The Juanicipio deposit consists of two main vein systems, the Valdecañas vein system and the Juanicipio vein, which are significant silver-gold epithermal structures. The Valdecañas vein system consists of five veins (V1E, V1W, HW1, VANT, and V2W) and the Juanicipio vein (VJUA). Both systems strike east-southeast and dip 35° to 70° with an average dip of about 58° southwest. The Valdecañas vein system displays the metal zonation typical of the Fresnillo District and epithermal veins in general, of an upper precious metal zone (Bonanza Zone) grading downwards into a deeper base metal zone (Deep Zone). There is significant evidence for a repeat of this zonation in the deeper reaches, perhaps reflecting “stacked” boiling levels (Buchanan, 1981). The Valdecañas structure hosts the majority of the Mineral Resources currently estimated on the Juanicipio property. The Juanicipio vein is located some 1,100 m to the south of the Valdecañas vein. Thirty-five drillholes contribute to the definition of this vein. Overall, Juanicipio is a much thinner vein and appears to have a higher gold content; however, this interpretation is based on a limited number of overall samples. Mineralization styles and host rocks are the same as those for Valdecañas. The Valdecañas vein system has undergone multiple mineralizing events as suggested by various stages of brecciation and quartz sealing, local rhythmic microcrystalline quartz-pyrargyrite-acanthite banding, and open-space cocks-comb textures ........

The primary mining is longhole stoping, wich production rate of 4,000 tpd. Some cost savings and production efficiencies have been identified with the use of waste rock fill, which is now considered as the primary backfill; in the wider stopes where more than one longitudinal pass is required, cemented rock fill will be utilized.

The proposed mining method employs zone access via three internal ramps on 20 m sub-levels, as well as footwall access to the extents of the mineralization to allow placement of rock fill. Stopes 20 m high (floor to floor) are mined from the extents back to the central access (on retreat) with rock fill placed within 20 m of the blasting face.

In the lower levels of the vein, the vein widens out to a maximum thickness of approximately 30 m. In these areas, the vein will be mined in two longitudinal passes with a maximum width of 15 m. The footwall stope will be taken first over the full strike length, followed by the hangingwall stope. Cemented rock fill will be used in the footwall stope to prevent waste entering the hanging wall stope.

Truck haulage, shaft hoisting, and conveying have been considered for transferring mineralized rock and waste from the mine workings to surface. All waste not placed directly in stopes will be trucked to surface via twin access declines, where it will be stockpiled and later used for backfilling stopes as they are mined out. In early mining, mineralized rock from development and stop ........

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