UNDERGROUND diamond drilling at Silvercorp Metals’ LM and LMW mines in the Ying Mining District of Henan province has significantly extended existing high grade mineralization zones, both down dip and along strike, and delineated new mineralization zones in known major vein structures.

Underground mineralization at Silvercorp’s LM mine in the Ying Mining District.
Underground mineralization at Silvercorp’s LM mine in the Ying Mining District.

At LM drilling highlights are: 4.87 metres from 136.57 metres at the 493 metre elevation @ 759 grams/tonne silver, 7.24% lead and 0.93% zinc, including 0.91 metres @ 2784 grams/tonne silver, 32.45% lead and 4.14% zinc; 5.06 metres from 171.34 metres at the 761 metre elevation @ 440 grams/tonne silver, 0.54% lead and 0.27% zinc, including 2 metres @ 1064 grams/tonne silver, 1.29% lead and 0.63% zinc; 4.44 metres from 89.51 metres at the 578 metre elevation @ 364 grams/tonne silver, 0.66% lead and 0.38% zinc, including 1.55 metres @ 931 grams/tonne silver, 1.51% lead and 0.83% zinc; and 9.10 metres from 117.66 metres at the 633 metre elevation @ 282 grams/tonne silver, 1.45% lead and 0,.33% zinc, including 1.90 metres @ 851 grams/tonne silver, 4.63% lead and 0.92% zinc.

At LMW highlights are: 1.06 metres from 170.79 metres at the 881 metre elevation @ 2404 grams/tonne silver, 1.94% lead and 2.2% zinc; 4.16 metres from 342.33 metres at the 532 metre elevation @ 525 grams/tonne silver, 8.51% lead and 0.36% zinc, including 2.08 metres @ 1036 grams/tonne silver, 16.17% lead and 0.63% zinc; and 6.61 metres from 293.68 metres at the 706 metre elevation @ 585 grams/tonne silver, 2.49% lead and 0.32% zinc, including 1.55 metres @ 1129 grams/tonne silver, 3.66% lead and 0.80% zinc.

The LM and LMW (LM West) mines are two of the six silver-lead zinc mines Silvercorp operates within the Ying camp. The 2013 drill program was successful in expanding the indicated and measured resources and in delineating new resources at, or above, the current mining elevations close to the available mining facilities within the major production veins. A total of 56,151 metres were drilled in 238 holes, including 17,629 metres in 82 holes at LM and 38,522 metres in 156 holes at LMW.

In the 2014 drilling program Silvercorp will continue with infill and step-out drilling on known zones to expand and upgrade current resources, and conduct test drilling on unexplored sections to delineate new resources within major vein structures. Due to the current depressed metal price environment this year’s underground drilling program will be reduced to 13,910 metres using four rigs.

Drilling at HPG and TLP mines, also in Ying district, further extended the down-dip potential of major mineralized veins at both mines and mineralization remains open at depth. Best result was 1.42 metres from 784.85 metres @ 263 grams/tonne gold and 335 grams/tonne silver at HPG.