Name of the Mine
Ermitaño mine.

Location  
About 145 km north-east of Hermosillo, and contiguous with First Majestic Silver Corp’s Santa Elena mine in Sonora state, Mexico.

Mine Owner/s  
First Majestic Silver Corp.

Brief Description  
Ermitaño includes the Cumobabi property and the Luna zone.

Mine production rates are based on the nearby operating Santa Elena mine, where historical activities guide the schedule rates.

Brief History  
The project entered production in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Primary Metals/Minerals  
Gold and silver.

Secondary Metals/Minerals  
None stated.

Geology/Mineralisation  
The Ermitaño deposit is about 1 800 m long and 550 m deep. The current geological interpretation of the project area is based on the logging of volcanogenic textures. This analysis has identified a host rock volcanogenic sequence comprising an older compact brittle volcanic sequence or rhyolitic rocks overlain by less brittle felsic lava flows. Additionally, the area features an alluvial fan environment containing volcanogenic sedimentary rocks, volcaniclastic rocks, and mafic lava flows.

Drilling at the Ermitaño project has delineated a primary vein, a secondary vein and several tertiary veins. The Ermitaño vein is the most prominent and strikes east and dips about 80° north in the west, where the bulk of current gold and silver mineralisation occurs, and about 60° north in the eastern area. The Ermitaño vein is mostly defined as a formal vein with an enclosing hanging wall and footwall breccia and stockwork zone.

Reserves  
As at December 31, 2023, the mine had estimated proven and probable reserves of 2.7-million tonnes grading at 67.9 g/t silver and 300 000 oz of gold at 3.09 g/t gold.

Resources  
The mine has no measured and indicated resources. Inferred resources as at December 31, 2023, were estimated at two-million tonnes grading at 65 g/t silver and 2.34 g/t gold.

Type of Mine
Underground.

Mining Method  
The Ermitaño mineral deposits vary in dip, thickness and geotechnical conditions along strike and dip. Multiple mining methods are required to achieve the maximum efficient extraction of mineralised material.

The mining methods selected for the different locations within mining blocks include: 
•    longitudinal longhole stoping (Avoca with cemented rockfill): bottom level of mining block (Lift 1) where stopes are present below;
•    longitudinal longhole stoping (Avoca with rockfill): central levels of mining block (Lift 2, 3, 4); and
•    longitudinal longhole stoping with pillars: top level of mining block (Lift 5) or any location with no top access.

Avoca mining uses longhole stoping techniques to extract mineralisation. 

Major Infrastructure/Equipment  
The Ermitaño mine has two established mine entrances – a twin portal access from the north-eastern side of the orebody. 

The mine includes development, production backfill and truck-loading loaders; trucks; drills; and light vehicles.

Electrical power is supplied by the site power station located at the processing facility. The power station produces energy at 4 160 V and is routed through the mine to the primary substations, where it is stepped down using a transformer to 480 V for use by plant and equipment.

Mineralised material is processed at the Santa Elena processing plant. The processing plant is predominantly built as a single train with the crushing area split from the remaining areas and connected by a belt conveyor to transfer the crushed product from the screening undersize to the fine stockpiles.

Prospects  
Potential mineral resource expansion at Ermitaño is supported by the recently discovered Luna zone. Luna is located a few hundred metres east of central Ermitaño and is open at depth and to the east.

Contact Details 
First Majestic Silver Corp
Tel +1 604 688 3033
Email info@firstmajestic.com
Website https://www.firstmajestic.com/