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Mexico
Santa Elena Operation (Ermitaño (Ermitano) Expansion Mine)

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 Location:
130 km NE from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
  Regional Office:
Calle San Miguel No. 55 Colonia San Antonio
Hermosillo
Sonora, Mexico
83260
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Fax662-267-0182
WebsiteWeb
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News
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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
  • Longhole stoping
  • Avoca
  • Backfill
Production Start...
Mine Life2027
The Santa Elena Mine operation consists of the Santa Elena and Ermitaño underground mines. In December 2022 active mining operations at the Santa Elena mine were temporarily suspended. The Ermitaño mine went into production in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The Ermitaño mine produces primarily gold, and it dominated Santa Elena’s production in 2022. For 2023, strong gold production is expected to continue as development will focus primarily on Ermitaño, and the plant will only process Ermitaño ores. First Majestic identified a new vein in the Santa Elena mine, called Silvanna, and plans to aggressively drill test the area in 2023 with the goal of finding and defining mineralization of economic grade along the new vein.

First Majestic Silver successfully upgraded Santa Elena's LNG powerplant with four additional generators, increasing capacity from 12MW to 24MW, to supply low-cost, clean power to the Ermitaño mine and the new dual-circuit plant.

Owners

Source: p. 53
CompanyInterestOwnership
First Majestic Silver Corp. 100 % Indirect
Nusantara de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (operator) 100 % Direct
The mine is owned and operated by Nusantara de Mexico S.A. de C.V., which is an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of First Majestic Silver Corp.

Contractors

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Deposit Type

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

Summary:

Deposit Type The Santa Elena and Ermitaño deposits are examples of epithermal low to intermediate sulphidation gold– silver vein deposits. The Santa Elena mine and Ermitaño project gold and silver depositsform as prominent east–west-trending veins and associated breccias in sub-aerial felsic volcanic rocks. The Santa Elena Main Vein is delineated by drilling along a 1,950 m strike length and 750 m down dip. The Ermitaño Vein is delineated by drilling along an 1,850 m strike length and vertically over 550 m, starting at surface. Mineralization Santa Elena Silver and gold mineralization at the Santa Elena mine is hosted in quartz veins and stockworks displaying typical epithermal textures, including banded quartz, vuggy quartz, and brown–black bladed calcite (pseudomorph to quartz) with many of these textures intermixed with hydrothermal breccia. Other gangue minerals include calcite, adularia, chlorite, and fluorite. Rhodonite has been noted at approximately 530 m vertical depth. Bonanza ore shoots appear to be locally present but have not been delineated in detail. A trend of higher grades and thicker veining is apparent with a plunge of approximately 25° to the east. Up to 200 m of a pyrite and calcite matrix breccia in the hanging wall andesite proximal to the Main Vein has been intersected. Sulphide abundance is generally low within the veins but can be as much as 5–30%. The sulphides are dominantly pyrite and pyrrhotite with minor galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite ........

Mining Methods

  • Mechanized Cut & Fill
  • Longhole stoping
  • Avoca
  • Backfill

Summary:

The Santa Elena Mine operation consists of the Santa Elena and Ermitaño underground mines. Mining activities are conducted by First Majestic and contractor personnel. In December 2022 active mining operations at the Santa Elena mine were temporarily suspended and all mining was concentrated on the Ermitano mine for 2023 as exploration activities continued in both mines.

Multiple mining methods are required to achieve an efficient extraction of mineralized material at site. Three wellestablished methods were selected for mining extraction at Santa Elena: Longitudinal longhole stoping, Modified Avoca, and Cut-and-fill. The Modified Avoca mining method was selected for the Ermitaño project.

Santa Elena
Longitudinal longhole stoping: Main Vein, Alejandra Bajo, Alejandra Alto, and América veins
Longitudinal longhole mining is suitable where the dip of the orebody is 45° or greater, and the mineralized material is of sufficient width and grade. Longitudinal longhole mining consists of an undercut level and an overcut level, each accessed from the main ramp or a transportation drift. Each sill is accessed perpendicular from the ramp, and then developed along strike of the vein to the economic extents of the ore. Once sill development is completed on each level, a longhole rig drills production holes between the sills, which are then blasted in retreating vertical slices until the stoping panel is completed.

Once the maximum panel length ........

Crushing and Grinding
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Processing

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

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Production:

CommodityProductUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Silver Metal in doré koz  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required2,2232,282
Gold Metal in doré koz  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Equivalent Metal in doré koz  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Equivalent Payable metal koz  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Silver Payable metal koz  ......  Subscription required
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202220212020201920182017
Daily milling rate  ......  Subscription required
Daily milling capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required3,000 t3,000 t2,750 t2,750 t
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required640,276 t875,435 t899,370 t927,737 t
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required640,276 t875,435 t899,370 t927,737 t
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Metal prices considered for Mineral Reserves estimates were $21.50/oz Ag and $1750/oz Au.

The cut-off values and grades used to constrain the Santa Elena Mineral Resource estimates were $65 for cut and fill and $75 for long hole stoping and 65 g/t Ag-Eq for the heap leach pad. The NSR cut-off value used to constrain Mineral Resources for Ermitaño was $90.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven & Probable 3,839 kt Silver 82 g/t 10,090 koz
Proven & Probable 3,839 kt Gold 2.59 g/t 320 koz
Proven & Probable 3,839 kt Silver Equivalent 381 g/t 46,960 koz
Measured & Indicated 5,018 kt Silver 97 g/t 15,660 koz
Measured & Indicated 5,018 kt Gold 2.89 g/t 466.6 koz
Measured & Indicated 5,018 kt Silver Equivalent 433 g/t 69,820 koz
Inferred 3,856 kt Silver 100 g/t 12,440 koz
Inferred 3,856 kt Gold 2.52 g/t 313 koz
Inferred 3,856 kt Silver Equivalent 400 g/t 49,540 koz

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2023202220212020201920182017
Credits (by-product) Silver USD -23.6 / oz  
Cash costs Silver USD 21.4 / oz  
Total cash costs Silver Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Total cash costs Silver USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 23.7 / oz   22.1 / oz  
Total cash costs Silver USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 0.5 / oz†   -1.54 / oz†  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver Equivalent USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Silver USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 4.54 / oz†   2.22 / oz†  
^ Guidance / Forecast.
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operating Costs:

Units20222021202020192018201720162015
Combined mining costs ($/t milled) USD 19.3  15.1  15.9  
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units2022202120202019201820172016
Sustaining costs M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 8.4   8  
Capital expenditures M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 18.9   18   15.2  
Revenue M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 83.1   92.5   95  
Operating Income M USD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required 18.6   25.2   35.8  
Subscription required - Subscription is required

Water Supply
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Heavy Mobile Equipment as of June 30, 2021:
HME TypeModelSizeQuantity
Drill ....................... Subscription required 80 HP ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required 120 HP ....................... Subscription required
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required 180 HP ....................... Subscription required
Jumbo ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required 355 HP ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required 370 HP ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Truck (underground) 20 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (underground) ....................... Subscription required 545 HP ....................... Subscription required
Truck (underground) ....................... Subscription required 545 HP ....................... Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 20, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 20, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 20, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 20, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 20, 2023
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2021

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
Press Release 2023
Annual Report 2022
Form 40-F 2022
Management Discussion & Analysis 2022
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
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Information Form 2018
Annual Report 2018
Corporate Presentation 2018
Form 40-F 2018
Press Release 2018
Corporate Presentation 2017
Form 40-F 2017
Annual Report 2016
Financial Review 2016
Form 40-F 2016
Project Description 2016
Form 40-F 2015
Pre-Feasibility Study Report 2015
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