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Over 6,800 (as of February 2026)

The on-site direct-to-blister smelter began operations in late 2025, which is expected to significantly reduce logistics costs by producing 99.7%-pure copper anodes for export. The smelter will also produce up to 700,000 tonnes of high-strength sulphuric acid per year as a by-product for local sale.

Production overview - 2025: copper 388838 t; 2024: copper 437061 t.

The complex uses a multi-phase concentrator system with a total design processing capacity of 14.2 Mtpa, expected to increase to 19.2 Mtpa. The processing method is flotation. Key equipment suppliers include Metso Outotec, which provided HIGmill regrind mills, Larox PF 60 Series concentrate filters, and TankCell flotation cells. A 500,000-tonne-per-annum direct-to-blister copper smelter, the largest in Africa, commenced heat-up on November 21, 2025, and produced its first copper anodes on January 2, 2026. The smelter incorporates technology from Metso Finland.

The underground mining operations are mechanised, utilising equipment from suppliers such as Epiroc and Sandvik. This includes large-capacity semi-autonomous equipment like Epiroc jumbo drilling rigs and Sandvik 63-tonne dump trucks.

The Phase 3 concentrator reached commercial production in the third quarter of 2024. The Phase 3 expansion includes two new underground mines, Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2. A 2023 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) projects a nine-year mine life extension to a total of 42 years, which includes the addition of four new underground mines (Kamoa 3, 4, 5 and 6) to maintain an overall production rate of up to 19.2 Mtpa. A new feasibility study is in progress to optimise the mine plan for the first five years.

Approximately 1,700 people.

Production overview - 2025: lithium 1350000 t; 2024: lithium 1420000 t.

The operation has four processing plants: a technical grade plant (TGP), two chemical grade plants (CGP1 and CGP2), and a tailings retreatment plant (TRP). A third chemical grade plant, CGP3, commenced commissioning in December 2025, increasing total site capacity to approximately 2.1 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate. A new plant commissioning in late 2025 will increase combined processing to approximately 7 million tonnes per annum of dry ore.

Significant expansion including an increase in development envelope to 2,791 hectares, construction of waste rock landforms, expansion of dams, new water management infrastructure, and commissioning of Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) in December 2025. Development options for CGP4 and an exploration program for additional pegmatites and potential underground mining are underway. An updated Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore Reserve Estimate were reported in February 2026.

The Nova Operation is an underground mine located in the Fraser Range of Western Australia, approximately 160km east-northeast of Norseman. It is wholly owned and operated by IGO Limited. The mine commenced commercial production in July 2017 and is expected to reach its end of life in late 2026. The operation consists of two interconnected ore bodies, Nova and Bollinger, which are mined using a combination of room-and-pillar, sub-level open stoping, and longhole stoping methods.

Production overview - 2025: nickel 16371 t, copper 7324 t, cobalt 581 t; 2022: nickel 26675 t, copper 11483 t, cobalt 982 t.

The ore from the Nova Operation is processed on-site through a differential flotation circuit. This method selectively floats copper-bearing minerals before the flotation of nickel. The processing plant produces separate nickel and copper concentrates, with cobalt recovered within the nickel concentrate.

The Silver Valley/Star project is a silver, lead, and zinc exploration-stage project located in Wallace, Idaho, within the historically significant Coeur d'Alene Mining District. Hecla Mining Company includes the Silver Valley/Star in its exploration portfolio. The historic Star mine was a significant producer in the region. As of the latest available information, the project remains in the exploration phase, with a focus on defining the mineral resources.

Production overview - 2025: silver 1744000 oz, lead 37110 t, zinc 39330 t.

30 to 35 jobs

The project will involve dewatering and rehabilitating an existing 7,000-foot tunnel, extending it by another 4,200 feet, and constructing additional tunnels for exploration. The purpose of the project is to collect data to determine the economic value of the mineralisation and to assess the feasibility of future underground mining operations.

The Aurora mine in Nevada is owned and operated by Hecla Mining Company. Currently, the Nevada Operations, which include Aurora, are on care and maintenance, with a shift towards active exploration. The Aurora district has a history of high-grade production, having previously produced 1.9 million ounces of gold and 20 million ounces of silver. Historic underground grades averaged 2.24 ounces of gold per ton. Existing infrastructure at the site includes a 600-ton-per-day mill. Hecla has been consolidating land positions and compiling historical data to define new exploration targets.

Previously produced 1.9 million ounces of gold and 20 million ounces of silver. Historic underground grades averaged 2.24 ounces of gold per ton. No recent production data as the mine has been on care and maintenance.

600-ton-per-day mill

In late 2025, Hecla Mining's subsidiary, Klondex Aurora Mine Inc., received a Finding of No Significant Impact and a Decision Notice from the U.S. Forest Service for the Polaris Exploration Project at the Aurora site. This approval allows for an exploration program to commence in 2026. The planned exploration will involve drilling to test multiple high-grade epithermal vein systems, including near-surface targets (Martinez, Juniata, Ann) and deeper systems (Brawley Peak, Sawtooth Ridge, Polaris).

The Kipushi Zinc Mine, originally opened in 1924, restarted operations in mid-2024 after being on care and maintenance since 1993. It is operated by Kipushi Corporation SA (KICO), a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (68%) and Gécamines (32%). The mine features a new 800,000-tonne-per-annum concentrator, with plans to increase capacity to 960,000 tonnes per annum.

Production overview - 2025: zinc 203168 t; 2024: zinc 50307 t.

New 800,000-tonne-per-annum concentrator (to be debottlenecked to 960,000 tpa) utilising dense media separation, milling, and flotation, targeting 96% recoveries and producing a concentrate with an average grade of 55% zinc.

Basic engineering for a debottlenecking program to increase concentrator processing capacity by 20% to 960,000 tonnes per annum was completed in August 2025. Off-take agreements signed with CITIC Metal, Trafigura, and Mercuria. Financing facilities totalling $170 million arranged.

More than 2,000 employees (2025)

Platreef PGM-Nickel Mine is an underground mine in Limpopo Province, South Africa, operated by Ivanhoe Mines. It commenced production in Q4 2025 and is undergoing a multi-phase expansion to significantly increase output of palladium, platinum, nickel, copper, rhodium, and gold.

The mine officially opened and produced its first concentrate on November 18, 2025. The Phase 1 concentrator began by processing lower-grade development ore and is set to transition to higher-grade production ore in the second quarter of 2026. The first sale of concentrate was made to Northam Platinum in late Q4 2025.

The Phase 1 concentrator has a milling capacity of 770,000 tonnes per annum (ktpa). The total combined processing capacity of the Phase 1 and 2 concentrators will be 4.1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). The Phase 3 expansion targets a processing capacity of 10.7 mtpa. The processing method involves crushing, milling, and flotation circuits.

The mine utilises shaft access for underground mining. Shaft #1 has an annual hoisting capacity of 2.5 million tonnes. Shaft #3 is scheduled to be operational by April 2026, which will increase the mine's hoisting capacity five-fold to 5 million tonnes per annum. Work on widening Shaft #2 is expected to commence in April 2026. The mining methods are long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill, which are mechanised bulk mining approaches.

The mine is being developed in three phases. Phase 1 commenced production in Q4 2025 and is expected to produce approximately 100,000 ounces of 3PE+Au plus nickel and copper once fully ramped up. Phase 2 expansion is underway, with completion targeted for Q4 2027, increasing annual production to approximately 450,000-460,000 ounces of 3PE+Au, plus over 30 million pounds (approximately 13,600 tonnes) of nickel and copper combined. A future Phase 3 expansion, outlined in a 2025 Preliminary Economic Assessment, would further increase annual production to over 1 million ounces of 3PE+Au, plus approximately 22,000 tonnes of nickel and 13,000 tonnes of copper.

approximately 400 people (2017)

The Nova Operation is an underground mine in the Fraser Range, Western Australia, owned and operated by IGO Limited. In March 2025, IGO announced that the mine is expected to reach its end of life by late 2026. The company is focusing on responsible mine closure, with the submission of a final Mine Closure Plan to the Western Australian government anticipated for mid-2026. IGO's managing director and CEO stated in May 2025 that the company expected to produce a further 15,000-18,000 tonnes of nickel beyond the 2024-2025 financial year.

Production overview - 2025: nickel 16371 t, copper 7324 t, cobalt 581 t; 2024: nickel 20806 t, copper 9922 t, cobalt 735 t.

The processing plant has a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per year. The process involves crushing and grinding ore, followed by flotation to produce separate copper and nickel concentrates. Tailings are used to create paste fill for backfilling underground stopes.

The underground mining operation uses 60-tonne trucks for hauling ore and waste.

over 900 people in November 2022

The Greenbushes Lithium Operation is a large-scale, long-life, and low-cost hard rock lithium mine.

Production overview - 2024: lithium 5800000 t; 2023: lithium 1.491 Mt.

The ore is processed to upgrade the lithium mineral into concentrate using gravity, heavy media separation, flotation, and magnetic processes. The site has four operational processing plants: a technical grade plant (TGP1), two chemical grade plants (CGP1 and CGP2), and a tailings retreatment plant (TRP). A third chemical grade plant (CGP3), with a planned capacity of 500,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate from 2.4 million tonnes per annum of ore, commenced commissioning in December 2025. The combined nominal processing capacity of the plants is 6.5 million tonnes per annum, producing up to 1.5 million tonnes of lithium mineral concentrate annually. The processing facilities include crushing and screening buildings, High Pressure Grinding Rollers (HPGR), deagglomerator buildings, conveyors, transfer stations, a primary screen feed sizer, a screen oversize conveyor, a surge bin, and a surge bin belt feeder.

Conventional open-cut mining involves drill and blast methods. Macmahon Holdings conducts load and haul services and crusher feed. The total mining fleet comprises approximately 150 units, including drills, dozers, water trucks, and graders. A contractor utilises a fleet that includes a jaw crusher, impact crusher, screener, D10 Dozer, 980 Loader, 36-tonne excavator, and an 18m radial stacker for crushing services.

Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) is an integral part of the mine's growth strategy. The total project cost for CGP3 is estimated to be approximately A$880 million.

Production overview - 2022: nickel 14028 t.

The site includes the Cosmic Boy processing plant.

The Cosmos Project, owned and operated by IGO Limited, was officially placed on care and maintenance in June 2024. This decision followed a project review that highlighted a reduced mine life, delays in reaching full capacity, and increased operating and capital costs, which were compounded by a significant deterioration in the nickel price. Prior to this, IGO had restarted processing operations on 6 November 2023, utilising a refurbished concentrator with a planned throughput of one million tonnes per annum. The plant's ore commissioning commenced in the December 2023 quarter, and it achieved nameplate throughput rates. Nearly 295,000 tonnes of ore from the Odysseus underground mine were processed until operations ceased on 22 May 2024. The final sale of nickel concentrate from this period occurred in the first quarter of FY25 (July-September 2024), contributing $8.1 million in revenue. The company is now exploring options to rationalise the Cosmos assets, noting the region's prospectivity for gold and other minerals.

Nearly 295,000 tonnes of ore from the Odysseus underground mine were processed between November 2023 and May 2024. Historically, from its opening in 2000 until it was first placed on care and maintenance in 2012, the Cosmos mine produced 127,000 tonnes of nickel in concentrate at a grade of 4.8 percent.

The processing plant was being refurbished to increase capacity from 750,000 to one million tonnes per annum. The facility underwent wet commissioning before the project was transitioned to care and maintenance. The processing route is a conventional sulphide flotation technology to produce concentrate.

The Hollister mine, located in Elko County, Nevada, is an underground gold and silver mine currently under care and maintenance. Hecla Mining Company acquired the mine in July 2018, and production was suspended in the third quarter of 2019. The property is part of Hecla's Nevada Operations. The potential restart of operations at Hollister is under evaluation, with an estimated timeline of approximately five years, pending further exploration, investment, and permitting.

No on-site processing facility at Hollister. The operational plan prior to suspension involved hauling mined ore to the nearby Midas mill for processing.

Hecla Mining is actively exploring the area, with a focus on the Hatter Graben deposit, which is located near the historical Hollister mine workings. Future development of the Hatter Graben or other expansions will require state and federal approvals for waste rock and water management.

two company employees

The Fire Creek mine is an underground gold and silver mine located in Lander County, Nevada. Hecla Mining Company acquired the mine in July 2018. Production at Fire Creek was suspended in the second quarter of 2021, and the mine has since been on care and maintenance. The site is incurring ongoing costs pending sufficient exploration success and development to justify a restart of operations. As of 2024, the workforce at the mine consists of two company employees. Fire Creek is part of Hecla's Nevada portfolio, which is undergoing a strategic review and reassessment for priority reranking in 2025. The company is considering a potential restart of the Fire Creek asset in approximately five years, which would be preceded by additional exploration, investment, and permitting work. Historically, the first gold was poured at Fire Creek in November 1981, with plans for full-scale production in 1982 before being suspended due to economic conditions. The mine saw intermittent exploration and small-scale production, including heap leaching, throughout the 1980s. In May 2020, Hecla Mining announced an agreement with Nevada Gold Mines to process a 30,000-ton bulk sample of Fire Creek's refractory ore to test larger-scale long-hole stoping and establish recovery rates.

Production overview - 2017: gold 107143 oz, silver 72283 oz; 2016: gold 101286 oz, silver 80593 oz.

Historically, the mine saw intermittent exploration and small-scale production, including heap leaching, throughout the 1980s. In May 2020, Hecla Mining announced an agreement with Nevada Gold Mines to process a 30,000-ton bulk sample of Fire Creek's refractory ore to test larger-scale long-hole stoping and establish recovery rates.

The company is considering a potential restart of the Fire Creek asset in approximately five years, which would be preceded by additional exploration, investment, and permitting work.

over 2,000 (including employees) attended the opening ceremony in November 2025

The Platreef Project, operated by Ivanhoe Mines, transitioned to production with first concentrate produced in November 2025. Ivanhoe Mines holds a 64% interest in the project.

Phase 1 ramping up 770,000 tpa concentrator in late 2025. Shaft #3 commissioning in April 2026 to increase total hoisting capacity to 5 Mtpa. Phase 2 targets 4.1 Mtpa processing capacity and 450,000-460,000 oz 3PE+Au, plus over 30 Mlbs nickel and copper. Phase 3 aims for 10.7 Mtpa processing and over 1 Moz 3PE+Au, plus approximately 22,000 tonnes nickel and 13,000 tonnes copper.

mill/flotation process to produce a concentrate

Phase 2 expansion is underway, targeting 4.1 Mtpa processing capacity and increased production by Q4 2027. A future Phase 3 expansion to 10.7 Mtpa is being assessed.

The Kinskuch property is located in the Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia. It is now part of Dolly Varden's larger Kitsault Valley Project, which covers approximately 77,000 hectares. The acquisition connected the Kitsault Valley, Big Bulk, and Kinskuch projects into a consolidated, district-scale land package. The property is considered underexplored but prospective for silver, gold, and copper mineralisation, situated within the favourable Jurassic-age Hazelton Group volcanic rocks. The addition of the Kinskuch property adds the Illiance trend to Dolly Varden's existing Kitsault Valley trend. The property has a renewed five-year Exploration Permit covering both Nisga'a and Gitanyow Traditional Lands.

Since the acquisition, the Kinskuch property has been integrated into the broader exploration strategy for the Kitsault Valley Project. In 2025, Dolly Varden conducted a significant diamond drilling program across the Kitsault Valley Project, which was expanded from 35,000 metres to over 56,000 metres. While specific drilling targets on the Kinskuch property itself are not detailed in recent announcements, the overall program is focused on resource expansion and exploring new mineralised zones. The Big Bulk property, which is prospective for copper-gold porphyry mineralisation, trends south onto the Kinskuch Project.

431 employees (as of 31 December 2024)

Production overview - 2025: silver 5260686 oz, lead 34284 t, zinc 14924 t; 2024: silver 4890949 oz, lead 31265 t, zinc 13513 t.

The mine has a surface facility with a mill that has a capacity of 1,000 tons of ore per day. The plant produces silver-lead and zinc concentrates, which are transported by truck to a smelter in Trail, British Columbia, Canada. For 2022, the mill processed an average of 978 tons per day, with recoveries of approximately 95% for silver, 95% for lead, and 88% for zinc. Metallurgical recoveries for 2025 were 94.5% for silver, 94.3% for lead, and 85.1% for zinc.

The #4 Shaft project, an internal shaft that extends 9,600 feet below the surface, provides access to higher-grade ore in the Gold Hunter/Lucky Friday Expansion Area. A surface cooling project is also underway to manage heat as mining progresses deeper and is expected to be completed by mid-2026.

IGO Limited has consolidated its ownership to 100% of the central Copper Wolf area, which covers approximately 12.5 square kilometres. A targeted drilling program is planned for the first half of 2027 to inform the next steps for the project. Previous drilling in 2023 confirmed porphyry-style mineralisation. The project is located in a prolific porphyry copper belt.

Approximately 200-400 staff and contractors were understood to be employed at the project in early 2024. This included around 179 people employed by the underground mining contractor Barminco.

As of March 2025, the mine has a workforce of more than 1,700 people.

The Greenbushes Lithium Mine is undergoing a significant expansion to meet global lithium demand. Lithium minerals have been produced at Greenbushes since 1983, with tin mining commencing in 1888. The mine has a projected mine life of 22 years based on the ore reserve as of May 2025.

Production overview - 2025: lithium 1400000 t; 2024: lithium 1420000 t.

The operation has four processing plants: Chemical Grade Plant 1 (CGP1), Chemical Grade Plant 2 (CGP2), a Tailings Retreatment Plant (TRP), and a Technical Grade Plant. The processing method involves upgrading the lithium mineral (spodumene) using gravity, heavy media, flotation, and magnetic processes. The commissioning of Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) commenced on 18 December 2025, with first ore processed. CGP3 has a capacity of approximately 500,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate, increasing the total site capacity to around 2.1 million tonnes per annum.

Mining is a conventional drill and blast, truck and shovel/loader operation. The load and haul activities are carried out by contractor Macmahon Holdings. A contractor, Peel Resource Recovery, has utilised a jaw crusher, impact crusher, screener, D10 dozer, 980 loader, a 36-tonne excavator, and an 18m radial stacker for crushing and screening operations.

The mine is undergoing a significant expansion to meet global lithium demand. This includes the construction of new waste rock landforms, expanded water storage capacity, and supporting infrastructure. The expansion has a total footprint of 600 hectares, with 435 hectares outside the previous development envelope. The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority has given approval for the updated proposal, which increases the development envelope to 2,791 hectares.