SilverCrest Completes Construction of Las Chispas Processing Plant, Mexico
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SilverCrest Metals said that Ausenco Engineering Canada has completed construction and handed over the Las Chispas processing plant to SilverCrest, ahead of the feasibility study schedule. Other construction activities handled directly by SilverCrest — road, bridge, dry stack tailings facility, temporary diesel power plant and assay lab — have also been completed.
Processing plant commissioning is now underway with the plant expected to reach commercial production in Q4, 2022. Given the extensive amount of underground development completed to date, there is a significant amount of stockpiled ore on surface to allow for a more measured ramp-up of underground mining over the first few years of production and increased operational flexibility. The feasibility study outlined a plan in which the process plant will not be fed exclusively from underground mined material until 2025.
Operations are currently being powered by both the diesel generators and the partially completed power line, which collectively is providing all of the Las Chispas power requirements. SilverCrest anticipates fully transitioning away from the diesel generators in H2, 2022 as CFE (Comision Federal de Electricidad, Mexico’s power authority) finalizes its portion of the power line.
While the final capital costs incurred remain to be settled, the capital cost of the Las Chispas Project is anticipated to be below the US$137.7 million budget estimated in the feasibility study.
“We are extremely proud to achieve this key milestone, ahead of schedule and under budget. I commend all who have been involved in the project to date and thank our stakeholders, including local communities, for their continued support. Completing construction marks a significant de-risking step as we move towards becoming a high-grade precious metal producer,” said N. Eric Fier, CEO.
“With our skilled and experienced team in place, we are well positioned to work through commissioning and ramp-up to achieve commercial production in Q4, 2022. While doing so, we will continue with exploration, advancing ongoing projects in the nearby communities, and looking at ways to add further value for our shareholders,” added Fier.
“I would like to thank the combined team of Ausenco and SilverCrest for their continued efforts over the past 17 months. Completing construction during the COVID-19 pandemic has tested everyone’s resilience and it is with great satisfaction that I congratulate them for accomplishing an incredible trio of successes: No major accidents, below budget and ahead of schedule. I am convinced that this will be amongst the highlights of their respective careers,” said Pierre Beaudoin, COO.
“With handover now complete, we are excited to take the project forward into production. It is also with great pleasure to announce that we have opened a new assay lab in the nearby community of Arizpe (Sonora, Mexico), which has created a significant number of new local jobs that may be sustained beyond the mine life of Las Chispas,” added Beaudoin.
About SilverCrest Metals
SilverCrest is a Canadian precious metals exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, that is focused on new discoveries, value-added acquisitions, and near-term production in Mexico’s historic precious metal districts. The company’s top priority is on the high-grade, historic Las Chispas mining district in Sonora, Mexico, where it has completed construction of its Las Chispas Project and is proceeding with commissioning. SilverCrest is the first company to successfully drill-test the historic Las Chispas Property resulting in numerous high-grade precious metal discoveries. The company is led by a proven management team in all aspects of the precious metal mining sector, including taking projects through discovery, finance, on time and on budget construction, and production.
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