José Antonio Berlanga , CEO and Director, states: “As we near the end of the El Largo Zone development phase in preparation of initiating bulk mining methods within the next few weeks, we have been improving efficiencies at the mill resulting in successfully increasing zinc concentrate grades to an average of 43.54% zinc and lead concentrate grades to an average of 34.88% lead during the first two weeks of April 2018 . During this same two-week period, we have achieved improved zinc metal recoveries averaging 72.7% zinc into the zinc concentrates. As soon as we initiate the bulk mining methods, within the next several weeks, the mine will be able to deliver a more consistent mineralized mill feed, without excess dilution of mining development material from various areas within the large El Largo Zone . Processing mineralized mill feed of more consistent grade and quality, containing less dilution, should allow us to further improve concentrate grades and recoveries. In addition, bulk mining methods will allow us to ramp up pre-production towards the 2,500 t/d capacity of the mill and further reduce direct site costs of approximately US $48.5 per tonne. These current direct site costs are approximately 33% lower than the estimated direct site costs of US $72.26 per tonne used for the same categories in our recently published independent Preliminary Economic Assessment.
