With better grades and recovery from 2012 Mainly from better grades at San Francisco.
San Francisco project update with road building.
San Francisco Project (mine 4)
At the 1600 level in the Lluvia de Oro area, a C/P development was completed that reaches the surface in its SE end of this level to improve ventilation in the mine, as well as to probe the vertical continuity of the LL14 and LL15 working areas. Also the construction of the No. 4 loader started in the SE end of the same level.
0.6 kms of dirt road were completed with a bulldozer and the preparation of a yard started for the development of the San Eduardo Tunnel in 1485 elevation in order to access the mineralized material at the LLO-10, LLO-11, LLO-15 and LLO-16 blocks. In addition the tunnel will serve as infrastructure for drainage and ventilation of the upper levels and as access to the "Lluvia de Oro-Cholita System" for the mid-term.
The construction and rehabilitation of the road that will serve as a new hauling route from the project to the plant in La Curva town was completed. A 3 km stretch of new road was built and 9 km of roads were rehabilitated. Although this new route is available for use some further upgrades, principally a ballast layer is required before full usage can commence. The work is in progress and should be completed by Q2 of fiscal 2014. The new hauling route will reduce the hauling distance to the mill by nearly 30 kms.
The permit procedures to bring power to the project from the grid (CFE) is ongoing.