Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 19, 2024) - Silver Elephant Mining Corp. (TSX: ELEF) (OTCQB: SILEF) (FSE: 1P2) ("Silver Elephant" or the "Company") announces in August 2024, the Company mined a total of 22,669 tonnes of Paca Silver Project oxide materials (731 tonnes per day) with an average grade of 193 g/t silver ("Products") and trucked the Products to Andean Precious Metals Corp. ("Andean") in Potosi department in Bolivia.
August production was slowed compared to July Production due to a brief Bolivian national labour strike and planned overburden removal. The Company has mined and shipped 176,803 tonnes of silver-bearing oxide materials grading 180 g/t silver, which is 965,531 oz of silver based on reported government tax records, with no lost time incidents since Paca's operation began in October 2023.
In addition to the Paca oxide operation, Silver Elephant initiated the Paca phase one sulphide operation in August (refer to the Company's news release dated July 8, 2024). The Company expects revenue generation from the sulphide operation by year end of 2024.
Paca Production by Month
Month
Tonnes
Grade g/t
Oct-23
4,501
243
Nov-23
7,264
156
Dec-23
19,074
145
Jan-24
4,283
146
Mar-24
15,809
182
Apr-24
20,894
195
May-24
25.992
180
Jun-24
29,280
175
July-24
27,039
185
Aug -24
22,669
193
Total
176,803
180
Pursuant to the sales and purchase agreement and master services agreement detailed in the news release dated September 12, 2023, Silver Elephant plans to sell and deliver up to 800,000 tonnes of Paca oxide materials to Andean for a total of between US$5 million and US$7 million depending on the silver price. At the current silver price and production run rate, the Company expects to receive US$2.5 million before January 31, 2025. In addition, Andean has also agreed to reimburse Silver Elephant for operating expenses under the sales and purchase agreement.
The Paca project hosts a high grade silver resource according to a technical report by Mercator Geological Services, dated effective October 13, 2020 titled "Mineral Resource Estimate Technical Report for the Pulacayo Project, Potosi Department Antonnio Quijarro Province Bolivia" (the "Technical Report"). The mineral resource estimate from the Technical Report is as follows:
Paca
Zone
Category
Tonnes
Ag g/t
Ag Moz
Zn%
Pb %
Phase 1
Oxide In Pit
Indicated
800,000
231
5.9
-
-
Inferred
235,000
159
1.2
-
-
Phase 2
Sulfide In Pit
Indicated
1,810,000
256
14.9
1.22
1.22
Inferred
190,000
338
2.1
0.61
0.98
Oxide resources are based on a Pit-constrained estimate using a 90 g/t Ag cutoff. Sulfide resources are based on a pit-constrained estimate using a 200 g/t Ag Eq cutoff. Ag Eq = Silver Equivalent (Recovered) = (Ag g/t*89.2%) +((Pb%*(US$0.95/lb. Pb/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag) *(10,000*91.9%)) +((Zn%*(US$1.16/lb. Zn/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag) *(10,000*82.9%)). Sulphide zone metal recoveries of 89.2% for Ag, 91.9% for Pb, and 82.9% for Zn were used in the Silver Equivalent (Recovered) equation and reflect metallurgical testing results disclosed previously for the Pulacayo Deposit. Matthew Harrington P. Geo. is the independent Qualified Person for the resource estimate.
The Technical Report was filed on October 26, 2020 and is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. This news release includes an estimate of mineral resources as disclosed in the Technical Report. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
About Pulacayo-Paca
The Paca project is part of the Company's Pulacayo project with a total indicated resource of 106.7 million oz silver, 1.4 billion pounds of zinc and 690 million pounds of lead published in the Technical Report and tabulated below. Silver Elephant and its subsidiaries have spent over $35 million on Pulacayo and Paca, which is considered to be an advanced project with over 96,000 meters of drilling, and a historic feasibility study.
Combined Pulacayo and Paca Indicated Mineral Resources
Tonnes
Ag g/t
Pb %
Zn %
Oxide
2,185,000
155
-
-
Sulfide
45,855,000
65
0.69
1.37
Combined Indicated Mineral Resources includes Pulacayo pit-constrained and out-of-pit plus only Paca pit-constrained resources. Oxide resources use a 50 g/t Ag cutoff. Sulfide resources use a 100 g/t Ag Eq cutoff. Ag Eq = Silver Equivalent (Recovered) = (Ag g/t*89.2%)+((Pb%*(US$0.95/lb. Pb/14.583 Troyoz./lb./ US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*91.9%))+((Zn%*(US$1.16/lb. Zn/14.583 Troy oz./lb./US$17 per Troy oz. Ag)*(10,000*82.9%)). Sulphide zone metal recoveries of 89.2% for Ag, 91.9% for Pb, and 82.9% for Zn were used in the Silver Equivalent (Recovered) equation and reflect metallurgical testing results disclosed previously for the Pulacayo Deposit. Matthew Harrington P. Geo. is the independent Qualified Person for the resource estimate.
A subsidiary of Silver Elephant entered into a Mining Production Contract ("MPC") with Corporación Minera de Bolivia ("COMIBOL"), a branch of the Bolivian Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy on October 3, 2019. The MPC grants the Company's subsidiary an exclusive right to develop and mine at the Pulacayo and Paca concessions for up to 30 years.
The Pulacayo Project is at the center of a major silver mining district in Bolivia and is within 250 km driving distance to the San Cristobal mine, the Cerro Rico mine, Pan American's San Vicente mine, Eloro's Iska Iska project, and New Pacific's Silver Sands project.
Qualified Person
The technical contents of this news release have been prepared under the supervision of Carlos Zamora, who is not independent of the Company in that he is employed by it. Mr. Zamora is a qualified person as defined by the guidelines of NI 43-101.
About Silver Elephant Mining Corp.
Silver Elephant is a silver mining company, with its flagship Pulacayo-Paca silver project in production since October 2023 in Bolivia.
Further information on Silver Elephant can be found at www.silverelef.com.
This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by use of the words "believes," "may," "plans," "will," "anticipates," "intends," "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "projects" and similar expressions, and the negative of such expressions. Such forward-looking information, which reflects management's expectations regarding Silver Elephant's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, is based on certain factors and assumptions and involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this and other news releases includes, but not limited to, the expected amount and timing for delivery of Product to Andean, and expected timing and benefits of phase 2 sulphide production for the Paca project.
Forward-looking information involves significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance, events or results, and may not be indicative of whether such events or results will actually be achieved. A number of risks and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results discussed in the forward-looking information, including but not limited to: changes in operating plans; ability to secure sufficient financing to advance the Company's project; conditions impacting the Company's ability to mine at the project, such as unfavourable weather conditions, development of a mine plan, maintaining existing permits and receiving any new permits required for the project, and other conditions impacting mining generally; maintaining cordial business relations with strategic partners and contractual counter-parties; meeting regulatory requirements and changes thereto; risks inherent to mineral resource estimation, including uncertainty as to whether mineral resources will be further developed into mineral reserves; political risk in the jurisdictions where the Company's projects are located; commodity price variation; and general market, industry and economic conditions. Additional risk factors are set out in the Company's latest annual and interim management's discussion and analysis and annual information form (AIF), available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions by management as of the date of this news release, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with any forward-looking information included herein. Readers are cautioned that all forward- looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information in this news release to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date of this news release, except as required by applicable securities laws.
