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EXCELLON
RESOURCES INC.: RETURN ON CAD 20,000 INVESTMENT
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Purchase Date
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No. of Shares
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Purchase Price
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Cost (CAD)
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Price Today
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Value Today
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November 3, 2006
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10'000
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0.98
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9'800.00
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July 10, 2009
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35'000
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0.30
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10'500.00
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Total
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45'000
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0.45
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20'300.00
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0.65
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29'250.00
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Profit
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|
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8'950.00
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Profit (in %)
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|
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20%
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SHARES
OUTSTANDING
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MARKET
CAP
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238,849,000
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CAD
155.3 Million
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52
WEEK LOW / HIGH
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TSX
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CAD
0.12 to 0.73
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423,500
(200-day)
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RECOMMENDATION
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RISK
RATING
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BUY
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HIGH
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OPERATING MEXICO'S NEWEST BONANZA SILVER MINE - AGGRESSIVELY
EXPLORING THE SURROUNDING DISTRICTS
Business Summary
Excellon Resources Inc., a
mineral resource company operating in Durango State, Mexico, is committed to
building value through production, expansion and discovery. The Company is
producing silver, lead and zinc from high-grade manto deposits on its Platosa
Property, strategically located in the middle of the Mexican silver belt.
PRODUCE
- High grade,
low cost silver producer
- 2.3 million
ounces of silver, 10.2 million pounds of lead, and 8.9 million pounds of
zinc produced in the fiscal year ended July 31, 2007
EXPAND
- Large
under-explored, strategically located property
- Increasing
resources and mining capacity while awaiting a mill construction permit
- Evaluating
additional properties
DISCOVER
- $12-million
exploration program for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2009 underway
- Indications
of large-scale mineralization on property
- Multi-tooled,
focused exploration has led to steadily increased Mineral Resources
since initial discovery in 1999.
STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN THE MEXICAN SILVER BELT
Projects:
Platosa Mine in Northeastern Durango State, Mexico
Excellon
Resources Inc. in Durango State, Mexico, is committed
to building value through production, expansion and discovery. The Company is
producing silver, lead and zinc from high-grade manto deposits on its Platosa
Property, strategically located in the middle of the Mexican silver belt.
In
fiscal 2009, Excellon's focus remains on increasing its Mineral Resources
through an aggressive $12-million exploration program, and expanding its
operating capacity with the building of a mill at site. The Platosa Property, not fully explored, has several
geological indicators of a large mineralized system, the tracking of which Excellon
believes will lead to the discovery of a world class deposit.
The
Potential
Excellon
is continuing its surface and underground exploration and development program
to locate both additional high-grade mineralization near the Platosa
test-mine, and a near-source, large tonnage major carbonate replacement
deposit ("CRD") system in the Mexican CRD Belt. These deposits,
together with major vein systems, support the development of most of the
large Mexican underground silver and base metal mines. The Platosa property
is strategically located along the geological trend of these large deposits.
The
Platosa Mine area is largely overburden covered and exploration into 2008 has
relied on a combination of Geology, Natural Source Audio Magneto Tellurics
("NSAMT") geophysics, soil geochemical surveys, and biogeochemical
surveys. These methods were instrumental in the discovery of the Guadalupe
and Guadalupe South mantos and the NE-1 area mineralization. An airborne
electromagnetic and magnetic ("AEM") survey was flown in early
2007; ground induced polarization magnetic and gravity surveys were
undertaken in the spring and summer of 2008 and the results are now being
incorporated into the Company's target delineation protocols.
The
Location
The
Platosa Property is well situated for mineral exploration and mine
development. Located 45 kilometers north of Torreón, a major
population centre with an international airport, Platosa is next to a
regional power grid and has paved road access. There is an abundant local
labour supply and a large service sector supporting other mines and heavy
industrial activity in the region.
Excellon's
Platosa property package is extensive at over 24,000 hectares. The
mineralized system hosting the known Mineral Resource could extend for up to
eight kilometres in any direction and still be on Excellon mineral
concessions. Excellon's property holdings are divided into concessions it owns
outright (some subject to a royalty), and concessions held under a joint
venture agreement with Apex Silver Mines Limited (Excellon 51%, Apex 49%).
Production
at Platosa
Platosa
is an underground test-mine operation in which the mineralization is accessed
by a 4 x 4 metre ramp; the mineralization is mined and trucked to surface,
where it is crushed, sampled, and loaded into trucks for shipment. The
present production rate (mining and crushing) is approximately 175 tons per
day.
Crushed
material from Platosa is shipped to the Naica Mill, owned by the Minera Maple
division of the Industrias Peñoles Group, in Chihuahua State. Peñoles purchases the mineralization at Platosa based on
mutually-agreed assay results, with an 80% provisional payment made, on
average, 26 days after shipment. Final settlement is made in the second month
following delivery. SGS Minerals Services, Durango, Mexico, independently
samples the mineralization on behalf of Peñoles and Excellon.
Miguel Auza Project
Exploration:
The
large Miguel Auza Property has high potential for the discovery and
exploitation of additional epithermal Ag, (Au), Pb and Zn veins of a style
similar to those exploited profitably for decades in the Fresnillo camp 150
km to the south and elsewhere in the prolific Mexican Silver Belt. There is
also developing evidence of carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) potential.
Despite
the long mining history of the camp very little exploration has been carried
out and the historic data record is almost non-existent. During its tenure of
the property Silver Eagle focused on developing the Calvario Vein system and
only began a concentrated review of the potential of the overall property
shortly before ceasing activities. Several additional vein systems are known
including those exploited by the Spaniards in the 1500s and the property
remains largely under-explored. The Company's intention is to carry out an
initial exploration program on the property beginning in the fall of 2009.
The goal of this Phase 1 program will be to develop drill targets for a
subsequent program.
The
Phase 1 program will have three areas of focus as noted below but will be
flexible and resources will be reallocated as areas of significant potential
emerge. These areas are as follows:
- Calvario
Veins - These veins were exploited historically and
by Silver Eagle in 2007 and 2008. There is a suggestion that they
represent the distal portion of a CRD system to be found at depth or on
adjacent, unexplored portions of the system. The program will examine
the potential to develop economic tonnages of Ag, Pb, Zn mineralization
along the known veins and their possible extensions into less explored
adjacent areas. It is highly likely that a drilling program will be
required to fully evaluate this possibility;
- North
Veins - These high-grade Ag veins were exploited by
the Spaniards who stopped exploitation when they reached the water table
since no dewatering technology was available at that time. There is a
historic shaft, which provided access to these veins. Its rehabilitation
to facilitate direct access to the veins at depth will be considered. A Phase 2
drilling program recommendation is likely; and
- Regional
Exploration - Basic mapping and sampling will
be carried out to more fully understand the potential of the numerous
known vein systems and to uncover additional ones. Of particular
interest is the possibility of CRD potential on the property.
The
three sub-programs will be run in parallel and it is anticipated they will
require six months to complete.
Mining
Operations:
The
Calvario Vein mining operation, accessed by the King Ramp, was placed on care
and maintenance in December 2008. Depending on progress of the exploration
program, which will require access to portions of the vein, some back filling
of the stoped areas may be undertaken to maintain the integrity of the
openings should a decision be made to resume mining in the future. The ramp
has been developed to a depth of approximately 175 m vertical.
Processing:
A
small flotation mill was present on the property when Silver Eagle acquired
the property. This mill was expanded and used to process oxide material as
Silver Eagle developed the King Ramp and the sulphide portion of the Calvario
Vein system. The mill was further expanded and modernized during 2008 and
processed Calvario sulphide mineralization for three months until
mid-December 2008.
Excellon
began shipping Platosa ore to the mill in mid-March 2009. The mill operating
schedule is set to match shipments from Platosa and the throughput required
to maximize metallurgical results therefore does not always operate seven
days a week.
For
the mid-March to July 31, 2009 period throughput averaged 280 tonnes per
operating day and has been as high as 375 tonnes per day. To the end of July
30,000 tonnes of Platosa ore grading 1,089 g/t Ag, 8.82% Pb, 10.05% Zn had
been processed.
Recoveries
have averaged 78% for Ag reporting to the Pb concentrate, 10% for Ag
reporting to the Zn concentrate for a total of 88% Ag recovery. Pb recovery
has averaged 71.3% and Zn recovery 71.1%. Concentrate shipments totaled 2,993
tonnes of silver-lead and 3,386 tonnes of silver-zinc.
Recent
News: EXCELLON ANNOUNCES FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE HIGH-GRADE 623 MANTO: 1,195
g/t (35 OPT) Ag, 14.8% Pb, 15.0% Zn over 7.05 m in Hole EX09-LP654
Excellon
Resources Inc. announced assay results for six additional holes at its
Platosa Property.
Three
of these holes were designed to locate massive sulphide extensions to the 623
Manto discovered in July of this year. The results for Holes LP653 and
LP654 provide further evidence of the high-grade nature of the manto and
there are indications that it may link with the Guadalupe Manto. Hole
EX09-LP654 intersected 1,195 g/t Ag, 14.8% Pb, 15.0% Zn over 7.05 metres (m),
while hole LP653 located 25 m to the north cut 1,020 g/t Ag, 7.6% Pb, 1.6% Zn
over 0.45 m. Such variations in intersection width are not unusual in
deposits of this sort and have been experienced elsewhere on the property.
Assays for LP653, LP654 and LP645, also in the 623 Manto, are shown in the
table below
Drilling
to date has defined the 623 Manto as an elongate irregularly-shaped NNE-SSW
trending 100 m by 30 m body that remains open, particularly to the south.
"This
additional high-grade massive sulphide mineralization in the 623 Manto is
very encouraging and we are optimistic that it will add to our Mineral
Resource estimate. We expect that a new independently-prepared 43-101
estimate for Platosa will be ready before year-end," said John Sullivan,
Excellon's Vice-President Exploration.
In
light of these encouraging results and continued strong cash flow from
Platosa, a third drill has been mobilized and will resume the sub-program
designed to discover the high-tonnage proximal source of the manto deposits.
Drilling will begin in the la Zorra area on the southern portion of the
Saltillera-la Zorra corridor located approximately five kilometres west of
the mantos.
The
second drill rig continues to be active 50 to 100 m northeast of the 623
Manto, in the NE-1 extension area. Holes continue to intersect sulphide-rich
breccia with limited amounts of semi-massive to massive sulphides. Hole LP649
intersected 1,130 g/t Ag, 16.2% Pb, 1.9% Zn over 0.55 m included within an
intersection of 134 g/t Ag, 2.2% Pb, 0.50% Zn over 5.85 m. Drilling continues
in this area.
Assays
for the six holes reported here are shown in the table below and on the accompanying
map. All intervals are estimated true thicknesses. In addition to these six
holes there have been 2 holes, which did not intersect significant sulphides
drilled since the last exploration press release dated October 6, 2009.
The
Platosa exploration program and initial exploration underway at Excellon's
Miguel Auza property are supervised by John Sullivan, Excellon's
Vice-President of exploration, in consultation with Dr. Peter Megaw of IMDEX
Inc. Drill core samples are prepared and assayed by SGS Minerals Services
(SGS) in Durango, Mexico. When required, sample pulps are sent to.
Fundamental
Considerations
La
Platosa, Durango, Mexico
- Currently
producing in excess of planned rate of 150 tonnes per day, long term
mine plan underway
- Annual
US$7.5 Million dollar exploration program in progress
- Over 24
thousand hectares of land
Miguel Auza, Zacatecas,
Mexico
- 100%
ownership of over 41 thousand hectares of mineral rights
- On site mill
& mine built and developed by Silver Eagle Mines Inc.
- Historic
mining district with excellent mineral discovery potential using modern
technologies
Toronto
Stock Exchange Listed - EXN
$13
million of new 2009 equity, in excess of $6million cash at July 09
Strong operating cash flow sufficient to fund exploration program
EXCELLON'S
FINANCIAL SITUATION HAS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED AS THE FIGURES FOR THE 3 AND 9
MONTHS ENDING IN APRIL 2009 DEMONSTRATE:
THE
EXPLORATION POTENTIAL IS IMPRESSIVE AS THE DRILL RESULTS BELOW SUGGEST:
EXCELLON
PRODUCES ENOUGH CASH-FLOW AND HAS AMPLE LIQUIDITY ON HAND TO ARGRESSIVELY
PERSUE ITS OBJECTIVES.
Technical Considerations
Disclosure:
The author has not been paid to write this article, nor has he received any
other inducement to do so.
Disclaimer:
The author's objective in writing this article is to invoke an interest on
the part of potential investors in this stock to the point where they are
encouraged to conduct their own further diligent research. Neither the
information nor the opinions expressed should be construed as a solicitation
to buy or sell this stock.
Investors
are recommended to obtain the advice of a qualified investment advisor before
entering into any transactions in the stock - or use their own brains.
In
our opinion, the best approach is to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks
like THE TIMELESS PRECIOUS METAL FUND or THE SIERRA MADRE GOLD & SILVER
VENTURE FUND instead of shares of only a small number of companies.
Peter Zihlmann
The Timeless Precious Metal Fund
Peter Zihlman is
an independant Swiss asset manager, who manages the Timeless Precious Metal
Fund and the Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Venture Fund.
Disclaimer: P.
ZIHLMANN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AG does not accept any liability for any loss
or damage whatsoever, that may directly or indirectly result from any advice,
opinion, information, representation or omission, whether negligent or
otherwise, contained in the trading recommendations or in any accompanying
chart analyses, whether communicated by word, or message, typed or spoken by
any of its employees.
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