I think this question is why the mid-year PFS is so important -...

I think this question is why the mid-year PFS is so important - they are working on it and we don't really know.

As the team realised that NN underground was significant in 2023, they started to signal the goal was maybe 8y+ x 1.3MTpa for maybe 150koz and when I asked SL at a conference was expressing the importance of not letting the existing processing plant decide the mine plan - the plan should start with the ore body.

Things have changed, the potential has grown and the grade and now when he talks about the ball mill, he almost sounds like he's saying we don't want to order a ball mill that is limiting the existing processing plant given how long it takes to order and install one - maybe unlike some of the other parts of the circuit. The other number that has been loosely quantified is (as you say) the limits of the Juniper decline - maybe approx 1MTpa.

Given there's an open NN pit always mentioned and they are also talking about Sly Fox and WW etc - I wouldn't be surprised (pure guess) if the PFS is more like 1.4-1.5 MTpa but also talks about opportunities to increase this - especially if the drill hits keep coming and a much bigger reserve looks very achievable (the PFS will only include the Resource from Dec 2024 so it will I'll guess include NN open pit but not anything from the old gilbey's pit - WW and Sly Fox).

I should say though that others here have had more recent and more detailed conversations with SL and team and can probably give a better answer.