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Endeavour Reports Higher Silver Production in Q2, 2007, Up 23% to 430,248 Oz Silver (504,298 Oz Ag Equivalents)
Market Wire, August, 2007
Endeavour Silver Corp. (TSX: EDR)(AMEX: EXK)(DBFrankfurt:EJD) reports higher silver production in Q2, 2007 compared to Q2, 2006, totalling 430,248 oz silver and 1481 oz gold (504,298 oz Ag equivalents at a 50 silver: 1 gold ratio), from the Company's two operating silver mines in Mexico.
Silver production jumped 23% in Q2, 2007 compared to the 350,087 oz produced in Q2, 2006 but was 12% lower compared to the 490,986 oz produced in Q1, 2007. The Company remains on track to meet its 2007 production forecast of 2.8 million oz silver from the Guanacevi Mines Project in Durango and the newly acquired Bolanitos Mines Project in Guanajuato, so long as the capital projects now underway at both plants are completed on a timely basis.
The increased silver production is attributable to both an increase in plant throughput at Guanacevi and the addition of two months of production after closing the acquisition of Bolanitos in Q2, 2007. Because Bolanitos ores have lower silver grades (but higher gold grades) than Guanacevi ores, the overall silver grade was 59% lower in Q2, 2007 compared to Q2, 2006.
Gold and silver recoveries were marginally lower in the 2nd quarter, however, both silver grades and recoveries are expected to rebound as the Company develops higher grade ore blocks at the two mines and metal recoveries rise due to capital improvements now underway at the two plants.
A total of 58,061 tonnes of ore were processed by the two plants in Q2, 2007 at average grades of 290 gpt silver and 0.99 gpt gold (or 340 gpt Ag equivalents). Notwithstanding the increased plant throughput at Guanacevi, ore stockpiles actually rose 3% to 59,245 tonnes grading 336 gpt silver as the Porvenir mine continued to out-produce the Guanacevi plant.
Comparative Table of Mine Operations
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Plant Grade Grade Produced Produced Recovery Recovery
Period T'put (t) Ag (gpt) Au (gpt) Ag (oz) Au (oz) Ag (%) Au (%)
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Q1, 2006 24,805 479 0.95 300,872 605 77.4 79.5
Q2, 2006 27,585 492 1.18 350,087 858 80.3 82.2
Q3, 2006 31,201 404 0.73 332,407 599 82.0 81.8
Q4, 2006 33,664 434 0.80 369,295 431 78.7 50.0
Q1, 2007 47,781 427 0.88 490,986 1020 74.8 75.1
Q2, 2007 58,061 290 0.99 430,248 1481 74.8 76.4
Guanacevi 40,749 362 0.68 382,378 824 74.8 81.2
Bolanitos 17,312 120 1.72 47,870 657 74.9 65.1
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Q2/07:Q2/06 +110% -59% -17% +23% +73% -7% -7%
Q2/07:Q1/07 +22% -32% +13% -12% +45% 0% +2%
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At Guanacevi, several capital improvements have been initiated at the plant since the new ball mill was commissioned in March, as follows:
New lined tailings pond 100% complete and in operation Expand Merrill Crowe circuit 80% complete Expand dore refinery 20% complete Install high density thickeners 10% complete Install agitation tanks In design Upgrade CCD circuit In design Upgrade crushing circuit In design
For additional information, maps and photos of the Guanacevi Mines Project, please click on this link. http://www.edrsilver.com/s/Guanacevi.asp
The upgraded agitation and CCD circuits and the expanded Merrill Crowe and dore refinery circuits should help increase both plant capacity and metal recoveries. Endeavour also launched several mine projects at Guanacevi in Q2, 2007, as follows:
Porvenir mine camp. 100% complete and in operation Porvenir pump station 20% complete La Prieta ramp access 80% complete
At Bolanitos, Endeavour recently initiated capital projects at both the mines and the plant in order to develop higher grade ore blocks at the Bolanitos, Golondrinas and Cebada mines and refurbish the crushing, flotation and tailings circuits at the plant.
Godfrey Walton, President and COO, commented, "Endeavour enjoyed another quarter of rising silver production in Q2, 2007 thanks mainly to increased plant throughputs. However, the Company plans larger increases in production over the next two quarters of 2007 and continued production growth quarter on quarter until we reach the plant capacities in 2009."
Godfrey Walton, M.Sc., P. Geo., is the Qualified Person responsible for reviewing all of the operating data for the Guanacevi and Bolanitos Mines Projects.
Endeavour Silver Corp. is a silver mining company focused on the growth of its silver production, reserves and resources in Mexico. The expansion programs now underway at Endeavour's two operating silver mines, Guanacevi in Durango and Bolanitos in Guanajuato, coupled with the Company's aggressive exploration and acquisition programs should make Endeavour one of the top primary silver producers in the world.