
Green Bay Copper-Gold Project, Canada Preliminary Economic Assessment and Mineral Resource Update
KEY POINTS
Equity Raising
FireFly Managing Director Steve Parsons said: “The findings of the economic study prove that Green Bay is one of the best undeveloped copper projects in the world based on a range of key metrics, ranging from scale and production profile through to financial returns and growth.
“The base case of 50,000t a year generates strong returns and we have a clear pathway to double that. And that is before allowing for the growth we aim to unlock through our ongoing drilling programs in the high-grade areas of the mine and the highly prospective regional exploration program now cranking up.
“The project simply ticks every box and is clearly poised to generate outstanding returns for all our stakeholders. The highly enviable nature of Green Bay is reflected in the fact that we have just launched a A$180m share placement across the ASX and TSX exchanges.
“Once in production, Green Bay has the potential to be one of the biggest copper mines in the world outside those owned by the multi-nationals and diversified mining giants. This means FireFly offers investors virtually pure copper exposure via an asset with genuine world-scale in a tier-one location.
“Our scale, our concentrated copper exposure and our outstanding growth outlook is a very rare combination in global markets. It is unique on the ASX. FireFly offers concentrated exposure to high-grade copper production in a tier-one location with ongoing growth potential”.
FireFly Metals Ltd (ASX:FFM) (TSX: FFM) is pleased to announce the results of the Green Bay Ming Mine Preliminary Economic Assessment / Scoping Study and an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Green Bay Ming Mine Copper-Gold Project.
The results of the PEA demonstrate that the Project is a large-scale, long-life copper-gold project that combines high-grade mineralisation, robust economics, and a substantial Resource endowment to deliver sustained and substantial production over multiple decades.
Two compelling development considerations are presented in the PEA, one contemplating a base case processing 1.8 million tonnes per annum and a larger scale 4.6Mtpa operation case. Both scenarios returned positive and robust economic results.
The study has only taken into account the Ming Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate and does not include anything outside of the immediate Ming area such as Little Deer or any of the other regional targets and historical copper-gold VMS mines that still remain to be drill tested by FireFly such as Rambler, East mine, Main mine, Tilt Cove or Nugget Pond. These areas will be targeted for additional growth throughout 2026/27.
The PEA is based on a high quality and robust Mineral Resource Estimate with the 1.8Mtpa case supported by 79% in the higher confidence Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource categories over the 32-year life of mine, including 89% over the first 10 years. The 4.6Mtpa case is underpinned by 80% M&I over the life of mine plan.
Given the overwhelmingly positive results from the PEA study, the Company will now work towards completing Feasibility level analysis targeted to be completed in Q1 2027 and followed by a Final Investment Decision shortly thereafter.
Discount rate and commodity prices
The Project economics were estimated using conservative commodity price assumptions that are materially below prevailing spot market prices as at 18 August 2026 (Spot Price)8. The study utilised:
A discount rate of 7% was applied in the NPV analysis, which has a material impact on the valuation of a long-life, multi-decade project.
Globally recognised technical services consultants generated the capital and operating costs based on known similar industry benchmarking costs.
Appropriate contingencies have been applied to all capital cost estimates.
Green Bay Mining & Processing Operations
The PEA was prepared with contributions by sector leading independent consultants including Ausenco, Stantec, Knight Piésold, Entech Mining, WSP, T Engineering, Egis Canada and Gemtec.
Detailed review of numerous mining methods was completed as part of the PEA. Industry-standard Long Hole Open Stoping with paste backfill was selected as the preferred mining method for both the 1.8Mtpa (4,800tpd) base case and the alternate 4.6Mtpa (12,500tpd) option. Utilising a combination of transverse LHOS and longitudinal LHOS provided the best economic outcomes by balancing productivity levels and minimising dilution.
Haulage options for the operations differed between the two scenarios presented in the PEA. The 1.8Mtpa (4,800tpd) base case utilised truck haulage over the life of mine. A bypass decline around the narrower sections of the historic decline has been factored into the cost estimates. This allows larger 63t trucks to be used. Simulation of truck haulage conducted by external contractors on the design demonstrated that it is feasible for the mine to produce 1.8Mtpa via trucking.
The 4.6Mtpa (12,500tpd) case requires a haulage shaft to achieve the upscaled productivity. A 7.6m diameter shaft is envisioned that can hoist 12,500tpd. A geotechnical hole completed by the Company in the proposed shaft position shows exceptional ground conditions. Costing estimates included in the PEA for the 4.6Mtpa case have been provided by world-leading Canadian shaft specialists Redpath Mining.
Detailed analysis of mine ventilation has been conducted by specialist consultants BBE Group. Two exhaust raise bores have been factored into the mine design. Vent simulations show these provide sufficient volumes of air for the entire Life of Mine in both scenarios.
Development of the mine is significantly fast-tracked with lower upfront capital expenditure, leveraging more than A$250M of existing site infrastructure, including over 20km of accessible underground development.
Extensive metallurgical testwork completed at SGS Lakefield in Canada shows the ore-grade material has favourable physical properties (strength, grindability, abrasiveness etc.) and is amenable to high recoveries of copper and precious metals via industry standard processes as demonstrated by the previous operation.
The proposed processing plant utilises a standard simple flow sheet to extract copper and precious metals into a concentrate. Comminution is achieved through a standard jaw crusher followed by a Semi Autogenous Grinding mill and a Ball Mill. Two stage flotation (rougher and cleaner) provide exceptional recoveries and production of a high-grade concentrate for shipping (21-28% Cu, 6-12g/t Au). Precious metal recovery is further enhanced by the collection of a pyrite tail from the cleaner flotation which is leached and a doré produced on site. Based on a combination of test work and historical performance, recoveries are anticipated to be >98% for copper and >80% on precious metals (gold and silver). There are no deleterious elements in the concentrate. The concentrate will be shipped from a port located ~6km from the mine.
The mill has been designed by Ausenco in a modular fashion allowing for future growth and expansion. To expand from 1.8Mtpa to 4.6Mtpa requires a simple twinning of the circuit and installation of additional crushing capacity at the front-end of the process.
Approximately 55% of the tailings will be used in the paste backfill and stored underground whilst providing geotechnical stability to allow for total extraction of the mineralisation. The remainder of the tailings will report to a new Tailings Management Facility that has been designed to international standards by Knight Piésold. The TMF capacity is sufficient for LOM production for both scenarios. Further TMF expansion options are available should the LOM continue to grow with future mine extensions.
Copper Marketing & Concentrate
Ocean Partners UK Ltd. were engaged to provide specialist marketing advice regarding maximising value generated by the Green Bay concentrate.
For the 1.8Mtpa (4,800tpd) base case the Project is expected to produce 3,723kt of copper concentrate (dry) that equates to ~132kt per annum over the LOM. Based on concentrate test work, the projected average concentrate grades are 24.5% Copper, 6g/t gold and 54g/t silver.
A portion of the gold is captured in the cleaner flotation pyrite tail and leached on-site. Gold grades are locally higher early in the mine plan and correlate with VMS mill feed.
The concentrate is regarded as a clean, medium-grade copper-gold concentrate.
OP forecast a strong market for the high-quality concentrate produced by Green Bay. With smelting capacity currently exceeding mine supply, OP see negative treatment and refining charges continuing to at least 2030 and costs remaining below US$30/dmt until 2036.
OP note that the proximity of Newfoundland and Labrador to European shipping routes and Canadian smelters make these facilities the logical options for maximising concentrate value. However, the Company will continue to engage with Asian trading groups who remain keen to secure the concentrate.
The Company has not committed to any offtake agreements and is considering potential pre-payments as a non-dilutive funding opportunity.
Resource Growth
The Ming Deposit August 2026 MRE (Table 1) was prepared in accordance with the JORC Code (2012 Edition) and NI 43-101 by independent consultants, WSP Canada Inc.
The combined MRE (Table 3) for the Green Bay project has grown to 60.2Mt @ 2.4% CuEq in M&I and 23.5Mt @ 2.5% CuEq in Inferred. All additions come from the Ming Deposit with no change to the Little Deer MRE (Table 2).
The Ming Deposit Mineral Resource has grown to 57.3Mt @ 2.4% CuEq in M&I and 17.3Mt @ 2.8% CuEq in Inferred. Infill drilling completed at Ming resulted in the M&I increasing by 21% since the previous updates. Copper equivalent grade also increased by 22% driven primarily by infill drilling of the high-grade core and high-grade VMS zones.
The high-grade core and VMS now totals 18.1Mt @ 4.3% CuEq in M&I plus 7.0Mt @ 4.4% CuEq in Inferred. This zone drives the high production years in the mine schedule and remains open with the deepest hole into the deposit intersecting 49.0m @ 6.1% CuEq.
Ming Deposit Mineral Resource Estimate
| MING DEPOSIT | TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | |||
| (Mt) | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade | |
| (%) | (‘000 t) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (%) | ||
| Measured | 3.5 | 1.5 | 52 | 0.2 | 20 | 1.3 | 147 | 1.67 |
| Indicated | 53.8 | 1.9 | 1,041 | 0.5 | 878 | 4.5 | 7,707 | 2.49 |
| TOTAL M&I | 57.3 | 1.9 | 1,093 | 0.5 | 899 | 4.3 | 7,853 | 2.44 |
| Inferred | 17.3 | 2.0 | 344 | 0.7 | 404 | 6.3 | 3,522 | 2.77 |
Table 1: August 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Ming Deposit.
Little Deer Mineral Resource Estimate
| LITTLE DEER | TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | |||
| (Mt) | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade | |
| (%) | (‘000 t) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (%) | ||
| Measured | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Indicated | 2.9 | 2.1 | 62 | 0.1 | 9 | 3.4 | 320 | 2.3 |
| TOTAL M&I | 2.9 | 2.1 | 62 | 0.1 | 9 | 3.4 | 320 | 2.3 |
| Inferred | 6.2 | 1.8 | 110 | 0.1 | 10 | 2.2 | 430 | 1.8 |
Table 2: Little Deer Mineral Resource Estimate as at November 2025. Note that this MRE remains unchanged from the previous MRE.
GREEN BAY TOTAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE
| GREEN BAY | TONNES | COPPER | GOLD | SILVER | CuEq | |||
| TOTAL MRE | (Mt) | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade | Metal | Grade |
| (%) | (‘000 t) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (g/t) | (‘000 oz) | (%) | ||
| Measured | 3.5 | 1.5 | 52 | 0.2 | 20 | 1.3 | 147 | 1.67 |
| Indicated | 56.7 | 1.9 | 1,103 | 0.5 | 887 | 4.4 | 8,027 | 2.48 |
| TOTAL M&I | 60.2 | 1.9 | 1,155 | 0.5 | 908 | 4.2 | 8,173 | 2.43 |
| Inferred | 23.5 | 1.9 | 454 | 0.6 | 414 | 5.2 | 3,952 | 2.51 |
Table 3: Green Bay total Mineral Resource Estimate.
Ongoing Resource Growth and Regional Discovery Exploration
Growth and exploration remain a pivotal component of the FireFly strategy at Green Bay. Extensions and discoveries of additional high-grade VMS mineralisation have the potential to have a material positive impact on the mine plans outlined in the PEA (Figure 1). Six underground drill rigs will remain underground focusing on step out high-grade VMS growth, infill for high grade M&I resource conversion as well as down plunge extensions and potential shallow up dip extensions.
The Company anticipates releasing its maiden Ore Reserve estimate with its next Mineral Resource Estimate update which, along with the DFS, the Company plans to complete in Q1 2027.
In addition, the Company is currently drill testing several high-priority shallow historical VMS copper and gold mines that sit within 5km of the Ming Mine. It is anticipated that a maiden Resource will be established on the first target prior to the Q1 DFS.
Furthermore, surface exploration will continue with three rigs on surface exploring the numerous geochemical and geophysical targets generated since acquisition across the Ming district, Rambler regional, Tilt Cove regional and Little Deer regional areas.
Environmental, Community and Early Works
As previously announced, the Company has satisfied the initial conditions of Environmental Assessment for the 1.8Mtpa base case which is a significant regulatory milestone in the Canadian permitting framework and should accommodate a faster route to first production. Regulatory approval has been received to commence select early works prior to FID. This includes seasonal works, camp construction and other critical surface infrastructure upgrades. All permits required for full construction are expected before the end of Q2 2027.
The commencement of early works in addition to utilising current funds to secure select long-lead time items is expected to fast track the construction timeframe, with first concentrate production anticipated to be in mid-2029.
The Company has received strong support from the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Federal Canadian government who have recognised the importance of critical minerals to the supply chain and broader economy. The conditional release from further Environmental Assessment was granted in 45 days. To date, the Company has received approximately C$1 million in grants from the Federal and Provincial governments to accelerate studies and early-stage exploration. Further funding applications have been submitted to the Canadian Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund now subsumed by the expanded mandate of the federal First and Last Mile Fund.
The local community is aligned with the Company’s mine start up strategy, as demonstrated by the overwhelmingly positive response during the consultation process for the Environmental Assessment. There are many advantages to operating in the Baie Verte district, including low-cost hydro-electric power, port access, sealed roads and a nearby skilled workforce.
Project Funding
Given the high quality of the Green Bay Copper Gold Project and the strong technical and economic fundamentals underpinning the 1.8Mtpa base case operation, the Project’s debt carrying capacity is considered to be high.
FireFly has appointed BurnVoir Corporate Finance Limited as its project debt advisor and they have provided initial advice that, based on the 1.8Mtpa base case, the Project has an indicative debt carrying capacity in excess of US$350 million (A$500 million).9
With A$183.4 million10 of existing cash reserves and liquid investments, anticipated proceeds of A$180 million (before costs) from the equity raising announced by the Company on 25 August 202611 and up to A$10 million from the Share Purchase Plan (before costs), and initial advice that the debt carrying capacity of the 1.8Mtpa base case scenario could support debt of in excess of US$350 million (A$500 million), the Company believes it has a strong funding position and the financial capacity to develop the Project.
The Company has commenced a formal financing process with banks, offtake customers, export credit agencies and other commercial entities regarding project finance. Credit approved commitments are targeted shortly after completion of the Feasibility Study, allowing the FireFly Board to consider a Final Investment Decision, leading to the start of construction in the second quarter of 2027. Formal engagement with project financiers has been very positive to date, including the provision of conditional non-binding indicative terms for potential project financing from potential offtake partners and tier 1 banks.12
FireFly has formed the view that there is a reasonable basis to believe that requisite future funding for the 1.8Mtpa base case development of the Project will be available when required. The grounds on which this reasonable basis is established include:
No assurance can be given that any such additional financing will be available when required or that, if available, it will be available on terms acceptable to the Company or its shareholders. Debt finance, if available on terms acceptable to the Company, may involve restrictions on financing and operating activities.
The 4.6Mtpa alternative scenario will mostly be funded from cash flows from the 1.8Mtpa base case.
Government Incentives
The Company, together with its external tax advisors, has undertaken a preliminary assessment of Canadian government incentives and tax credits that may be available for the Project.
The Clean Technology Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit provides a refundable tax credit of up to 30% of eligible new depreciable property acquired and used by companies engaged in the extraction and processing of qualifying critical minerals. Based on this preliminary assessment, approximately A$194 million13 (~C$190 million) of the Project’s estimated initial capital costs included in the PEA may qualify for the CTM-ITC, resulting in a potential refundable investment tax credit of approximately A$58 million13 (~C$57 million). This incentive has been incorporated into the PEA cash flow model.
In addition to the CTM-ITC, the Company intends to evaluate and pursue other federal and provincial funding programmes, grants, tax incentives and strategic support initiatives that may be available for the Project. While no assurance can be provided that any additional funding or incentives will be secured, the Company believes there may be opportunities to further enhance Project economics through participation in eligible government support programmes.
2026 & 2027 Forward Work Plans
FireFly Metals is progressing a clear and well-defined pathway to advance the Green Bay Ming Mine Project towards a construction decision. Key workstreams over the coming period include:
Together, subject to successful completion of feasibility studies, these workstreams position FireFly to advance Green Bay through to a construction-ready state, underpinned by continued Resource growth, a de-risked permitting pathway, and a financing strategy designed to support development while managing dilution to shareholders.

Figure 1: Copper Equivalent Metal Payable tonnes produced over multiple decades for both the 1.8Mtpa scenario (yellow) and 4.6Mtpa option (blue). Note that the payable metal production profile declines once the VMS production ceases. The VMS zone remains open and any extensions to the mineralisation will extend the higher-grade production periods in the mine. The Footwall zone also remains open which may lead to future mine life extensions.

Figure 2: Isometric image of the Ming deposit showing the August 2026 MRE update block for the Ming Mine coloured by grade. The Ming MRE now stands at 57.3Mt @ 2.4% CuEq in M&I plus 17.3Mt @ 2.8% CuEq in Inferred. Note that the high-grade Core Zone makes up 18.1Mt @ 4.3% CuEq in M&I plus 7.0Mt @ 4.4% CuEq in Inferred (image shows +5% CuEq PINK, + 3% CuEq RED).

Figure 3: CY 2025 Copper production from mines in Canada and Australia with the projected steady-state production from the Green Bay Project as outlined in the PEA. The 4.6Mtpa case shown in the PEA is projected to be one of the largest projects in both Canada and Australia. Actual production from Green Bay in 2022 under previous ownership is also shown. Please refer to Appendix C for further details on peer comparisons.

Figure 4: Mined ore tonnes per annum shown by Mineral Resource category for the 1.8Mtpa (4,800tpd) base case. The mine plan is underpinned by a high confidence Mineral Resource Estimate, with 89% of the first 10 years of the mine plan in the Measured and Indicated categories and 79% for the overall LOM mine plan. Please note that this only shows the Resource category for ore mined and does not include dilution and waste.

Figure 5: Mined ore tonnes per annum shown by Mineral Resource category for the 4.6Mtpa (12,500tpd) case. The mine plan is underpinned by a high confidence Mineral Resource Estimate, with 83% of the first 8 years of the mine plan is in the Measured and Indicated categories and 80% for the overall LOM mine plan. Please note that this only shows the Resource category for ore mined and does not include dilution and waste.

Figure 6: Green Bay Growth and Development Timeline. Please note that all timeframes are indicative and may be subject to change without notice.
Table 4 is a summary of the key commodity price assumptions, production data and cost information for both the 1.8Mtpa (4,800tpd) case and the 4.6Mtpa (12,500tpd) option. Table 5 presents a summary of the financial analysis of both scenarios.
| Description | Unit | 1.8Mtpa Scenario |
4.6Mtpa Scenario |
| METAL PRICES / FX ASSUMPTIONS | |||
| Copper | US$/lb | 5.00 | |
| Gold | US$/oz | 3,500 | |
| Silver | US$/oz | 44.00 | |
| Foreign Exchange Rate | USD:CAD | 0.74 | |
| Foreign Exchange Rate | CAD:AUD | 1.02 | |
| PRODUCTION DATA | |||
| Mill Feed Tonnage (annual) | Mtpa | 1.8 | 4.6 |
| Average Throughput (daily) | tpd | 4,800 | 12,500 |
| Mine Life | years | 32.3 | 22.3 |
| Copper Head Grade LOM | % Cu | 1.83 | 1.58 |
| Gold Head Grade LOM | g/t Au | 0.62 | 0.48 |
| Silver Head Grade LOM | g/t Ag | 5.23 | 4.12 |
| CuEq Grade LOM | % CuEq | 2.39 | 2.00 |
| CuEq Grade LOM (post ramp up) | % CuEq | 3.03 (over 14 yrs) |
2.33 (over 6 yrs) |
| Copper Recovery | % | 98.2 | 98.1 |
| Gold Recovery | % | 81.3 | 80.1 |
| Silver Recovery | % | 84.8 | 84.1 |
| Total Payable Copper | Kt | 872 | 1,051 |
| Total Payable Gold | Koz | 757 | 797 |
| Total Payable Silver | Koz | 3,955 | 3,867 |
| Total Payable Copper Equivalent | Kt | 1,127 | 1,319 |
| Peak Payable Annual CuEq production | Kt | 61 | 106 |
| Ave. Annual Steady-state Payable CuEq production (post ramp-up) | Kt/a | ~50 (over 14 yrs) |
~100 (over 6 yrs) |
| Average Annual Payable CuEq – LOM inc. tail | Kt/a | 35 | 60 |
| CASH COSTS | |||
| Total C1 Cash Costs14 | US$/lb CuEq | 2.05 | 1.84 |
| Total C1 Cash Costs (net of by-product credits) | US$/lb Cu | 1.17 | 1.02 |
| Total C3 Cash Costs15 | US$/lb CuEq | 2.33 | 2.16 |
| Total C3 Cash Costs (net of by-product credits) | US$/lb Cu | 1.53 | 1.43 |
| CAPITAL COSTS | |||
| Initial Capital Costs16 (net of refundable tax credits) | A$ | $513M | $547M |
| LOM Sustaining Capital (inclusive of 15% contingency) | A$ | $876M | $975M |
| Expansion Capital | A$ | – | $476M |
Table 4: Summary of key metrics from the Green Bay Ming Mine PEA.
| Description | Unit | 1.8Mtpa Scenario | 4.6Mtpa Scenario | ||
| FINANCIAL ANALYSIS | |||||
| PEA Metal Prices |
Spot Metal Prices |
PEA Metal Prices |
Spot Metal Prices |
||
| After-Tax NPV7% | A$ | $2.2B | $3.5B | $3.0B | $5.0B |
| After-Tax IRR | % | 41 | 55 | 39 | 54 |
| Payback Period | years | 1.9 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| Free Cash Flow post-tax | A$ | $5.4B | $8.8B | $6.5B | $10.5B |
| Average Annual Free Cash Flow post-tax steady state years | A$ | $290M | $434M | $550M | $820M |
| EBITDA | A$ | $10.2B | $15.9B | $12.8B | $19.5B |
| Capital Intensity | US$’000/t CuEq | 7.4x | 8.7x | ||
Table 5: Financial analysis of the PEA scenarios with PEA metal price assumptions and Spot Prices as at 18 August 2026 (Cu: US$6.60/lb, Au: US$4,335/oz, Ag: US$63/oz).
TECHNICAL REPORT
A technical report supporting the PEA and updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Ming Deposit being reported in this announcement will be filed on SEDAR+ within 45 days.
ABOUT FIREFLY METALS
FireFly Metals Ltd is an emerging copper-gold company focused on growing the high-grade Green Bay Copper-Gold Project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The project is advancing towards development, with a Preliminary Economic Assessment showing the potential for a high-grade, low-cost and long-life operation with a pathway to produce 100kt of copper per annum.
The Green Bay Copper-Gold Project is underpinned by 60.2Mt of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources at 2.43% for 1,464Kt copper equivalent (CuEq) and 23.5Mt of Inferred Mineral Resources at 2.51% for 592Kt CuEq, prepared and disclosed in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code 2012) and Canadian National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).
The Company has a clear strategy to continue growing the Green Bay Copper-Gold Project through resource expansion, new discoveries and advancement towards development.
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