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Key Highlights – Locked cycle tests
Two high quality concentrates produced with high recoveries, a
bulk concentrate, and a zinc concentrate
Bulk concentrate recoveries of 88% Ag, 75% Au, 93% Pb and 91%
Cu
Bulk concentrate grades of 47.8 oz/t Ag, 3.75 g/t Au, 38.2% Pb
and 7.2% Cu
Zinc concentrate recovery of 84% Zn, grading 58.6% Zn
Deleterious elements below penalty levels for both
concentrates
TORONTO, Jan. 31,
2024 /CNW/ - Silver Mountain Resources Inc.
("Silver Mountain" or the "Company") (TSXV: AGMR) (OTCQB: AGMRF) is
pleased to announce that it has received results from locked cycle
metallurgical tests on representative samples from several
mineralized veins within its 100% owned Reliquias mine, central
Peru. These results show
substantial upgrades compared to previous results and include gold
recoveries for the first time. Furthermore, silver and gold
payables into the bulk concentrate are expected to be around 95%
and 75%, respectively.
Alvaro Espinoza, CEO of Silver
Mountain, stated: "We are rapidly advancing towards production
at Reliquias, and the completion of this metallurgical testwork is
a major milestone for the Company. The locked cycle tests show that
we can potentially produce two marketable products from Reliquias:
A silver rich bulk concentrate and a high quality zinc concentrate
with higher zinc grades than are currently produced on average in
Peru. We are particularly pleased
with the gold recoveries and grades obtained from the bulk
concentrate, the first time these values are published for
Reliquias. With these results in hand, we will work towards
preparing the first preliminary economic assessment on Reliquias,
and our teams continue to tirelessly move the Project towards the
planned restart of production during the first half of
2025."
Discussion of Metallurgical
Testwork Results
Seven composite samples were sent to C.H. Plenge S.A. ("Plenge"), a reputable
metallurgical laboratory located in Lima,
Peru, for locked cycle testwork aimed at optimizing and
improving on the historical recoveries reported by the previous
operators at Reliquias. Each composite weighed between 30 and 70kg,
totalling 461.5kg between all seven samples. The composites were
collected from the Pozo Rico, Perseguida, Meteysaca, Matacaballo,
Sacasipuedes, Vulcano and Pasteur veins. Samples were collected
from both half core HQ diameter core from the 2023 drill program,
and from underground samples collected from newly rehabilitated
tunnels. The spatial distribution of the sampling was designed to
provide representative samples to incorporate into a preliminary
economic assessment ("PEA"), expected to be completed during the
first half of 2024.
The Reliquias mine and the Caudalosa processing plant have
historically produced two products: a bulk concentrate containing
copper, lead, and silver; and a zinc concentrate. Locked cycle
testwork was completed on all samples using a primary grind of 120
microns. A regrind to 11 microns was used to optimize recoveries
for the zinc concentrate circuit. All the equipment and collectors
used are industry standard and can be readily replicated at the
Caudalosa facility once it is refurbished and
re-recommissioned.
Richard Contreras, the Company´s
COO, remarked: "The conclusion of this detailed metallurgical
testwork is that the Reliquias mineralization has consistent low
iron contents and a medium work index of 10.5 kW-h/ton, with rapid
cinematics. Flotation is achieved within the initial few minutes
using the selected reagents. The high recoveries and bulk and zinc
concentrate grades are expected to be commercially viable, both due
to their quality and for the low quantities of penalty elements
such as antimony, bismuth, arsenic, or mercury."
A final metallurgical balance, based on 40% material from the
Matacaballo Vein, 40% material from the Sacasipuedes vein, 10% from
the Perseguida and 10% from the Pozo Rico vein, was used to project
overall recoveries from the Relliquias mine. The head grades are
summarized in Table 1:
Table 1: Head grades from the veins used to obtain final
metallurgical balance.
Vein
|
Ag
oz/t
|
Au
g/t
|
Pb %
|
Cu %
|
Zn %
|
Matacaballo
|
4.49
|
0.34
|
2.90
|
0.68
|
4.53
|
Sacasipuedes
|
2.37
|
0.12
|
3.36
|
0.59
|
3.40
|
Perseguida
|
6.15
|
0.72
|
1.18
|
0.15
|
2.35
|
Pozo
Rico
|
4.02
|
1.05
|
2.35
|
0.30
|
3.16
|
Final
Metallurgical Balance
|
3.76
|
0.36
|
2.86
|
0.55
|
3.72
|
The recent metallurgical testwork represents a significant
improvement on the historical metallurgical recoveries used in the
preparation of the current mineral resource estimate, as shown in
Table 2. Silver recoveries, for example, are 15% higher than the
historical values. These improved results will be incorporated into
the mineral resource estimate update and the PEA expected in early
2024.
Table 2: Comparison of recent metallurgical testwork results and
historical data.
Testwork
|
Ag %
|
Pb %
|
Cu%
|
Zn%
|
Metallurgical
recoveries used in current
Mineral Resource Estimate(1)
|
73 %
|
83 %
|
85 %
|
71 %
|
2024 Metallurgical
Testwork
|
88 %
|
93 %
|
91 %
|
84 %
|
Difference
|
+15 %
|
+10 %
|
+6 %
|
+13 %
|
|
|
|
Notes: (1) Please
refer to the Company's technical report, titled NI 43-101 Technical
Report Mineral Resource Estimate for the Reliquias Mine,
Huancavelica- Peru, dated March 27, 2023, effective date March 18,
2023
|
Recoveries and concentrate grades calculated for the bulk, and
zinc concentrates are shown in Table 3 and Table 4 respectively.
The gold grades and recoveries from the bulk concentrate confirm
that gold has the potential to be an important by-product from
future production at Reliquias, and no deleterious elements above
penalty levels are reported.
Table 3: Bulk Concentrate grades and recoveries
Bulk
Concentrate
|
Concentrate
Grade
|
Recoveries
%
|
|
Ag oz/t
|
Au g/t
|
Pb %
|
Cu %
|
Zn %
|
Ag %
|
Au %
|
Pb %
|
Cu %
|
Zn %
|
Matacaballo
|
61.95
|
3.52
|
39.94
|
9.17
|
7.81
|
90.06
|
74.41
|
89.67
|
89.01
|
11.22
|
Sacasipuedes
|
27.17
|
0.97
|
39.19
|
6.64
|
5.77
|
95.46
|
71.49
|
96.79
|
93.37
|
14.08
|
Perseguida
|
98.50
|
10.41
|
22.98
|
2.63
|
11.62
|
70.56
|
58.79
|
86.59
|
79.03
|
22.06
|
Pozo
Rico
|
62.51
|
15.12
|
36.46
|
4.74
|
9,28
|
89.25
|
89.25
|
93.35
|
93.16
|
17.66
|
Composite
|
47.76
|
3.75
|
38.20
|
7.17
|
7.21
|
88.11
|
74.83
|
93.19
|
90.85
|
13.49
|
Table 4: Zinc Concentrate grades and recoveries.
Zinc
Concentrate
|
Concentrate
Grade
|
Recoveries
%
|
|
Ag oz/t
|
Au g/t
|
Zn %
|
Ag %
|
Au %
|
Zn %
|
Matacaballo
|
4.47
|
0.48
|
62.30
|
6.24
|
9,73
|
85.89
|
Sacasipuedes
|
1.75
|
0.24
|
59.40
|
3.56
|
10.21
|
83.76
|
Perseguida
|
27.00
|
3.33
|
49.20
|
14.61
|
14.22
|
70.57
|
Pozo
Rico
|
6.44
|
1.82
|
44.90
|
8.68
|
9.94
|
78.92
|
Composite
|
5.12
|
0.71
|
58.59
|
7.19
|
10.87
|
83.55
|
Some of the Reliquias veins were not included in this phase of
metallurgical testwork, as they have not yet been drilled
systematically. However, the samples used for this program is
considered representative as they cover the spectrum of observed
mineralization styles.
Silver Mountain is not aware of any factors that could
materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred
to herein.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Silver Mountain Resources
Inc.
Alvaro Espinoza, Chief Executive
Officer
Qualified Person
Gerardo Acuña, P. Eng., Registered Member MAIG is an
independent consultant of the Company and a Qualified Person
(within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 – Standard of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects) and has reviewed and approved the
scientific and technical information contained in this news
release.
About Silver
Mountain
Silver Mountain Resources Inc. is a silver explorer and mine
developer planning to restart production at the Reliquias
underground mine and undertake exploration activities at its
prospective silver camps at the Castrovirreyna Project in
Huancavelica, Peru.
For additional information with respect to the Reliquias Mine
and the Castrovirreyna Project, please refer to the Company's
technical report, titled NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral
Resource Estimate for the Reliquias Mine, Huancavelica-
Peru, dated March 27, 2023, effective date March 18, 2023, available at
https://sedarplus.ca.
For further information about our drill program, including cross
sections of the main veins with drill hole locations, please refer
to our corporate presentation, available on our website at
www.agmr.ca
Silver Mountain's subsidiary Sociedad Minera Reliquias S.A.C.
owns 100% of its concessions and holds more than 60,000 hectares in
the district of Castrovirreyna, Huancavelica, Peru.
info@agmr.ca
www.agmr.ca
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
Sampling, QA/QC, and Analytical
Procedures
Silver Mountain follows systematic and rigorous sampling and
analytical protocols which meet industry standards. These protocols
are summarized below.
All drill holes are diamond core holes with BQ, HQ or NQ core
diameters. Drill core is collected at the underground drill site
where recovery measurements are taken before the core is
transported by truck to the core logging facility at the Caudalosa
Grande mine camp, where it is photographed and geologically logged.
The core is then cut in half with a diamond saw blade with half the
sample retained in the core box for future reference and the other
half placed into a pre-labelled plastic bag, sealed with a plastic
zip tie, and identified with a unique sample number. The core is
typically sampled over a 1 - 2 metre sample interval unless the
geologist determines the presence of an important geological
contact. The bagged samples are then stored in a secure area
pending shipment to a certified laboratory sample preparation
facility.
Rock channel samples were collected with an electric percussion
hammer and do not exceed 1.0 m in
length. Channels are broken at obvious geologic boundaries to
correctly separate rock types and mineralization styles. The sample
bags were sealed with a plastic zip tie and identified with a
unique sample number, pending shipment to a certified laboratory
sample preparation facility.
Samples are sent by batch to the ALS or Certimin laboratories in
Lima for assay. Silver Mountain
independently inserts certified control standards, fine and coarse
blanks, and duplicates into the sample stream to monitor data
quality. These standards are inserted "blindly" to the laboratory
in the sample sequence prior to departure from the core storage
facilities. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed, and
pulverized and then analyzed using a fire assay-AA finish analysis
for gold and a full multi-acid digestion with ICP-AES analysis for
other elements. Samples with results that exceed maximum detection
values for the main elements of interest (Ag, Zn, Pb, Cu) are
re-analyzed using precise ore-grade ICP analytical techniques,
while high gold values are re-analyzed by fire assay with a
gravimetric finish.
Forward Looking
Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and
forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian
securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking
statements") that relate to Silver Mountain's current
expectations and views of future events. Any statements that
express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs,
plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance
(often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as
"will likely result", "are expected to", "expects", "will
continue", "is anticipated", "anticipates", "believes",
"estimated", "intends", "plans", "forecast", "projection",
"strategy", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and
may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates,
assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or
outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such
forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these
expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking
statements included in this news release should not be unduly
relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this
news release.
Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions
and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of
which are beyond Silver Mountain's control, which could cause
actual results and events to differ materially from those that are
disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the
factors set forth under "Risk Factors" in the Company's
annual information form dated August 14,
2023 and other disclosure documents available on the
Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Silver Mountain undertakes
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to
time, and it is not possible for Silver Mountain to predict all of
them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to
which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news
release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this
cautionary statement.
SOURCE Silver Mountain Resources Inc.