SilverCrest Confirms Underground High Grades at Santa Elena

SilverCrest Mines Inc. (TSX:SVL,NYSEMKT:SVLC) announced the results of underground drilling at its 100-percent-owned Santa Elena mine in Sonora, Mexico. Twenty-five closely spaced underground drill holes totaling 2,856 meters were completed to better define reserves and verify widths and grades for planned production stopes.

As stated in the press release:

The initial production stope is currently being drilled with delivery of ore to the mill expected to commence once the cycle of drilling and blasting is completed and sufficient broken ore is available for extraction. Further details on the commencement of production stoping will be provided as the operations progress. Approximately 17,100 tonnes of higher grade development ore (grading 1.14 gpt Au and 87.46 gpt Ag) were processed in August along with ore from the leach pad.

N. Eric Fier, president and CEO of SilverCrest, said:

This underground drill program was successful in confirming previous resource model expectations with delineation of high grade zones in the initial stopes scheduled for production in 2014 and 2015. Valuable information was also provided from the program to better define reserves and first stope mine designs. This detailed in-fill information continues to improve our model and enhances tonnage and grade projections for production planning and budgeting.

Click here to read the SilverCrest Mines Inc. (TSX:,SVL,NYSE,MKT:,SVLC) press release.