum of ore mined.
The average realized price achieved for zircon concentrate was $565 per tonne for the quarter, representing a $20-per-tonne increase on the March quarter.
The firm's shares rose 8% in recent trading on Tuesday.