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Re: News Release - Tuesday, March 04, 2008
ECU Silver Announces Near-Term Resource and Production Objectives
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TORONTO ONTARIO, March 4, 2008 - ECU Silver Mining Inc. (TSX: ECU)
("ECU Silver" or the "Company") is pleased to outline the exploration
and production objectives of the Company over the next six to nine
months.
On Thursday, February 28th, 2008 the management and Board of Directors
of ECU met to discuss, review and approve the Company's exploration and
production objectives for the remainder of 2008. This was necessitated
by the fact that the recently released NI 43-101 Resource Estimate (see
press release dated January 24, 2008) highlighted a Potential that was
much greater than management's original expectations. Consequently, a
renewed focus on converting a portion of Potential into Inferred
Resources was determined to be the best course of action to enhance
shareholder value in the near-term.
Summary:
1) The primary objective of the Company will be to convert a portion of
our "Potential" into the Inferred category as quickly as possible;
2) The Company will resume mining and milling operations to gain
benefit of current metals prices and generate internal cash flow to
help finance our exploration program without further dilution;
3) To drill at depth, the Santa Juana vein system, to prove the depth
extension of veins, verify the continuity and evolution of the
mineralized skarn and check the possibility of finding massive sulfides
bodies near the intrusive/skarn interface;
Exploration Plan for 2008
In 2004, the Company began an extensive exploration campaign that
included drilling from surface and underground, plus underground
development in old and new areas of the Velarde�a Properties. The
Company also began conducting metallurgical testing of the various old
and new types of mineralization it was finding. The campaign was a
success, mainly because of the strength of our geological models, which
we proved and refined with time that guided all our exploration
efforts. Thus the exploration phase that began in 2004 culminated with
the release of the NI 43-101 report issued in July of 2006, and our
latest NI 43-101 report issued recently in January of 2008.
During the last few months, the process of inputting all the
information collected over the past seven years into a 3D model has
clearly shown the possibility of the existence of additional potential
as well as how those new areas could be probed. This was consistent
with the Company's geological model when the campaign initially started
in 2004, but what was surprising to the Company was that the size of
the potential was much greater than anticipated at this stage of the
exploration program.
The Company is pleased to report that important workings with the
specific objective of providing us launching stations for our next
exploration drive are well underway and close to completion. The new
"San Mateo" ramp will reach the Santa Juana vein system at depth and
will also provide a perfect base to drill the veins systems (excluding
Chicago and San Diego) currently included in the Company's Mineral
Resources at depth and, sometimes, laterally. We have also already
driven a cross-cut on level 18 of the Santa Juana mine to install a
drill station permitting us to test the Santa Juana vein system deeper
than ever before.
Furthermore, we have been extending a cross-cut to reach the potential
Eastern extension of the Terneras vein at higher levels, near what used
to be level 4 of the La Chona veins which we now believe to be part of
the Terneras system. We have been also building roads in the mountains
for the surface drills to access stations from where the extensions of
the Chicago veins can be tested.
In summary, this new exploration drive will have three parallel fronts:
underground drilling, surface drilling and underground drifting to new
veins. Thus, the Company expects to receive regular results from each
of those sub-programs. Furthermore, short range drilling for definition
and locating new veins will be on-going from several locations in the
underground mines.
ECU's goal to convert a portion of our "Potential" into the Inferred
category over the next six to nine months has the objective of
increasing our current Inferred Resource by approximately 35% to 50% to
between 190 million to 210 million ounces of silver equivalent
(excluding the base metal equivalent of 38 million silver ounces as per
our recent NI 43-101 or any additional base metal equivalents that we
may include in our next update). This additional Inferred Resource
would be over and above the existing Measured and Indicated Resources
of approximately 34 million silver equivalent ounces (38 million silver
equivalent ounces including base metals).
As for the drilling programs, the holes are planned, the contracts
signed and all the drills will be moving on site this month. The
Company will have two surface drill-rigs, one underground drill-rig and
three bazooka drills operating underground.
Readers are cautioned that there are no assurances that all or any part
of the resource estimate or the potential resources will be
economically viable and although the information in this press release
is based on the best available data the company has collected to date,
a material difference between the actual results and the company's
expectations may arise once further exploration is completed. The
reader is also cautioned that while the company has had success in the
past of converting "Potential" into the Inferred category, there are no
assurances of further future success.
Production Outlook
As stated recently, the Company intends to resume regular mining and
milling operations at the Santa Juana mine and Velarde�a mill where
metallurgical and processing tests of mineralized material from the
mine is essentially completed. ECU is now better positioned to resume
mining and milling operations as the completion of our 3-D geological
model of the mineral resource for the NI 43-101 report, will enhance
our mining efforts
The objectives of resuming mining and milling operations are to
highlight specific high-grade sectors of the mine, refine mining
methods, fine-tune the metallurgical processes and generate cash flows
to help finance exploration efforts. Mineralized material is already
being processed at the mill and the company expects the Velarde�a mill
will have a throughput rate of 200 tonnes per day (25 days per month)
initially and to reach 300 tonnes per day by the second quarter of
2008.
The Company would like to report that underground drifting to test the
eastern extension of the Terneras vein commenced in January 2008 and
positive results have already been achieved. The Company expects to
receive assays results shortly and will publish them immediately
thereafter with the proper corresponding interpretation.
For additional information please contact:
Stephen Altmann, President
Ph : (416) 644-8640
Fax : (416) 644-8801
www.ecu.ca
Statements in the release that are "forward-looking statements" are
based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks
and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially. We undertake
no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the
statements to actual results or changes in our expectations.
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Copyright (c) 2008 ECU SILVER MINING INC. (ECU) All rights reserved.
For more information visit our website at http://www.ecu.ca/ or send
mailto:ecu@ecu.ca
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