Production
The La Virgen Valley Production Camp currently encompasses two high grade operating mines, the Chivo Mine which produces silver, lead and zinc, and the San Ramon Mine, which is the highest silver grade mine in the Zacualpan district. Ore is transported to the 500 tpd processing plant in the Guadalupe mining camp for processing.
Exploration
Cometa Navideno/Santiago Vein
Earlier sampling of the historic Santiago mine workings by IMPACT Silver returned average values of 235 g/t silver and 0.31 g/t gold across 0.9 m (TW) ranging up to a high of 1,320 g/t silver and 0.99 g/t gold across 0.3 m (TW). Earlier results from this shoot reported a median value of 680 g/t silver and 0.3 g/t gold over 0.90 m to a high of 1,128 g/t silver and 0.2 g/t gold over 1.9 m. Two holes were drilled here in 2005; one of the holes returned 7.26% zinc, 7.45% lead, 75 g/t silver and 0.59 g/t gold across 0.65 m, approximately 120 m below the old mine workings.
Oscar Vein Corridor
The Oscar Vein Corridor is a series of many wide and high grade silver veins linking the past producing Cuchara Mine and the Santa Lucia Zone, in the Zacualpan District. Initial first phase drilling results in the Oscar Corridor discovered new high grade silver veins, with drilling highlights of 300 g/t silver over 30.65 m and 6,730 g/t silver over 0.30 m, with earlier results returning values of 2,820 g/t silver over 0.30 m (see IMPACT News Release dated January 25, 2007). The IMPACT Silver exploration team is currently studying the mine production feasibility of the Oscar Corridor, which is located only 2.5 km east of the 500 tpd Guadalupe processing plant in the Zacualpan District.
The drill results are as follows:
| Drill Hole |
Section | From (m) |
To (m) |
Intersection (m) |
Silver (g/t) |
Gold (g/t) |
Lead (%) |
Zinc (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z11-35 | 18+50N | 79.88 | 81.20 | 1.32 | 156 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| And | 145.90 | 146.25 | 0.35 | 2,860 | 0.35 | 1.6 | 4.6 | |
| Z11-36 | 18+50N | 203.30 | 205.63 | 2.33 | 109 | 0.11 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Z11-37 | 18+50N | 183.95 | 189.20 | 5.25 | 108 | 0.19 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Including | 183.95 | 186.08 | 2.13 | 178 | 0.40 | 0.4 | 0.8 | |
| Z11-38 | 18+50N | 97.72 | 103.70 | 5.98 | 197 | 0.02 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Including | 100.47 | 100.92 | 0.45 | 1,310 | 0.11 | 1.3 | 4.0 | |
| Z11-39 | 19+00N | 62.15 | 63.70 | 1.55 | 285 | 0.01 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Z11-40 | 19+00N | 59.45 | 61.45 | 2.00 | 165 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| And | 120.25 | 124.75 | 4.50 | 136 | 0.08 | 0.3 | 0.9 | |
| Including | 120.25 | 120.80 | 0.55 | 414 | 0.16 | 0.4 | 1.8 | |
| Z11-41 | 19+00N | 72.35 | 74.05 | 1.70 | 64 | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Including | 72.35 | 72.55 | 0.20 | 246 | 0.02 | 0.3 | 3.4 | |
| Z11-42 | 19+50N | 32.40 | 39.90 | 7.50 | 76 | 0.09 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Including | 32.40 | 34.55 | 2.15 | 162 | 0.28 | 0.6 | 1.5 | |
| Z11-43 | 19+50N | 5.05 | 6.18 | 1.13 | 69 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Z11-44 | 19+50N | 51.80 | 82.45 | 30.65 | 291 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Including | 51.80 | 59.25 | 7.45 | 780 | 0.02 | 0.4 | 1.1 | |
| Including | 51.80 | 52.10 | 0.30 | 6,730 | 0.20 | 1.5 | 8.0 | |
| Including | 55.50 | 55.95 | 0.45 | 4,240 | 0.06 | 2.1 | 6.8 | |
| Including | 64.60 | 70.40 | 5.80 | 398 | 0.03 | 0.2 | 0.4 | |
| Including | 68.25 | 68.95 | 0.70 | 1,290 | 0.06 | 0.2 | 1.3 | |
| And | 139.45 | 146.80 | 7.35 | 244 | 0.07 | 0.5 | 0.9 | |
| Including | 140.45 | 144.45 | 4.00 | 380 | 0.08 | 0.7 | 1.3 | |
| Z11-45 | 18+00N | 118.30 | 118.60 | 0.30 | 530 | 0.02 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| And | 130.20 | 132.50 | 2.30 | 119 | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.4 | |
| Including | 130.20 | 130.80 | 0.60 | 362 | 0.01 | 0.4 | 1.2 | |
| Z11-46 | 17+50N | 92.10 | 97.75 | 5.65 | 1,007 | 0.07 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Including | 96.70 | 97.75 | 1.05 | 4,580 | 0.26 | 1.7 | 4.0 | |
| And | 108.95 | 111.70 | 2.75 | 1,128 | 0.51 | 0.9 | 1.4 | |
| Including | 109.70 | 110.80 | 1.10 | 2,630 | 0.40 | 0.8 | 2.2 | |
| And | 135.65 | 137.60 | 1.95 | 111 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.5 | |
| Including | 135.65 | 135.95 | 0.30 | 537 | 0.05 | 0.5 | 3.1 | |
| Z11-47 | 17+50N | 116.60 | 122.40 | 5.80 | 122 | 0.01 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Development Outlook
IMPACT Silver plans to expand the zones of the current operational mines in the Zacualpan District and expand the GIS database system in discovering additional mine targets for production.
Chivo Mine
The Chivo mine continues to contribute the majority of the high grade silver production with continued expansion into new zones of mineralization.
San Ramon Mine
A new 7 m to 20 m wide zone of silver-rich stock work breccia style mineralization discovered on levels 4 through 8 are now the principle areas of high grade silver mining at San Ramon, and is expected to increase production.
Noche Buena Mine
Additional mining faces are being developed to increase throughput as well as further underground development on adjacent veins.
Related News Releases
Oscar:
| October 26, 2011 | IMPACT Silver Intersects Additional High Grade Silver: 1,007g/t Silver across 5.65m at Oscar Area, Mexico | |
| October 20, 2011 | IMPACT Silver Intersects New High Grade Silver Veins at Oscar Project | |
San Ramon:
| October 12, 2006 | Impact Discovers New High Grade Silver Shoot | |
| June 14, 2006 | Impact Announces Commencement Of Underground Drill Program | |
| May 16, 2005 | Drilling Intersects Multiple High Grade Silver Veins | |
Chivo:
| August 12, 2008 | Impact Drills 11,463g/t (334 oz/ton) Silver Over 0.6M (2ft) At Chivo Mine And Expands Strike Length By 40% | |
| August 06, 2008 | Impact Drills 1,118 G/T Silver Across 1.4 Meters At The Chivo Mine | |
| June 17, 2008 | Impact Silver Updates Production And Samples 657G/T Silver Over 2.85M At The Chivo Mine | |
San Antonio:
| August 28, 2008 | Impact Silver Acquires New Concessions Increasing Mineral Holdings By 45% | |
Maps & Images
