Sheffield Resources (ASX:SFX) has withdrawn its production and shipment outlook for the March 2026 quarter at the Thunderbird Mineral Sands Mine in Western Australia.
The decision follows a series of operational challenges at the Kimberley Mineral Sands site that have created significant uncertainty regarding near-term output.
Mining activities throughout the quarter have been hampered by seasonal weather conditions, reduced availability of the dozer fleet, and lower-than-expected productivity from mine contractors.
While February saw a brief uplift in ore mining as fleet availability improved, these gains were undermined on March 9 by a major mechanical failure of the dry mining unit.
KMS and its contractors are currently developing a recovery plan, but the company expects production to be negatively impacted for at least one week following the incident.
In response to these persistent issues, KMS has restructured its leadership, appointing a new site-based head of operations with a specialised background in operational improvement.
Despite the lower overall production volumes, the company has successfully optimised its process plant settings.
This has resulted in a higher proportion of HiTi concentrate being produced.
Sheffield confirmed that the first shipments of this specific concentrate are still scheduled to commence before the end of March.
At the time of reporting, Sheffield Resources' share price was $0.0051.