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Mexico

Don David

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Copper
  • Lead
  • Zinc
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Transverse stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
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Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotDon David Gold Mine(DDGM) operations include the Arista underground mine and the processing facility. The DDGM processing facility currently produces doré and metal concentrates from ore mined at the Arista Mine. Additionally, underground mining at the Alta Gracia mine was conducted from 2017 to 2019.
Related AssetsArista Mine, Mirador - Alta Gracia Mine

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Gold Resource Corp. 100 % Indirect
Gold Resource operations in Oaxaca are conducted through a Mexican subsidiary, Don David Gold Mexico S.A. de C.V. (“DDGM”).

At Don David Gold Mine, the Company currently has 100% interest in six properties, including two Production Stage Properties and four Exploration Stage Properties, located in Oaxaca, Mexico, along the San Jose structural corridor.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Epithermal

Summary:

Mineral Deposit Types
The San Jose de Gracia and Alta Gracia gold-silver sub-districts of the Don David Mine are characterized by classic, high grade silver-gold, epithermal vein deposits with low to intermediate-sulfidation mineralization quartz-adularia-sericite alteration. The veins are typical of most epithermal silver-gold vein deposits in Mexico with respect to the volcanic or sedimentary host rocks and the paragenesis and tenor of mineralization. The Alta Gracia mineralization is typical of a low sulfidation deposit. The Arista mine vein systems are intermediate-sulfidation in nature and standard of many Mexican deposits, characterized by Camprubí & Albinson, 2007, and described as Polymetallic Ag-Au by Corbett.

Description of Mineralized Zones
The Don David Mine mineralization occurs as structurally controlled epithermal deposits in veins and stockwork zones consisting of concentrations of sulfides containing gold, silver, lead, copper, and zinc, associated with gangue minerals such as quartz calcite and other minor minerals. The economic mineralization at the Arista Mine is gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Structurally controlled epithermal veins and stockwork zones at Alta Gracia Project (Mirador Mine) contain mainly silver-gold bearing sulfides. The economic mineralization currently exploited at the Alta Gracia Project is only gold and silver.

Primary sulfide mineralization within the mineralized structures contains pyrite, galena, sphalerite, argentite, chalcopyrite, and other silver sulfosalts associated with quartz and calcite as gangue minerals, which are found at depth.

Arista Mine
Arista Vein
The Arista vein consists of multiple parallel veins and splays of varying lengths and widths associated with the predominant fault bounded structure. The vein is partially enclosed in strongly silicified rhyolite breccia, including stockwork zones related to the vein. The veining is also associated with the structural contact between hypabyssal adesitic rocks and Cretaceous sediments (Black Breccia). Mineralization is multi-phase (related to discrete structural and leaching events within the bounding fault), and restricted mineralogy is associated with variable grades and textures from fault contacts inward. Mineralization occurs within a range/mix of breccia, colloform banded quartz, crustiform quartz, and multi-phase banded sulfides with coarsegrained quartz intergrowths. Base-metal sulfides include massive galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite; +/-disseminated remnants of pyrite; +/- trace rhodochrosite; later quartz veins cut through sulfides; other trace sulfides include euhedral arsenopyrite overgrowths on dendritic native silver, magnetite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, acanthite, bornite, and tetrahedrite-tennanite. Areas of secondary sericite, clay, and microcrystalline quartz are often observed in petrographic analysis with complex intermixtures of hydrothermal, metasomatic, and retrograde minerals, including cordierite diopside, albite, calcite, epidote, adularia, chlorite, and clay. EM-EDX analyses confirmed the presence of argentite and freibergite associated with the leaching of base metals. Gold and silver are suggested as occurring late in the paragenetic sequence (after base metal sulfides and after a leaching/fracturing event). Gold occurs as micron-size “inclusions” in “recrystallized” arsenopyrite around vugs; antimony also appears related to gold based on petrographic evidence (Hansley, 2012).

Baja Vein
The Baja vein was discovered during an exploration drilling program on the Arista vein and generally hosts high-grade silver mineralization. The Baja vein occurs as a 1.0 m to 1.5+ m wide mineralized structure with mineralization hosted within fractures and associated with crustiform features filling opened spaces. The vein comprises several splays and parallel veins of varying lengths and widths, including Splay 66. The general orientation is 310°-320°, dipping 70°SW to vertical, and has been developed, to date, by underground workings in the Arista mine between 460-800 masl elevations. It has a strike length (defined through drilling) of at least 500 m. The vein typically consists of multi-phase vuggy textured, crustiform banded, coarse-grained quartz, with some quartz replacement of carbonate; in addition, adularia replaced by carbonate has also been noted. Sulfides include fine to very fine-grained and banded occurrences, often disseminated at vein contacts. These are characteristics: bladed galena (possibly replacing carbonate), massive sphalerite, coarse stibnite, fine-grained and disseminated chalcopyrite, and pyrite. Other significant sulfides include proustite (Ag3AsS3), pyrargyrite (Ag3SbS3), and other silver minerals. Petrography has identified sub microscopic gold and argentite (after base metal sulfides), antimony associated with gold, and trace amounts of kyanite, corundum, and garnet.

Aire Vein
The Aire vein is located at about 100 m west of the Arista vein and is oriented 345°, dipping 70°SW to vertical. It is hosted mainly by andesite, with some rhyolite occurring to the east of the vein. The Aire vein has been traced for over 400 m along the strike. Mineralization styles are similar to those veins previously described with abundant vuggy, replacement (after carbonate), coarse and cruciform quartz (locally recrystallized); sulfides often occur as massive masses including sphalerite, galena, proustite (microveinlets in sphalerite), disseminated arsenopyrite, and native silver; accessory minerals include abundant corundum (inclusions in quartz), adularia (as microveinlets) replaced by alunite, rhodochrosite rhombs (suggested as late-stage or post-event), calcite, sillimanite and kaolinite, fine-grained K-spar and rounded zircon. While not economically significant, its exploration led to the discovery of the Arista mine.

Soledad Vein (Switchback Vein System)
Surface mapping in the ‘’Switchback’’ Hill area, approximately 500 meters northeast of the Arista underground mine, indicated the presence of an NNW-SSE trending porphyritic felsic dike with associated intense sulfate (gypsum) alteration and minor quartz-amethyst veining, sub-parallel to the Arista vein system. Geochemical rock chip samples taken by DDGM geologists from this altered zone returned base metal anomalies with weakly elevated silver values. Subsequent holes drilled from the Arista mine underground workings along strike to the south of this area intercepted multiple zones of well-mineralized vein material, associated with a strongly porphyritic felsic dike.

Arista Manto Vein
The Alta Gracia property hosts multiple sub-parallel veins and splays of varying length and width. Visible silver mineralization observed in the Alta Gracia veins includes accessory sulfide and sulfosalts such as pyrargyrite-proustite, arsenopyrite, abundant (3-5%) high color euhedral, and disseminated pyrite, sphalerite, traces of covelite, jamesonite, tetrahedrite, stibnite, and galena. Vein textures include carbonate coatings on quartz, bladed carbonate replacement by silica, banding/cockade white to grey quartz, druzy quartz coatings, massive amethyst, and open space voids and clay fillings. Other evidence for the presence of mineralization includes minerals such as malachite-azurite, limonite-hematite, and other oxides; argillization alteration as pervasive kaolinite, sericite, and illite, as well as zones with vuggy silica flooding.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

During the first and second quarter of 2022 and during the first quarter of 2023, tonnes milled includes 1,043, 215, and 1,060 purchased tonnes, respectively, related to a collaborative initiative with a local community to ensure the proper environmental treatment and storage of the material.
CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Gold Payable metal koz  ....  Subscribe
Silver Payable metal oz  ....  Subscribe
Gold Metal in conc./ doré koz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2927282830
Silver Metal in conc./ doré oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,722,8521,672,0341,773,2631,857,6582,506,337
Copper Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4.13.62.52.32.9
Lead Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2016128.99.2
Zinc Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5244363231
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Daily milling rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,980 t1,764 t1,301 t1,295 t1,220 t
Daily milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,800 t1,500 t
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe693,173 t611,670 t449,177 t450,221 t413,626 t
Waste OP+UG  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
Credits (by-product) Gold Equivalent USD -1,845 / oz   -1,638 / oz   -1,219 / oz  
Total cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD 2,109 / oz   1,722 / oz   1,294 / oz  
Total cash costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 264 / oz **   84 / oz **   75 / oz **  
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Gold Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 646 / oz **   655 / oz **   590 / oz **  
All-in costs Gold Equivalent USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 994 / oz **   617 / oz **  
^ Guidance / Forecast.
** Net of By-Product.

Operating Costs

Currency2022202120202019
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Financials

Units2023202220212020201920182017
Sustaining costs M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 12.5   20.6   21.2  
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe 18   24   21.8  
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 120.3   115.3   110.2  
Gross profit M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 28.6   33.7   42.1  
Operating Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 24.1  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 17.4   20.6   20.4  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 13, 2024
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 13, 2024
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....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 13, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021

Aerial view:

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