Summary

Deposit type

• Porphyry

Summary:

The Safford mine includes three copper deposits that have oxide mineralization overlaying primary copper sulfide mineralization. The predominant oxide copper minerals are chrysocolla and copper-bearing iron oxides with the predominant copper sulfide material being chalcopyrite.

Mining Methods

• Truck & Shovel / Loader

Summary:

Safford mine is an open-pit copper mining complex that has been in operation since 2007.

The only Safford deposit mined in 2024 is Lone Star.

Freeport continues to advance plans at Safford/Lone Star to increase volumes to achieve 300 million pounds of copper per year from oxide ores, which reflects expansion of the initial design capacity of 200 million pounds of copper per year. Positive drilling conducted in recent years indicates opportunities to expand production to include sulfide ores in the future. Company is completing metallurgical testing and mine development planning and expect to commence pre-feasibility studies during 2024 for a potentially significant expansion.

The available mining fleet consists of haul trucks loaded by electric shovels with bucket sizes ranging from 34 to 47 cubic meters, which are capable of moving an average of 408,000 metric tons of material per day.

The highest bench elevation is 1,783 meters above sea level and the ultimate pit bottom is expected to have an elevation of 716 meters above sea level.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Processing

• Sulfuric acid (reagent)
• Crush-and-stack plant
• Acid plant
• Heap leach
• Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Summary:

Safford is a mine-for-leach operation that produces copper cathode. The operation feeds a crushing facility with a design capacity of 103,500 metric tons of ore per day. The crushed ore is delivered to a leach pad by a series of overland and portable conveyors. Leach solutions feed a SX/EW facility with a capacity of 320 million pounds of copper per year. A sulfur burner plant is also in operation at Safford, providing a costeffective source of sulfuric acid used in SX/EW operations.

Sulfuric acid is used in the SX/EW process and is produced as a by-product of the smelting process at our smelters and from sulfur burners at the Safford mine.

As of February 2024, Freeport continues to advance plans at Safford/Lone Star to increase volumes to achieve 300 million pounds of copper per year from oxide ores, which reflects expansion of the initial design capacity of 200 million pounds of copper per year. Positive drilling conducted in recent years indicates opportunities to expand production to include 4 sulfide ores in the future.

Operations Update (As of Q2 2025)
- Lone Star Phase II Leach Pad - completed and commissioned in late April 2025.
- Construction activities on Phase 2A will commence in the second half of 2025. This will increase the available footprint for ROM leaching stockpiles on the existing Safford leach pad, increasing overall production capacity for the site.

Water Supply

Summary:

Safford operations water supply comes from groundwater wells in two distinct aquifers as illustrated in the photo – the Fracture Zone aquifer and the Lower Basin Fill aquifer. Both of these aquifers are distinct and isolated from the Shallow Alluvial Aquifer which is adjacent to the Gila River.

Safford recycles approximately 93% of the water used each year on average. Examples of internal recycling within the processing facilities include: Use of in-pit dewatering for dust control on haul roads. Closing unneeded roadways, reducing or eliminating water usage for dust prevention.

Commodity Production

Operational metrics

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Profile	Ref. Date
Environmental Manager	Mike Windsor		Feb 21, 2025
General Manager Operations	Vicki Seppala		Feb 21, 2025
Project Manager	Brian Payne		Feb 21, 2025
Supply Chain Director	James Seballos		Feb 21, 2025
Supply Chain Manager	Steven Sedillos		Feb 21, 2025
Supply Chain Superintendent	Fernando Díaz González		Feb 21, 2025