"a second rig is more than justified."SilverCrest Mobilizes Second Drill Rig to Santa Elena Project, Mexico
Sep 11, 2007 8:00:00 AM
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 11, 2007) - SilverCrest Mines Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:SVL) is pleased to announce that the Company has mobilized a second core drill to its Santa Elena Project in northern Mexico to expedite the completion of the 40 hole drill program currently underway.
The second drill is on site and will commence drilling a series of proposed holes to test the extent of the Silver Footwall Zone that is immediately adjacent and north of the Main Zone of gold-silver mineralization. Previous trench sampling of this zone returned gold and silver values ranging from 0.19 gpt Au and 35.3 gpt Ag over 12 metres to 0.34 gpt Au and 160.4 gpt silver over 23 metres (see news release dated Sept 11, 2006). Selective trench sampling showed gold and silver results greater then 10 gpt Au and 400 gpt Ag over 0.5 to 5 metres wide. The utilization of a second drill will accelerate the current infill and expansion drill program which will provide necessary data for updating the Main Zone resources.
J. Scott Drever, President, stated; "Given the continued strength of the Main Zone along strike and to depth as well as the discovery of new exploration targets on the Santa Elena property (see press release dated September 6, 2007 www.silvercrestmines.com), we believe the mobilization of a second rig is more than justified. We are aggressively pressing forward with the finalization of the pre-feasibility study that should enable us to make a production decision for Santa Elena later this year. Given this objective, we need to acquire the necessary data as quickly as possible so that we can make strategic decisions regarding timing, project size, equipment and financing. Our environmental assessment for permitting purposes and our discussions with the community are well advanced so we need to assure that the other technical aspects of the project keep pace. We need also to determine whether the recent extension of the deposit or the potential of the exploration targets will impact the size and scope of operations currently being contemplated."
The Company is carrying out a preliminary feasibility study that will define the operating and capital cost parameters for an open pit heap leach operation that would treat approximately 1,750 to 2,000 tonnes of ore per day for a period of 7 to 10 years based on current resource estimates. The study is being prepared by Sol y Abode, Ingenieros Asociados, S.A. de C.V., an independent, qualified engineering consulting firm of Hermosillo, Mexico. A production decision is anticipated by late this year with initial production expected late in 2008 and the first full year of production in 2009.
All analyses for core samples are being completed by ALS Chemex in Hermosillo, Mexico and North Vancouver, BC with site quality assurance and control implemented. The Qualified Person for this news release is N. Eric Fier, CPG, P.Eng. and Chief Operating Officer for SilverCrest Mines Inc.
SilverCrest Mines Inc. is a "Silver Focused" exploration and development company with a portfolio of high grade silver deposits and exploration properties located in Mexico and El Salvador. This property portfolio, which includes reported indicated and inferred silver resources and substantial exploration potential, provides an important base from which SilverCrest can develop its corporate objective of becoming a significant silver asset based company. The Company's immediate initiative is to acquire and develop substantial silver resources and ultimately to operate high grade silver mines throughout North, Central and South America