SilverCrest Mines Santa Elena Expansion Plan Animation

SilverCrest Mines' Santa Elena silver and gold mine is located in Sonora, Mexico, 150 kilometres from the state capital, Hermosillo, and just 7 kilometres from the community of Banamichi.

The property consists of six contiguous concessions with a total area of 3,159 hectares registered to the company's wholly owned Mexican subsidiary, Nusantara de Mexico.
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On September 9, 2010, SilverCrest poured its first bar of dore. Ramp-up production took place over the following nine months.

To convert the rock in the ground to mineable ore, SilverCrest drilled a total of 23,000 metres in 136 holes.

After 2010 mining operations, the open pit portion of the Santa Elena deposit has 11.7MM oz Ag and 279K oz Au contained in 4.8 million tonnes of ore. Santa Elena's ore grades are considered high at 75.9 g/t Ag and 1.81 g/t Au in an epithermal deposit.

During Phase I of the mine life, operations at Santa Elena are expected to process 2,500 tpd with an average annual output of 800,000 ounces of silver and 30,000 ounces of gold.At recent metal prices that's an undiscounted revenue stream of $76 million annually.

Bolstered by it's successes to date, SilverCrest Mines is now advancing the Santa Elena Expansion Plan which will increase profit to the company through 2019.

The Expansion Plan will commence during Phase I and includes: Phase II: The underground resource at Santa Elena, Phase III: Ore from the Cruz de Mayo satellite deposit; and Phase IV: Substantial resources from retreated leached heaps.

Phase II would begin with the construction of a Conventional CCD Mill with a capacity of 3,500 tpd.

At the same time, the company would begin construction of a 1,216 metre decline ramp in late 2011.

Presently, the underground mine development will add an additional 2.8 million tonnes of ore with a grade of 88.6 g/t silver and 1.51 g/t gold. This would net the company an additional 8 million ounces of silver, plus 136,000 ounces of gold over a 6-year mine life.

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[mrsammymac11]

Keep up the good work folks! Silvecrest is a solid company, looking forward to the day they announce earnings & 2500+ TPD commercial production!