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Mexico
Guanajuato Complex (Guanajuato Mine, San Ignacio Mine)

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 Location:
0 km from Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

  Address:
Ex Hacienda de Bustos S/N Colonia Cata
Guanajuato
Guanajuato, Mexico
36010
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
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  • Filings & News

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Overview

StatusCare and Maintenance
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
  • Cut & Fill
Processing
  • Filter press plant
  • Flotation
The Guanajuato Mine Complex (the “GMC”) comprises the Guanajuato mine, the San Ignacio mine and the Cata processing plant. Great Panther placed the GMC on care and maintenance (Guanajuato and Cata processing plant in November 2021 and the San Ignacio mine in early January 2022) while awaiting permits to extend the tailings facility or find other alternatives to maximize the value of GMC.
Latest NewsGSilver to Acquire 100% of Great Panther’s Mexican Mining Assets     June 29, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 18
CompanyInterestOwnership
Great Panther Mining Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Minera Mexicana El Rosario, S.A. de C.V. (operator) 100 % Direct
Great Panther Silver owns a 100% interest in the claims through Great Panther’s wholly owned Mexican subsidiary, Minera Mexicana el Rosario SA de CV.

Deposit Type

  • Epithermal
  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork


Summary:

The mineral deposits in the Guanajuato area are classic fissure-hosted low-sulphidation epithermal gold-silver-bearing quartz veins and stockwork. Mineralization of economic importance consists of fine-grained disseminations of acanthite, electrum, aguilarite, and naumannite with accessory pyrite, and relatively minor sphalerite, galena, and chalcopyrite. Gangue minerals include quartz, calcite, adularia, and sericite. The veins are accompanied by hydrothermal alteration consisting of argillic, phyllic, silicic, and propylitic facies. Mineral textures in this zone are typically fracture-filling, drusy, and coliform masses.

Guanajuato
At Guanajuato, Cenozoic volcanic and volcanogenic sediments unconformably overlie the Mesozoic basement rocks. In the area, the oldest Cenozoic unit is the Paleocene Comanja granite, (66 Ma – 56 Ma), this was followed by the Eocene extrusion of andesite (56 Ma – 33.9 Ma) which was sporadically deposited and contemporaneous with the deposition of the Guanajuato conglomerate in localized grabens. The Guanajuato conglomerate underlies an unconformity beneath a sequence of felsic to mafic volcanic rocks that consist of Oligocene ignimbrites, lava flows and domes (33.9 Ma – 23 Ma).

The best mineralization is often found related to bends in the Veta Madre orientation (Barclay, 2007 and Rhys, 2013) such as at San Vicente in the Rayas area, and at Cata and Santa Margarita. These structural bends may be due to changes in rock type competencies, and varying thickness of the diorite dyke. The potential to find further mineralization both laterally, and in parallel breccia structures to know precious metal mineralization zones is considered excellent.

The vertical extent of the deposits at Guanajuato spans over 700m (2,200m to 1,500m elevations and open to depth). Mineralization occurring above 2,100m elevation was termed “upper ore”, between 2,100m and 1,700m “lower ore”, and below the 1,700m elevation “deep ore”. Fluid inclusion microscope work from over 850 samples gather through the mine and in deep drilling from the Santa Margarita area, indicated boiling zones from the 2,100m to 1500m (deepest drilling at the GMC) elevations. Structural observations of up to eight stages of crosscutting brecciation, and the variable range of Ag:Au ratios indicate that the mineralization along the Veta Madre is associated with multi-phase structural activity and fluid flow.

San Ignacio
The San Ignacio property is underlain by a monotonous package of basalt (Kbas) and andesite (Kanlf) volcanic rocks belonging to the lower Cretaceous La Luz andesite (Randall R. et al., 1994; Stewart, 2006; Baker, 2012). The basalt generally has subtle to well-developed pillow structures that are locally flattened. In a few localities, inter-pillow hyaloclastite is present and is characterized by a fine breccia composed of devitrified glass shards in a fine groundmass. Primary layering and tops-up indicators are generally difficult to determine from the small outcrops typical of the property, but according to Stewart (2006), the San Ignacio property stratigraphy is not overturned.

The most important phase of mineralization in the Guanajuato district consists of epithermal silver-gold veins contained within northwest-trending, Cenozoic-age faults. La Luz structure consists of numerous mineralized fractures in a northwesterly trending orientation, which extends for a known strike of approximately 8 km long. Historically productive veins on the property include Veta Melladito, and Veta Purisima. Veins identified in the recent Great Panther drilling are the Melladito, Melladito BO, Intermediate, Intermediate 2, Nombre de Dios, Nombre de Dios 1.5, Nombre de Dios 2, Nombre de Dios 2S, Nombre de Dios 3, Melladito South, 700, Purisima, Purisima HW, Purisima Int., Purisima Bo, and Santo Nino. Mineralization is contained within tabular veins, vein stockwork, and breccias. The sixteen veins with structural continuity inferred from surface mapping and diamond drilling from surface, and now with extensive underground development, have been defined up to 2,200 meters along strike and 150 meters down dip. The Melladito and Intermediate veins(6) of the veins are very steeply dipping, the Nombre de Dios veins (5) are shallowly dipping (45-50 degrees west) and are likely off-shoots of the Intermediate veins, and the Purisima veins (5) are shallowly dipping at 45-50 degrees to the west. The veins are accompanied by hydrothermal alteration, consisting of argillic, phyllic, silicic, and propylitic facies.


Mining Methods

  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
  • Cut & Fill


Summary:

The Guanajuato Mine Compleex (the “GMC”) comprises the Guanajuato and San Ignacio operations. Typically, all zones at the GMC are extracted by the Cut & Fill mining method.

Guanajuato mine
Guanajuato consists of a series of interconnected, previously independent, mines including Promontorio, Santa Margarita, Rayas, Los Pozos, Cata, Valenciana and Guanajuatito.

Mining at Guanajuato predominantly comprises cut and fill stoping, with some pillar recovery in historic workings, and a few zones where mineralized extensions are discovered and mined over a period of a few months. Mining is generally more selective using jacklegs. However, where possible, mechanized cut and fill is utilized.

Two main shafts serve access to the active mine areas, while several other old shafts provide ventilation support. The Rayas shaft is used for transportation of personnel and supplies, while the Cata shaft, located just above the processing plant is used to transport the mineralized material for milling. These are currently de-energized and access of men and materials and egress of ore is via the Rayas ramps, San Vicente and Guanajuatito that provide the access at each end of the mine network, including for mobile equipment.

Mining is conducted by contractors, primarily sourced from nearby communities, utilizing equipment owned by the Company and the contractors. Mine contractors and equipment are alternated between the mines, including San Ignacio, to accommodate the mining sequencing.

Guanajuatito Zone
Guanajuatito has been producing ore since 2006. Production came predominantly from the 1730, 1700, 1605, and 1540masl elevations (430, 400, 305, and 260 levels) with hanging-wall ramp completed to the 1730 masl elevation (430 level). The ore zones of Guanajuatito are exploited by the Cut and Fill mining method with a ramp to the bottom of the vein being extended at depth.

Valenciana Zone
Exploration development has commenced in the Valenciana zones on the 245, 360 and 460 levels; production restarted in the last two months of 2016. Exploitation is within several footwall zones to the Veta Madre.

Cata Zone
The Cata zone is composed of five separate mineral zones that vary in widths from 2 to less than 1 meter. These zones are extracted by the Cut and Fill mining method. Sub-levels off the access ramp are between 20 and 30 meters apart. Mining of the Cata Clavo reached the 550 level where development and stoping was carried out on the Veta Madre vein. Mining at Cata was discontinued in late 2018. Cata Clavo is a relatively steeply dipping structure that has been identified for mining from the 1550masl elevation (550 level) to the 1665 masl elevation (435 level). The mining area was up to 100 meters long and up to 10 meters wide. The Veta Madre FW, Contact, Veta Madre HW, Alto 1 to Alto 4 zones are located on the hanging wall side of the Veta Madre and the multiple zones are close to each another. In some areas, the combined Veta Madre to Alto 4 generates an overall width exceeding 30 metres.

Los Pozos Zone
At the Los Pozos SE zone mining is underway above the 310 level, both on remnant mineralization as well as recovery of old pillars. Mineralization is related to both the Veta Madre and Santa Margarita (hanging wall) structures as well as transverse structures.The Los Pozos deposits are relatively steeply dipping structures that have been identified for mining from the 2025 masl elevation (75 / 83 levels), 1980 masl (120 level), 1940 masl (160 level), to the 1790 masl elevation (310 level).

Santa Margarita Zone
The Santa Margarita gold rich vein has been explored by ramp development from the 390 level to the 500 level. The ramp has been driven from the 1710 masl elevation (390 level) and extended down to the 1560 masl elevation (540 level). Extractions are by cut and fill mining methods. Santa Margarita was in production from March 2009 to late 2018.

Promontorio Zone
Production restarted from Promontorio in March of 2017 and exploration development continues to define this zone. It is a quartz stockwork system within the hanging-wall conglomerates, immediately above the Veta Madre. Minor production came from the 110 level before C&M commenced at the end of 2018. Presently there is production from the 160 and 275 levels.

San Ignacio mine
The mining method is mechanized cut and fill, with fill provided by waste development. Jacklegs are used in stopes for vertical to 70 degree production holes, and if necessary the hanging wall can be blasted to create a 2.0 m wide stope.

The mining at San Ignacio began in the third quarter of 2013. The bulk of the 2021 mining is on the Nombre de Dios zones, with lesser production from Melladito South and Intermediate zones, and initial development in the Purisima zone.

Cut and Fill mining is used to extract material defined by mining blocks. The main ramp (4.5 metres wide by 4.5 metres high) has a slope of 12%. It was developed using a single-arm electric Jumbo, a 6 yard Scoop Tram, and a combination of conventional 20-tonne trucks and an underground truck.

The mineralized rock is transported by truck to the Cata plant using conventional 20-tonne trucks.


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Jaw crusher 24" x 36" 1
Cone crusher ....................... Subscription required 1
Cone crusher ....................... Subscription required 5.5' 1
Ball mill ....................... Subscription required 7' x 14' 3
Regrind 4' x 5' 1

Summary:

Crushing & Grinding Circuits
The ore from the 1,000-tonne capacity hopper is transferred along a 48-inch-wide belt to a 24 inch by 36-inch PettiBone jaw crusher where the 12-inch feed is reduced to less than 3-inch diameter. The feed from the jaw crusher exits along a 36-inchwide belt and feeds a 6 ft wide by 20 ft long double bed vibrating Ludowici screen. The Ludowici screen separates the feed by size with the upper bed separating material greater than 1 inch and the lower bed separating material less than ¼ inch. This ¼ inch “fine” material is then fed along a 24-inch belt to a hopper prior to grinding (currently feed on average of 88% less than ¼ to the mill). The over size from the Ludowici screen is fed to a Metso (300HP) secondary cone crusher for further size reduction which is then fed back to the Ludowici screen along a 24-inch belt to ensure the material is the appropriate size for the mill. The crushing circuit has a backup Simmons 5½ short head cone crusher that is utilized as needed.

Milling
Immediately after the crushing, the ore is stored in a series of "fines hoppers" which has a capacity of 1,800 tonnes. This material passes through chutes at the bottom of the hopper to feed three 24-inch-wide belts where the material is weighed (continuous weighing scale) and fed into three twin Denver of 7 ft by 14 ft ball-mills which are coated inside by a chromiummolybdenum alloy shield on the surface of the cylinder and natural rubber on the "heads". The grinding material used in these mills are 2.5-inch diameter high chrome alloy cast balls. The ¼ inch crushed material enters the ball mill where the movement, impacts and attrition from the balls promotes the wet pulverization of the mineral which is discharged by the mill as a "thick mineral pulp" where approximately 70% of the material by weight is solid and the remaining 30% is water. This thick mineral pulp is then diluted by adding water and feeds into 4 by 3-inch Krebs pumps where the material then feeds a series of Gmax G10 hydro-cyclone classifiers (two cyclones per mill) which carry out the classification of fines before entering the flotation circuit (75% of the material passing minus 200 meshes with automatic sampling). The average content of this material is 28% solid by weight and 72% water. The oversize material is returned to the mill for re-grinded in the closed circuit which has a "circulating load" of 350% thus ensuring the best release of the particles of interest. At this stage of grinding, reagents are added as the ore entersthe mills. This includes the addition of two specific reagents which promote the recovery of gold and silver (promoter MaxGold 900 and promoter 7310, both Cyteg brand products).


Processing

  • Filter press plant
  • Flotation

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Mineral feed from both the Guanajuato Mine and San Ignacio Mine are processed at the GMC metallurgical plant at the Guanajuato Mine.

The processing plant utilized five stages as follows: crushing, milling, flotation, thickening and filtering and produces a concentrate of iron sulphide (pyrite) with high values of gold and silver which are marketed and sold as the final product.

The ore is delivered by truck from GMC’s mines to the ore processing yard at Cata which has a storage capacity of 1,500 tonnes. The material is fed onto a gravity fed grizzly with 12-inch steel grid openings where it falls into a hopper with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes where ore processing begins.

Flotation Circuits
After grinding and conditioning by the initial reagents the material enters a 20 cubic meter capacity tank where additional reagents are added (promoter, collector and surfactant, Promoter 7310, Aerophine 3416 both Cyteg and cc-1065 SF surfactant brand PQM) and a ........

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2021202020192018201720162015
Silver Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required87.989.287.989.2
Silver Head Grade, g/t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required129151163192
Gold Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required87.186.986.490.2
Gold Head Grade, g/t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2.272.412.432.35
Silver Concentrate Grade, g/t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required10,852
Gold Concentrate Grade, g/t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required134

Production:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Silver oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1,096,7571,386,9641,473,2291,708,061
Gold oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Equivalent oz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required185,587 t301,014 t316,810 t320,043 t
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required187,610 t300,624 t319,963 t320,903 t
Daily processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Daily processing rate  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at July 31, 2021:
Guanajuato mine: Cut-offs are based on the marginal operating costs per mining area being US$135.70/tonne for Cata, US$135.70/tonne for Santa Margarita, US$96.50/tonne for Los Pozos, US$124.90/tonne for Guanajuatito, US$148.50/tonne for Promontorio, and US$113.10/tonne for Valenciana.

San Ignacio mine: Cut-offs are based on the marginal operating costs per mining area being US$127.40/tonne for San Ignacio.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Measured & Indicated 519,493 t Silver 196 g/t 3,269,927 oz
Measured & Indicated 519,493 t Gold 2.3 g/t 38,386 oz
Measured & Indicated 519,493 t Silver Equivalent 391 g/t 6,537,755 oz
Measured & Indicated 519,493 t Gold Equivalent 4.61 g/t 76,915 oz
Inferred 665,977 t Silver 194 g/t 4,149,076 oz
Inferred 665,977 t Gold 2.42 g/t 51,876 oz
Inferred 665,977 t Silver Equivalent 400 g/t 8,558,540 oz
Inferred 665,977 t Gold Equivalent 4.7 g/t 100,689 oz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018201720162015
Credits (by-product) Silver USD  ......  Subscription required
Cash costs (sold) Silver USD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 10.2 / oz† 4.32 / oz† 0.85 / oz† 5.77 / oz†
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Silver USD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 14.1 / oz† 9.17 / oz† 5.2 / oz† 9.93 / oz†
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units201920182017201620152014
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD 95107927891107

Financials:

Units2021202020192018201720162015
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.1   2.1   2.8   4.3  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required39.6   49.4   49.8   57.7  
Pre-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1   10.9   17.9   1.5  
After-tax Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.1   10   16.9   1.6  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 1, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jun 1, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2021
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2020
Subscription required 2019
Subscription required 2018
Subscription required 2017

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Other 2022
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Financial Review 2018
Management Discussion & Analysis 2018
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2018
Financial Review 2017
Management Discussion & Analysis 2017
Management Discussion & Analysis 2016
Financial Review 2015
Management Discussion & Analysis 2015
Management Discussion & Analysis 2014
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
GSilver to Acquire 100% of Great Panther’s Mexican Mining Assets June 29, 2022
Great Panther Files NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Guanajuato Mine Complex February 28, 2022
Great Panther Reports Full Year 2021 Production of 105,006 Gold Equivalent Ounces and Provides 2022 Guidance January 19, 2022
Great Panther Files NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Guanajuato Mine Complex December 22, 2020
Great Panther Announces Updated Mineral Resource Estimates at GMC... November 23, 2020
Great Panther Announces Restart of Mexican Operations June 3, 2020
Great Panther Provides Update on Mexican Operations April 24, 2020
Great Panther Announces Temporary Suspension of Mexican Operations April 2, 2020
Great Panther Files NI 43-101 Technical Reports on the Guanajuato Mine Complex March 30, 2020
Great Panther Silver Increases Mineral Resource Estimate at the Guanajuato Mine Complex January 26, 2018

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