Canadian miner Lion One Metals Ltd reported a strong rebound in gold production during the second quarter of 2026 as operational improvements at its Tuvatu Gold Mine in Fiji lifted output, recovery rates and underground development.
The company recovered 3,291 ounces of gold during the quarter ended June 30, up 21 per cent from the 2,726 ounces produced in the previous quarter. Average head grade improved to 4.3 grams of gold per tonne, while record quarterly gold recovery reached 84.9 per cent, reflecting improved mill performance.
Lion One also processed 27,985 tonnes of mineralised material during the quarter, achieving a 90 per cent mill utilisation rate and an average throughput of approximately 308 tonnes per day, exceeding the plant's nameplate capacity of 300 tonnes per day.
The company attributed the stronger performance to operational improvements following the return of Eric Setchell as director of operations in May and the successful commissioning of its flotation circuit, which has increased metallurgical performance and steadily improved gold recoveries.
The new flotation circuit culminated in a record monthly recovery rate of 87.7 per cent in June, the company said.
Underground mine development also strengthened during the quarter, reaching 1,652 metres, a 28 per cent increase from the previous quarter and the second-highest quarterly development rate recorded at the Tuvatu mine.
The company completed a record 587 metres of underground development in May as it continued expanding mining access.
President and Chief Executive Officer Ian Berzins said improvements were recorded across all key operating metrics.
"We're very pleased with the strong rebound in performance in the latter half of this quarter," Berzins said.
He said the company achieved record quarterly and monthly gold recovery, the highest monthly underground development rate in the mine's history and the second-best quarterly development performance since operations began.
"We are well on our way to returning production back to the levels seen at the end of 2025, and to ultimately surpassing those levels as we continue to develop Tuvatu," he said.
The company also reported improvements in workplace safety during the quarter.
No lost-time incidents were recorded, while the Total Recordable Incident Frequency improved to 4.37, down from 6.55 in the previous quarter. Lion One said it remains focused on maintaining safe production as underground operations continue to expand.
Lion One Metals owns the Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji, which includes the underground gold mine, processing plant and assay laboratory, together with an exploration licence covering the highly prospective Navilawa Caldera. The company said continued mine development and improved processing performance are expected to support further production growth in the coming quarters.
