Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX-V: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF)
(“Discovery” or the “Company”) is pleased to outline its 2023 work
program and budget for its Cordero project (“Cordero” or “the
Project”) located in Chihuahua State, Mexico. All amounts are
presented in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.
Tony Makuch, Interim CEO, states: “We expect
2023 to be a pivotal year for the Company. Our Pre-Feasibility
Study is on track for completion later this month and is expected
to position Cordero as one of the largest silver development
projects globally. The delivery of the PFS comes at a time when
silver demand is expected to grow significantly and where there is
an obvious scarcity of large silver projects in the development
pipeline.
Work on our Feasibility Study is already
underway and will be focused on optimization opportunities
including improved mining and processing efficiencies. Alongside
this work we have allocated drill metres to the exploration
potential on our large, highly-prospective land package.
We remain committed to working with all local
stakeholders through our well-established ESG programs. We also
plan to initiate the construction permitting process in the first
half of the year which has the potential to position the Project
for a construction decision in the second half of 2024. With a cash
balance of over $45 million and no debt we remain well positioned
to fund our 2023 work program at Cordero budgeted at $26
million.”
PROJECT SCHEDULE &
BUDGET
The Company anticipates delivering the Cordero
Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”) by the end of the month. The
Feasibility Study (“FS”) is already being advanced and is expected
to be completed in 1Q 2024. Construction permitting for Cordero
will be undertaken in-parallel with the FS work, with the
submission of the Environmental Impact Statement (“Manifesto de
Impacto Ambiental” or “MIA”) expected to be made to the Mexican
Federal Environmental Department (“SEMARNAT”) in the first half of
2023. Assuming a 12 to 18 month permitting timeline, this would
position the Company to make a construction decision in the second
half of 2024.
The 2023 work programs are budgeted at $26
million. The Company is well positioned to fund this work with a
cash balance of over $45 million and no debt at the end of
2022.
2023 DRILL PLANS
Details on the allocation of the 26,500 metre
2023 drill program are provided below.
Item |
Details |
Drill Metres |
Feasibility Study |
Engineering, hydrogeology & geotechnical drilling |
17,500 m |
Property-wide Targets |
Drill testing of four property-wide targets |
9,000 m |
Total |
|
26,500 m |
FEASIBILITY STUDY
The FS is expected to be completed in the first
quarter of 2024. It is anticipated the study will use a similar
approach to the PFS, including staged expansions of the processing
facility and the effective use of stockpiling to accelerate the
payback period. Key areas for optimization in the FS include
improved mine unit production efficiencies through optimal mine
equipment selection and improved metallurgical performance and
lower processing costs through rock type and oxide/sulphide
blending and reagent substitution. Further details on additional
technical work supporting the FS include:
- Reserve definition
– 28,500 m of drilling was completed in 2022 subsequent to the
cut-off date for the PFS. This drilling has been focused on
upgrading the resource classification within the open pit and
expanding and upgrading resource blocks between the open pit and
the Resource constraining pit shell. This drilling will be
incorporated in a Resource and Reserve update in conjunction with
the completion of the FS.
-
Metallurgical testwork
- Sulphides:
additional variability testwork focused on further optimization
opportunities in the comminution and flotation circuits.
- Oxide/Sulphide
blending: testing higher proportions of oxides (20% and higher) for
the co-processing of oxides and sulphides will be completed (PFS
testwork focused on oxide-sulphide blends at ~10% oxides / ~90%
sulphides).
This testwork will be supported by additional mineralogy work aimed
at increasing metallurgical recoveries and lowering operating costs
through optimizing rock type and oxide/sulphide blends.
-
Mining – more detailed mine scheduling during the
payback period will be completed along with an evaluation of
optimal bench height and mine equipment sizing to potentially
increase the size of mining equipment and reduce unit mining
costs.
- Process
design – the process design for the FS will incorporate
the additional comminution testwork to be completed in 2023. Work
will focus on opportunities to increase throughput and decrease
power and grinding media consumption. Additional work will evaluate
alternative flotation technologies, including Jameson Cells, as
well as further optimization of thickening and filtration systems.
During the FS, detailed engineering is expected to be advanced to
25% of the total engineering required for the Project build.
- Tailings
storage facility – work will be focused on optimizing the
tailing storage design as well as the water efficiency and
recirculation within the tailings storage facility. Further work
will be completed on the option to use dry stacked tailings (the
PFS will assume high-density thickened tailings).
-
Hydrogeology – three large-diameter pump test
wells of the local aquifer are planned in 2023. These test wells
will supplement the six hydrogeology holes drilled in 2022 and will
result in an updated assessment of pit dewatering requirements and
will form part of the basis for the site water balance in the FS.
Additionally, a regional geophysics survey and hydrogeological
drilling are planned as part of a broader hydrogeological
investigation of the local aquifer.
-
Geotechnical – additional geotechnical site
investigations of key infrastructure locations will be completed as
part of the FS. This work will be focused on the proposed locations
of the tailings storage, waste rock storage, ore stockpile and
process plant facilities. Follow-up work on pit slope analysis is
expected to be limited in scope given the detailed geotechnical
work completed to date.
-
Power – an additional power study will be
completed that will detail the technical specifications and support
the permitting process for the installed power line.
PROPERTY-WIDE EXPLORATION
Exploration on property-wide targets has been
ongoing at Cordero since March 2021. Work completed to date
includes geological mapping, surface rock and soil sampling,
geophysics and diamond drilling. The five main target areas
identified to-date are Sanson, Porfido Norte, Dos Mil Diez, Molino
de Viento, and La Perla. Discovery completed 4,500 m of preliminary
reconnaissance drilling in 10 drill holes at Sanson and Porfido
Norte in 2022.
In 2023 an initial 9,000 m drill program is
planned across the four targets listed below. This program may be
expanded depending on the results of the initial program and if
additional targets are identified by the geophysics surveys
currently in progress. A map showing the location of these target
areas can be found at the following link: Property wide targets
- Sanson – Sanson is
interpreted to sit above the source intrusion of the Cordero
mineralization based on a large, intense magnetic anomaly
coincident with intense silica alteration and anomalous levels of
molybdenum (100 – 400 ppm). Drilling in 2023 will target several
large chargeability anomalies identified from a recently completed
induced polarization (“IP”) geophysics survey that covered the edge
of the alteration zone. These targets are to the northeast and
northwest of the drilling completed at Sanson in 2022.
- Dos Mil Diez –
drilling will target three chargeability anomalies identified by an
IP survey completed in 4Q 2022. Dos Mill Diez is located in area of
mapped intrusives, veining and alteration and is situated directly
to the southwest of the Cordero resource area.
- La Perla – drill
targeting is focused on a zone of anomalous silver from rock
sampling within a very large alteration footprint and high
chargeability / low resistivity anomalies defined by the geophysics
program completed in 2022.
- Cordero Deep Skarn
– drilling in 2022 encountered strong skarn alteration that
returned mineralized intervals at depth in the northeast of the
Cordero deposit. Several deep holes are planned to follow up on
these previous intervals to vector towards stronger skarn
alteration that may have the potential to host high-grade
mineralization.
ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL &
GOVERNANCE
Discovery made significant progress on its
Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) initiatives in 2022.
Toward the end of the year the Company received its official ESR
Certification. This certification is issued by the Mexican Center
for Philanthropy to organizations that have demonstrated they
operate in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. The
Company also received its Great Place to Work Certification which
recognizes companies that create an outstanding employee experience
through building a workplace culture of trust, credibility,
respect, pride and collaboration.
The Company is committed to maintaining full
compliance with these certifications in 2023, and is working
towards the attainment of the following additional
certifications:
- Clean Industry
Certification – this certificate requires an audit by the
Mexican government entity PROFEPA (Federal Attorney’s Office for
Environmental Protection) focused on the Company’s policies and
procedures regarding waste management, ecological footprint, water,
emissions, soil, biodiversity and other environmental
compliance.
- Safe Industry Certification
(Level 2) – this certificate is issued by the Mexican
Government’s Secretary of Labor and requires full legal compliance
with over 20 Health and Safety Standards as outlined by the Mexico
Federal Government.
- International Association
for Sustainable Economy (“IASE”) Qualification – the IASE
certification is a globally-recognized three-tiered qualification
requiring compliance with the highest professional and ethical
standards for ESG professionals worldwide. Currently nine employees
have completed Level 1 (foundational) and two employees have
completed Level 2 (intermediate). It is anticipated that several
more employees will complete Levels 1 and 2 in 2023 with two
employees aiming to complete the final Level 3 (expert).
Discovery will also continue to advance its
community programs through the course of the year. In 2022, the
Company signed an alliance with the Parral municipality aimed at
improving access to social services for vulnerable groups in the
local population, specifically in relation to medical assistance.
Through this alliance the Company donated a mobile medical unit to
the Parral municipality and provided assistance with the
construction of a local medical clinic. In 2023, Discovery will
continue to sponsor the supply of equipment and medicine to the
medical unit and clinic to maintain the capacity of these
facilities to serve approximately 70,000 people per annum. The
Company will continue with its other social programs, as described
in its second annual ESG report, to support stakeholders within the
Parral municipality in 2023.
About Discovery
Discovery’s flagship project is its 100%-owned
Cordero project, one of the world’s largest silver deposits. The
PEA completed in November 2021 demonstrates that Cordero has the
potential to be developed into a highly capital efficient mine that
offers the combination of margin, size and scaleability. Cordero is
located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in
Chihuahua State, Mexico. Continued exploration and project
development at Cordero is supported by a strong balance sheet with
cash of approximately C$45 million and no debt.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors,Tony
Makuch, P.EngInterim CEO
For further information contact:
Forbes Gemmell, CFAVP Corporate
DevelopmentPhone: 416-613-9410Email:
forbes.gemmell@discoverysilver.comWebsite:
www.discoverysilver.com
Sample analysis and QA/QC Program
The true width of the veins is estimated to be
approximately 70% of the drilled width. Assays are uncut except
where indicated. All core assays are from HQ drill core unless
stated otherwise. Drill core is logged and sampled in a secure core
storage facility located at the project site 40km north of the city
of Parral. Core samples from the program are cut in half, using a
diamond cutting saw, and are sent to ALS Geochemistry-Mexico for
preparation in Chihuahua City, Mexico, and subsequently pulps are
sent to ALS Vancouver, Canada, which is an accredited mineral
analysis laboratory, for analysis. All samples are prepared using a
method whereby the entire sample is crushed to 70% passing -2mm, a
split of 250g is taken and pulverized to better than 85% passing 75
microns. Samples are analyzed for gold using standard Fire
Assay-AAS techniques (Au-AA24) from a 50g pulp. Over limits are
analyzed by fire assay and gravimetric finish. Samples are also
analyzed using thirty three-element inductively coupled plasma
method (“ME-ICP61”). Over limit sample values are re-assayed for:
(1) values of zinc > 1%; (2) values of lead > 1%; and (3)
values of silver > 100 g/t. Samples are re-assayed using the
ME-OG62 (high-grade material ICP-AES) analytical package. For
values of silver greater than 1,500 g/t, samples are re-assayed
using the Ag-CON01 analytical method, a standard 30 g fire assay
with gravimetric finish. Certified standards and blanks are
routinely inserted into all sample shipments to ensure integrity of
the assay process. Selected samples are chosen for duplicate assay
from the coarse reject and pulps of the original sample. No QAQC
issues were noted with the results reported herein.
Qualified
PersonGernot Wober, P.Geo, VP Exploration,
Discovery Silver Corp., is the Company’s designated Qualified
Person for this news release within the meaning of National
Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI
43-101”) and has reviewed and validated that the information
contained in this news release is accurate.
TECHNICAL NOTES & FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS:
The most recent technical report for the Cordero
Project is the 2021 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The PEA
was completed by Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. with support from
AGP Mining Consultants Inc. and Knight Piésold and Co. (USA). The
full technical report supporting the PEA is available on
Discovery’s website and on SEDAR under Discovery Silver Corp.
The PEA assumed average life-of-mine recovery
assumptions for sulphide material of 84% for Ag, 19% for Au, 86%
for Pb and 85% for Zn. The PEA assumed oxide recovery assumptions
of 56% for Ag and 63% for Au for crushed feed and 36% for Ag and
35% for Au for uncrushed ROM feed.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
This news release is not for distribution to United States
newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.
This news release does not constitute an offer
to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any
sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such
offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the
securities in the United States of America. The securities have not
been and will not be registered under the United States Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) or any state securities
laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to,
or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in
Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933
Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such
registration requirements is available.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
This news release may include forward-looking
statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties.
All statements within this news release, other than statements of
historical fact, are to be considered forward looking statements.
Forward-looking statements including, but not limited to
Discovery’s future plans and objectives regarding the Cordero
Project , and the prospect of further discoveries there, the 2023
workplan and budget, the timing of release of the Pre-Feasibility
Study and the Feasibility Study, which constitute forward looking
information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although
Discovery believes the expectations expressed in such
forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions,
such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual
results or developments may differ materially from those described
in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those described in
forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices,
including metal prices, continued availability of capital and
financing, and general economic, market or business conditions.
There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate
and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation
of such uncertainties. Discovery does not assume any obligation to
update any forward-looking statements except as required under
applicable laws.
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