Announcement • 2h
First Tin PLC Updates Mineral Reserve Estimate for Taronga Tin Project
First Tin PLC announced that an updated Ore Reserve Statement for its 100% owned Taronga Tin Project in New South Wales, Australia has increased the project's Proved and Probable Ore Reserves by 13%. The updated Ore Reserve Statement has been prepared by Australian Mine Design and Development Pty Ltd. Proved and Probable Ore Reserves increased by 5Mt (13%) to 45Mt at 0.12% Sn containing approximately 55,000 tonnes of tin, from 40Mt at 0.13% Sn containing 52,000 tonnes of tin. Proved Ore Reserves increased by 5Mt (19%) from 26Mt at 0.14% Sn (36,000 t tin) to 31Mt at 0.13% Sn (41,000 t tin), primarily reflecting the increase in Measured Resources reported in the updated Mineral Resource Estimate announced on 30 April 2026. The updated Ore Reserves are contained entirely within the existing pit limits that form the basis of the current permitting process and add approximately one year to the current mine life. The strip ratio decreases from 1.02:1 to 0.79:1, due to conversion of previously classified waste material to ore within the current pit design. Preliminary pit optimisations using the recently updated Mineral Resource Estimate suggest potential for approximately 20Mt of additional mill feed and approximately four years of additional mine life under an optimised scenario based solely on Measured and Indicated Resources, subject to detailed pit designs, scheduling studies and permitting. The preliminary optimisation indicates that the pit could extend approximately 25-50 metres deeper than the current DFS pit design. Further upside is indicated when Inferred Resources are included in the optimisation. The updated Proved and Probable Ore Reserve Estimate is based on open-cut mining, feeding a 5Mtpa processing plant at Taronga. The Ore Reserve Estimate uses the updated 2026 resource model reported by the Company on 30 April 2026. The updated Ore Reserves are restricted to the existing pit limits being assessed through the permitting process. The increase in Ore Reserves therefore represents conversion of additional resources within the existing mine plan rather than an expansion of the current pit envelope being permitted. The increase in Proved Reserves is particularly significant, with Proved Reserves increasing from 26Mt at 0.14% Sn, containing approximately 36,000 tonnes of tin, to 31Mt at 0.13% Sn, containing approximately 41,000 tonnes of tin. This increase primarily reflects the conversion of additional Measured Resources following the updated Mineral Resource Estimate. The current Taronga mine plan is based on the 2024 DFS open-cut design and an earlier Mineral Resource model. Since that study, the Company has reported a materially larger Mineral Resource Estimate, together with updated assumptions relating to tin price and processing recovery. To assess the potential impact of these changes, Australian Mine Design and Development Pty Ltd. has undertaken preliminary pit optimisation using the updated Mineral Resource Estimate, revised geological modelling and current project assumptions to generate a series of optimised pit shells. The optimisation considered a number of scenarios based on different combinations of cash flow or discounted cash flow optimisation and Measured and Indicated Resources or Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources. Four different scenarios were modelled: Maximum Cashflow Pit - Measured and Indicated Resources only; Maximum Cashflow Pit - Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources; Maximum DCF Pit - Measured and Indicated Resources only; Maximum DCF Pit - Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources. The results indicate significant potential to increase the volume of ore available for processing and extend the operating life of Taronga. Under Scenario 3, the maximum DCF scenario based solely on Measured and Indicated Resources, the preliminary optimisation indicates approximately 68Mt of mill feed at 0.11% Sn, compared with approximately 48Mt of mill feed in the current pit design above the marginal economic cutoff. This represents potential additional mill feed of approximately 20Mt and an increase in the potential production life of approximately four years to 13.5 years. The corresponding optimised pit extends approximately 25-50 metres deeper than the current DFS pit design. Scenario 4, a maximum DCF scenario incorporating Inferred Resources indicates potential for approximately 74Mt of mill feed at 0.11% Sn, highlighting additional upside beyond the Measured and Indicated case. However, Inferred Resources have a low level of geological confidence. The preliminary optimisation results are based on conceptual pit shells and do not constitute Ore Reserves. Further work is required, including detailed pit design, mine scheduling, geotechnical assessment, optimisation of mining rates and processing schedules, and the necessary permitting. The Ore Reserve Estimate is based on the 2026 Resource Estimate prepared by H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. for open cut resources at Taronga, reported by First Tin PLC on 30 April 2026. The Mineral Resource estimate is reported at a 0.05% tin cutoff grade and is restricted to a nominal average depth of around 300m below surface (650mRL), which H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. considered to be a reasonable depth for potential open pit mining. The Mineral Resource estimate is inclusive of the Ore Reserve. H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. prepared the resource estimate using drill hole data from two phases of drilling: 1979-1982 drilling by Newmont primarily diamond drilling of 357 holes for 33,350m and 2022-2025 drilling comprising a mix of diamond twin and geotechnical holes and Reverse Circulation exploratory drillholes completed by TMPL, which consisted of 156 holes for 13,807 m. H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. estimated in-situ tin grades by Ordinary Kriging. Grade interpolation was unconstrained except by search parameters and the variography. Regression equations based on newly available assay data were used to estimate missing copper, silver, arsenic and sulphur values. The arsenic and sulphur datasets are a lot smaller in number compared to the copper and silver data. Correlation between the various elements was modest to weak but generated regression equations using the Conditional Expectation technique that resulted in plausible outcomes. Copper and silver are reported as a separate Inferred Resource in conjunction with the tin estimates, whilst arsenic and sulphur are not reported as part of the Mineral Resources; these elements were modelled to allow for waste rock characterisation. The modelled resource grades do not incorporate dilution. Top cutting was not applied as extreme values were not considered to be significant by H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. H&S Consultants Pty Ltd. used the historic local N-S orthogonal grid for all interpretation and modelling work.