The oxide tailings deposit comprises historic recovery plant residue material that was wasted from processing plants during the earlier period of open pit mining of the Avino Vein. The oxide tailings are partially covered by younger unconsolidated sulphide tailings on the northwest side.
The Avino tailings dam is located approximately 500 m west southwest of the main shaft to the old underground workings and 2.5 km southwest of the San Gonzalo Vein.
Within the tailings dam, there are three distinct benches:
* lower oxide bench;
* middle oxide bench;
* upper bench or sulphide bench.
Due to the historical processing sequence, the oxide tailings are primarily derived from weathered and oxidized rocks close to the surface on the Property, whereas the sulphide tailings are predominantly derived from material sourced at depth from the underground workings, below the weathered/leached zone.
In the oxide zone, mineralization is primarily hosted by the minerals argentite, bromargyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, galena, sphalerite, bornite, native silver, gold, and native copper. Other minerals present in mineralized areas, but not hosting the metals of interest, include hematite, chlorite, quartz, barite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite. Malachite, anglesite and limonite are common in the quartz zones of the weathered parts of the oxide material.
On the Property, the oxide tailings have been predominantly sourc ........
