Silvercorp Metals has received encouraging results from exploration at its HPG, LM and SGX mines in the Ying Mining District of Henan province. Silvercorp is a low-cost silver-producing Canadian mining company with multiple mines in China.
The company has received results from underground tunneling and diamond drilling results from HPG. The purpose of the 6900 metre underground tunneling program was to further delineate and upgrade previously drill-defined resource blocks within major vein structures between the 340-metre and the 766-metre elevations. Drift and crosscut tunnels were developed at 30 to 50 metre intervals and 1118 chip samples were collected.
Results include a zone 50 metres in length, 1.06 metres true width @ 4.13 grams/tonne gold, 94 grams/tonne silver, 5.14% lead and 3.12% zinc; and a zone 50 metres in length, 0.92 metres true width @ 5.96 grams/tonne gold, 119 grams/tonne silver, 0.67% lead and 0.96% zinc.
The underground diamond drilling program was designed to test the down-dip and strike extension of the major mineralized vein structures between the 200-metre and 700-metre elevations. The strategy was adjusted in the second half of 2012 to focus on the upper portions of the major vein structures close to the existing mining facilities. A total of 14,980 metres in 63 holes was completed and 859 core samples were collected.
Results include 1.16 metres @ 1.15 grams/tonne gold, 729 grams/tonne silver, 3.34% lead and 7.30% zinc at the 345 metre elevation; and 1.53 metres @ 4.19 grams/tonne gold, 16 grams/tonne silver, 2.16% lead and 0.89% zinc at the 382 metre elevation.
In 2013, Silvercorp is conducting a 3795 metres underground tunneling and 20,000 metre diamond drilling program, including 1600 metres of surface drilling and 18,400 metres of underground drilling at HPG.
At LM mine the company undertook underground tunneling and diamond drilling exploration. The results demonstrate good down-dip and along-strike consistency in relation to existing production veins as well as the potential to expand the current reserves and resources when they are incorporated into the next reserves and resources update for the Ying Mining District. The major vein structures are still open along strike and downdip.
The 4000 metre underground drifting program has extended the strike lengths of known mineralized zones between the 850 and the 600 metre elevations within major production vein LM5. More than 5000 metres of diamond drilling in 23 holes was completed in the second half of 2012 and 14 of the 23 holes intersected high-grade mineralization which resulted in the identification of new zones of mineralization in the upper portions of current major production veins.
Tunneling highlights include a zone of 147 metres in length, 0.84 metres true width, @ 858 grams/tonne silver, 2.11% lead and 0.43% zinc; and a zone of 135 metres in length, 0.84 metres true width, @ 810 grams/tonne silver, 1.87% lead and 0.50% zinc. Diamond drilling highlights include 1.44 metres @ 1872 grams/tonne silver, 3.56% lead and 0.41% zinc at the 690 metre elevation; and 1.81 metres @ 2649 grams/tonne silver, 1.88% lead and 0.63% zinc at the 726 metre.
In 2013, the company continues to focus on upgrading and expanding resource blocks along major mineralized vein structures using existing underground mining infrastructure to access these veins. A comprehensive program including 5100 metres of underground tunneling and 24,100 metres of diamond drilling is under way.
At SGX the purpose of the underground exploration program was to expand and upgrade existing drill-defined resource blocks by step-out and infill drilling and crosscut and drift tunneling near current mining infrastructure and to test for mineralization in the unexplored portions of major vein structures by exploration drilling.
A total of 11,473 metres of underground tunneling was completed along and across major production vein structures. Highlights include a zone of 65 metres in length, 1.25 metre true width @ 709 grams/tonne silver, 9.86% lead and 4.54% zinc; and a zone of 45 metres in length, 1.13 metre true width @ 988 grams/tonne silver, 13.04% lead and 3.26% zinc.
The underground diamond drilling program comprised 51,915 metres in 208 holes using 12 underground drill rigs. A total of 1804 metres of surface drilling in 7 holes was also completed using two surface drill rigs. Highlights from the latest results are 3.03 metres @ 451 grams/tonne silver, 0.20% lead and 0.50% zinc at the 626 metre elevation; and 1.11 metres @ 1274 grams/tonne silver, 15.40% lead and 3.00% zinc at the 589 metre elevation.
In 2013, the company continues to focus its exploration program at SGX on upgrading and expanding resource blocks along major mineralized vein structures using infill and step-out drilling. More than 68,000 metres of underground drilling is planned using 12 underground drill rigs and more than 12,000 metres of underground tunneling is also planned.
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