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Canada

Ming Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusCare and Maintenance
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Post Pillar Cut & Fill
  • Longhole stoping
  • Transverse stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
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SnapshotThe Ming Mine Copper-Gold Project comprises the Ming Mine site, Nugget Pond milling facility, the Pine Cove deep water port (under a port access agreement with Maritime Resources Corp), and adjacent exploration claims acquired from Gold Hunter Resources.

The Ming deposit is a high-grade copper-gold deposit that was originally mined from 1972 to 1982 and then again from 2012 to 2022.

The Ming Mine was placed on care and maintenance in March 2023.

As of 2024, the mine remains in care and maintenance with no mining or processing activities. The operations could be restarted in approximately two months.
Latest NewsHighly successful raising leaves FireFly with $135m to fund multi-pronged growth strategy     June 9, 2025

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
FireFly Metals Canada Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
FireFly Metals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
FireFly Metals Ltd. (formerly, Rambler Metals and Mining Canada Limited) acquired the main Ming's sites in 2023. The mineral claims and mining leases are owned 100% by FireFly Metals Ltd. through its subsidiary, FireFly Metals Canada Ltd.

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Deposit type

  • VMS

Summary:

Mineralization
The polymetallic sulphide deposits in the Ming Mine area are known to contain copper, zinc and minor lead, gold and silver along with traces of other metals. Mineralization in the deposits has been classified in the past as either massive sulphide, footwall stringer, or disseminated ore.

Exploration on the Ming deposit has identified distinct zones of sulphide mineralization. This, in conjunction with ongoing academic studies, imply a somewhat greater complexity in orogeny of the Ming Mine and other deposits in the area based on distinct alteration and sulphide assemblages, mineralogical and textural variations and the structural setting of mineralization. For the current documentation there remain two dominant types of mineralization in the Ming deposit:
- Stratiform volcanogenic massive sulphide (MMS); and
- Disseminated stringers of sulphides (LFZ).

The MMS is recognized as a series of horizons which are open at depth, thickness ranges between 2 m and 5 m, locally up to 10 m with a strike length of at least 100 m. Like other deposits in the area, it follows D2 planar fabric and is roughly parallel to the D2 extension lineation plunging 30 to 35 degrees northeast to a vertical depth of at least 1,200 m. Several textural varieties of mineralization are recognized in the MMS horizon including massive pyrite ore, banded ore, massive chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite ore, and breccia ore.

The MMS has three different ore types: i) massive pyrite ore, which is less than 70% pyrite, with chalcopyrite and minor amounts of galena, sphalerite, and silicate minerals, ii) banded ore consists of alternating bands of pyrite and chalcopyrite-quartz-actinolite-biotite and iii) Massive chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite ore occurs as lenses and layers with up to 80% chalcopyrite. Minor amounts of arsenopyrite, galena, tetrahedrite, native gold, tennantite, and cubanite occur locally. There is up to 10% disseminated pyrite in the immediate footwall.

The LFZ is another mineralized horizon that lies approximately 100 m below the MMS horizon. The LFZ strike length is approximately 1,700 m and has a thickness that varies from 200 m to 290 m. Base metal assays from drilling are variable indicating that there are clusters of chalcopyrite and pyrite / pyrrhotite stringers which are separated by less mineralized rock. Gold values in the LFZ are generally less than 0.5 g/t and only trace amounts of zinc have been reported. The LFZ is transected by fine to medium grained basic dykes interpreted as feeder dykes to a mafic sequence in the hanging wall above the MMS.

The LFZ is an alteration zone consisting dominantly of chloritic schist that contains varying percentages of chalcopyrite and pyrite which occur as stringers with lesser amounts of pyrrhotite and sphalerite. The LFZ is parallel to the D2 planar fabric and extension lineation, appears to be conformable to the overlying MMS and as such, can be interpreted as the feeder or stockwork alteration zone to the MMS a relationship consistent with the VMS model. The exact location of the hydrothermal conduit responsible for alteration in the LFZ and mineralization in the overlying MMS has been obscured through deformation; however, in its plunge direction, the LFZ itself may represent a structural conduit that allowed the ascent of hydrothermal fluid. The extent of the LFZ is unknown as it is open both up and down plunge. Recent drilling has traced mineralization 1,500 m down plunge.

Deposit Type
The Property is a Noranda-type VMS deposit hosted by Cambrian-Ordovician metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Pacquet Harbour Group. The style of mineralization, alteration, host rock, and tectonism most closely resembles other VMS deposits throughout the world. This deposit type is referred to as type G06 by the British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Deposit Profiles.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits20222021202020192018201720162015
Copper Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe129.28.71010
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2016151717
Gold Metal in concentrate oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4,8874,1893,3577,5495,335
Silver Metal in concentrate oz 53,83039,706

Operational metrics

Metrics20222021202020192018201720162015
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,250 t850 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe406,298 dmt364,176 dmt339,631 dmt241,080 dmt215,535 dmt
Daily ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,113 t998 t1,118 t650 t650 t
Daily milling rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,108 t1,260 t

Production Costs

Commodity20212020201920182017
Cash costs Copper Equivalent
C1 cash costs Copper  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.77 / lb **  USD 3.52 / lb **  USD 2.86 / lb **  USD
C3 fully allocated costs Copper  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 3.82 / lb **  USD 4.78 / lb **  USD 3.91 / lb **  USD
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units20212020201920182017
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 37.1   29.7   30.3  
Gross profit M USD
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -12.2   -20   -4.1  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -1.3   -7.5   2.8  
Operating Cash Flow M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -3.2   -2.3   1.3  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 18, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 18, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 18, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2019
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...... Subscription required 2017
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...... Subscription required 2015

Aerial view:

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