Overview
Status | Care and Maintenance |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Overhand Cut & Fill
- Longhole stoping
- Dry waste backfill
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 7 years (as of Jan 1, 2015) |
The La Guitarra milling and mining operations were placed under care and maintenance effective August 3, 2018. No mining or exploration is being carried out at this time. |
Latest News | First Majestic Announces Closing Sale of La Guitarra to Sierra Madre March 30, 2023 |
Source:
p. 94
The La Guitarra Silver Mine is owned and operated by the Company’s wholly-owned indirect subsidiary, La Guitarra Compañia Minera S.A. de C.V.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Vein / narrow vein
- Epithermal
Summary:
Vein deposits at La Guitarra have physiochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the Intermediate Sulphidation epithermal type and fit thevein deposit model proposed by Buchanan(1981). Epithermal deposits form atshallow depths in volcanic-hydrothermal and geothermal environments. They define a spectrum with two end members, low and high sulfidation (Hedenquist et al., 1998). Intermediate Sulphidation epithermal deposits form part of the epithermal spectrum and their genesis is complex due to the involvement of fluids with meteoric or magmatic origin during their formation and to the fluid evolution.
There are in excess of one hundred epithermal veins within the property in five main vein systems: Comales–Nazareno, Coloso (Jessica and Joya Larga veins), La Guitarra (NW, Central and SE zones), Mina de Agua and El Rincón. The vein systems at La Guitarra property form a belt with an approximate width of 4 km that strikes NW – SE in excess of 15 km. Individual veins pinch and swell and vary in width from tens of centimetres to more than twenty metres. Economic zones, widths usually between 1 and 4 metres, are embedded in quartz (vein structure) having widths up to 20 metres (e.g. Guitarra vein). The ore shoots or economic zones can either be localized in the hanging wall or the foot wall of the vein structure.
Gangue mineralogy consists of banded quartz, amethyst quartz, colloform chalcedony, finegrained crystalline quartz, calcite, fluorite, pyrite, mar ........

Mining Methods
- Overhand Cut & Fill
- Longhole stoping
- Dry waste backfill
Summary:
The La Guitarra Silver Mine comprises two operating mines, La Guitarra and Coloso, and three past producing areas, the Nazareno, Mina de Agua and El Rincón, which are now considered as exploration areas.
Given the narrow vein conditions, mining in La Guitarra Silver Mine is undertaken using primarily the conventional overhand cut-and-fill mining method, with limited application of longhole stoping in areas where the vein is found with thickness of 3 or more metres in width.
The cut-and-fill stoping cycle is started with blast holes drilled using hand held jackleg drills followed by blasting using conventional mining explosives. After blasting, LHD’s are used to muck the blasted ore. The cut and fill stopes are generally 100 m in length along strike and extend between levels which are typically spaced 15 to 30 m apart vertically. Each cut is 2.5 to 3.0 m in height. Depending on ground conditions, the blast holes are drilled either upward or horizontally. Waste and mineralized material below cut-off grade is blasted down and used as backfill as needed.
Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Silver
|
Payable metal
|
oz
| 340,973 | 581,120 | 875,967 | 895,684 | 620,393 |
Silver
|
Metal in concentrate
|
oz
| 358,919 | 611,705 | 923,597 | 945,662 | 636,301 |
Gold
|
Metal in concentrate
|
oz
| ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  |
Silver Equivalent
|
Metal in concentrate
|
oz
| ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  |
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Daily milling capacity
| ......  | ......  | 500 t | | 500 t | 500 t |
Tonnes milled
| ......  | ......  | | 80,435 t | 127,842 t | 155,696 t |
Daily milling rate
| ......  | ......  | | 385 t | 365 t | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Measured
|
Sulphide
|
57 kt
|
Silver
|
217 g/t
|
390 koz
|
Measured
|
Sulphide
|
57 kt
|
Gold
|
1.55 g/t
|
2.8 koz
|
Measured
|
Sulphide
|
57 kt
|
Silver Equivalent
|
347 g/t
|
630 koz
|
Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
644 kt
|
Silver
|
228 g/t
|
4,740 koz
|
Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
644 kt
|
Gold
|
1.19 g/t
|
24.6 koz
|
Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
644 kt
|
Silver Equivalent
|
328 g/t
|
6,810 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
701 kt
|
Silver
|
227 g/t
|
5,130 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
701 kt
|
Gold
|
1.22 g/t
|
27.4 koz
|
Measured & Indicated
|
Sulphide
|
701 kt
|
Silver Equivalent
|
330 g/t
|
7,450 koz
|
Inferred
|
Sulphide
|
1,044 kt
|
Silver
|
240 g/t
|
8,040 koz
|
Inferred
|
Sulphide
|
1,044 kt
|
Gold
|
0.71 g/t
|
23.7 koz
|
Inferred
|
Sulphide
|
1,044 kt
|
Silver Equivalent
|
299 g/t
|
10,020 koz
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Credits (by-product)
|
Silver
|
USD
|
|
-11.06 / oz
|
-10.92 / oz
|
Cash costs
|
Silver
|
USD
|
|
19.9 / oz
|
13.8 / oz
|
Total cash costs
|
Silver
|
USD
|
22.4 / oz
|
22.6 / oz
|
18.2 / oz
|
Total cash costs
|
Silver
|
USD
|
9.79 / oz†
|
11.5 / oz†
|
7.23 / oz†
|
All-in sustaining costs (AISC)
|
Silver
|
USD
|
16.1 / oz†
|
19 / oz†
|
13.3 / oz†
|
† Net of By-Product.
Operating Costs:
| Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
UG mining costs ($/t milled)
|
USD
| | 34.7 | 34.8 | 20 |
Processing costs ($/t milled)
|
USD
| | ......  | ......  | ......  |
Total operating costs ($/t milled)
|
USD
| ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  |
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Financials:
| Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
Sustaining costs
|
M USD
|
2.1
|
4.2
|
|
Capital expenditures
|
M USD
|
5.3
|
9.8
|
9
|
Revenue
|
M USD
|
9.3
|
15.4
|
21.6
|
Operating Income
|
M USD
|
-3.3
|
-3.3
|
3.3
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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News:
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