At the Bolivar Property, the volcanic rocks strike northwest and dip gently to moderately to the northeast.

Skarn alteration and mineralization at the Bolivar Property is hosted primarily in a package of sedimentary rocks that occur as a layer or lens within the LVS (Reynolds, 2008). All sedimentary units have undergone low grade metamorphism. The lowermost sedimentary horizon observed is a dolostone which ranges from 24 m to 40 m in thickness. The lower part of the dolostone horizon is interlayered with siltstone. To the south, progressively less of the sedimentary sequence is cut out by granodioritic intrusive rocks and the dolostone is observed to be underlain by a siltstone horizon.

The Bolivar deposit is classified as a high-grade Cu-Zn skarn and exhibits many characteristics common to this type of deposit. The term ‘skarn’ refers to coarse-grained calcium or magnesian silicate alteration formed at relatively high temperatures by the replacement of the original rock, which is often carbonate-rich.

The dikes locally cut the granodiorite, have planar, chilled contacts, and are generally finely crystalline. Both their texture and crosscutting relations suggest that the dikes are younger and shallower than the granodiorite. Both granodiorite and andesite dikes have alteration and locally skarn along their contacts. In addition, endoskarns, which are skarns of igneous origin that form within the granite mass itself, affect both the granodiorite and in rare cases, the andesite dikes. Thus, these rocks are older than or at best coeval with alteration/mineralization. The presence of skarn veins cutting an andesite dike is clear evidence that at least some skarn is later than at least some of the andesite dikes. A closer association of granodiorite with skarn alteration and mineralization is suggested by local K-silicate veining of the granodiorite and the zonation of skarn relative to this contact.

Mineralization at the Bolivar Property is hosted by skarn alteration in carbonate rocks adjacent to the Piedras Verde granodiorite. Orientations of the skarn vary dramatically, although the majority are gently-dipping. Thicknesses vary from 2 m to over 20 m. Skarn mineralization is strongly zoned, with proximal Cu-rich garnet skarn in the South Bolivar area, close to igneous contacts, and more distal Zn-rich garnet+pyroxene skarn in the northern Bolivar and southern skarn zones near El Val. The presence of chalcopyrite+bornite dominant skarn (lacking sphalerite) in the South Bolivar area, along with K-silicate veins in the adjacent granodiorite suggests that this zone is close to a center of hydrothermal fluid activity. In contrast, the main Bolivar Mine is characterized by Zn>Cu and more distal skarn mineralogy such as pyroxene>garnet and pale green and brown garnets. Alteration is zoned relative to fluid flow channels. From proximal to distal, the observed sequence is red-brown garnet to brown garnet with chalcopyrite ± bornite ± magnetite to green garnet ± pyroxene with chalcopyrite + sphalerite to massive sulfide (sphalerite ± chalcopyrite ± galena) to marble with stylolites and other fluid escape structures.

Mineralization exhibits strong stratigraphic control and two stratigraphic horizons host the majority: an upper calcic horizon, which predominantly hosts Zn-rich mineralization, and a lower dolomitic horizon, which predominantly hosts Cu-rich mineralization. In both cases, the highest grades are developed where fault or vein structures and associated breccia zones cross these favorable horizons near skarn-marble contacts. Zones of breccia follow faults like the Rosario, Fernandez, and Breccia Linda trends as well as nearly vertical breccia pipes such as La Increible.rly vertical breccia pipes.

Sub-level stoping and room and pillar mining methods are currently used in the main areas of the mine to obtain a production rate of 5,000 tpd.

Using the resources estimated by SRK Consulting through December 2019, Sierra Metals performed a growth analysis to determine how the Bolívar Mine could achieve sustainable production of 7,000 tpd - 15,000 tpd. The analysis indicates that the production objectives are achievable through the expansion of the sub-level stoping mining method in the new production areas, which will allow the sustainability of the operation. A new configuration of the mining method will allow greater recovery of resources and production rates.

The longhole method is applied in the shallow dipping mineralized bodies in Bolivar West. Excavation for longholes with openings of 9.0 m and pillars of 7.0 m x 7.0 m for stope heights between 12.0 m and 15.0 m. From the access ramp, access to the mineralized material is established in the central part of the chamber and the mineral cut begins. A drive is developed within the mineralized material, then the drilling of long holes is carried out and extraction begins. Ramps are established in some cases in mineralized material to minimize waste extraction.

The longhole method is applied to the mineralized structures at the El Gallo Inferior deposit. Each level has 20.0 m of vertical stope height and is accessed through a ramp to the central part of the level. A mineralized material drive is developed to the floor of the structure and then the cutting of the mineralized mineral begins through the mineralized material drive and continues with the drilling of longholes. Then, the mineralized material is extracted through the second ore drive made in the lower part of the level. After every 45.0 m of advance in the mineralized material drive, a perpendicular support pillar of 10.0 m is left.

The primary access is made via ramps of 5.0 m x 5.0 m and then the accesses to the stopes and ore drives are developed with a section of 4.0 m x 4.0 m. The ramps are designed with a maximum gradient of 12%.

The Piedras Verdes processing plant can be adapted to process 10,000 tpd and would require:
• Temporary shutdown to overhaul equipment;
• Purchase of mobile jaw and cone crushers; and
• Overhaul and reintroduction of idle equipment.

The crushing stage is supplied with mineralized material hauled from the mine site using contractor operated haul trucks. A typical haul truck has approximately 20 tonnes capacity and delivers mineralized material from the mine area to the primary crusher’s mineralized material stockpiling area. Trucks can dump directly to the primary crusher or alternatively, to one of several stockpiles. Typically, a front-end loader reclaims mineralized material from the stockpiles and then feeds the jaw crusher.

The crushing plant is fed through a hopper equipped with a 20-inch x 20-inch static grizzly that discharges to a jaw crusher operating in open circuit. The nominal four-inch material discharging from the jaw crusher is classified by two double-deck vibrating screens. The top screen is two inches by one inch and the bottom screen is 3/4 inch by 3/8 inch. Material smaller than 3/8 inch becomes the final crushed product that is transferred to two silos having an individual capacity of 1,000 tonnes each. The vibrating screen’s oversize feeds a secondary crushing stage consisting of two cone crushers. The top screen is conveyed to a Sandvik HC660 cone crusher and the bottom screen oversize is conveyed to a Metso HP-300 cone crusher. The cone crusher’s discharge joins the primary crusher’s discharge and feeds the double-deck vibrating screens.

Feed to the grinding circuit is sourced from two 1,000 tonne silos that hold the final crushed product from the crushing plant. The grinding circuit consists of conventional ball mills operating in closedcircuit operation with hydrocyclones. Two 9.5 ft x 14 ft ball mills operate in parallel, each one in closed circuit with a hydrocyclone cluster. The two ball mills underwent complete overhauls during the end of 2017 to improve mechanical availability. The hydrocyclones were changed from D26 to D20 to improve plant stability. The product size in the cyclone overflow ranges between 34% and 48% passing 75 micrometers, with an average size of 43.5% passing 75 micrometers. The hydrocyclone overflow feeds the flotation circuit. The hydrocyclone underflow stream is returned to the ball mills for further size reduction.

Bolivar’s Piedras Verdes processing plant has been in operation since late 2011. Prior to late 2011, no processing facilities were available on site, and the ore was trucked to the Cusi Mine’s Malpaso Mill located 270 km by road.

Sierra Metals operates the Piedras Verdes conventional concentration plant consisting of crushing, grinding, flotation and concentrate thickening and filtration processes. Flotation tails are placed into a conventional tailings storage facility. Bolivar is also planning to install a magnetic separation circuit to recover magnetite from both flotation tailings and existing old tailings.

Sierra Metals has selected the 10,000 tpd (2024) production rate as the preferred option for Bolivar Expansion.

The flotation circuit operates three identical parallel flotation lines. Each flotation line includes a 12 ft x 12 ft conditioning tank and three DR 300 ft³ rougher flotation cells. From the rougher cells, the overflow feeds the cleani ........