high-grade world-class silver ore body

Coeur d' Alene mining district - Big Creek Canyon, Idaho

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SNS Silver Profile

SNS Silver Corp. Vancouver, BC SNS: TSX-V is an exploration mining company, whose primary asset is the 100% owned Crescent Mine located in Kellogg, Idaho – the only known district in North America to have produced over one billion ounces of silver.

The property consists of 24 patented mining claims over approximately 350 acres, alongside 40 acres of surface rights.

The Company currently has a comprehensive and well-funded 100,000 ft. underground drill program underway. SNS is focused on underground drilling on the Alhambra and South Veins, as well as restoration of the Hooper Tunnel, drifting and cross-cutting

  • 100% ownership of the Crescent Mine – located in Coeur d’ Alene District, Idaho’s ‘Silver Valley’
  • (1.1 billion ounces of past silver production)
  • 25 million ounces of past silver production, averaging 27.3 ozs of silver per ton
  • SNS property lies between two world-class silver producers:
  • Sunshine Mine: produced 369 million ozs Ag (@ 20 oz/ton)*
  • Bunker Hill Mine: produced 190 million ozs Ag (@ 8 oz/ton)*
  • $10 million cash in the bank
  • SRK Consulting hired to provide resource calculation
  • Definition drilling in progress
  • 12% of shares owned by Silver Wheaton

The Crescent Mine – Location

The Crescent Mine is located in Big Creek canyon approximately four miles south of the Interstate 90 just east of Kellogg, Idaho in the Coeur d' Alene mining district. Mining has been carried out in the District for more than 100 years; it is the only known mining area in North America to have produced over 1 billion ounces of silver. Ore bodies in the District are unique in that they are persistent at great depths far in excess of one mile. Geologists have not uncovered any evidence to date, which suggests a limit to the depth to which ore might extend.

Potential

The Crescent Mine has excellent potential to host a high-grade world-class silver ore body. A number of significant factors create a remarkably bright out look for the Crescent. These include:

Location, the Crescent is literally located between two of America's most prominent mines the Sunshine and Bunker Hill, with combined silver production of over 400 million ounces. Geology, the property is underlain by the most favorable conditions in the Coeur d' Alene district to yield ore discoveries. A combination of structures and favorable lithology at the contact of the St. Regis and Revett formations indicate potential for high-grade ore occurrences in portions of the mine that are still relatively unexplored and developed. The majority of ores in the Silver Belt occur in similar areas.

Near term mining potential, with the existence of significant mining, milling and processing infrastructure located nearby and known ore occurrences in the upper workings, profitable mining opportunities can be accomplished relatively quickly at the same time more reserves are being developed. Several veins and stopes still had good ore present prior to the cease of operations in the upper Crescent in 1940. The Alhambra vein was developed in the Taylor Stope for 60 ft. along strike, it ranges from one to a few feet in width and assays between 16 to 64 ounces per ton silver it is open both on strike and at depth. The Gray Copper vein was stoped at strike with the vein being between four and five feet of width and averaged 113 ounces per silver across a one-foot width. The vein is significantly un mined. Mine maps also show a five foot wide vein averaging 18 ounces across 5 feet in the Big Creek tunnel and an area 50 ft. long and 5 ft. wide averaging 112 ounces per ton. These are just a few examples of a number of targets for exploration and mining in the upper Crescent Mine.

High Grade ore bodies. The Crescent Mine was historically the highest-grade producer in the Silver Belt. While the average grade of Crescent historical production is between 25 and 30 ounces per ton, there were a number of years in which the average grade of production was greater and than 50 ounces per ton silver for the entire year.

Major areas of unexplored ground with the most favorable geology for high-grade discoveries. Historically the highest grade and most production in the Silver Belt come from the contact zone of the St. Regis and Revett Formations. Despite the fact that several veins in the Crescent are projected through this area it still remains relatively untouched. The area between the 1200 and 2500 level actually present the best potential geologically in the whole mine. Little exploration has been conducted in this area. It offers excellent potential for the discovery of numerous high-grade veins and ore shoots.

Past operations had limited production capabilities. As a result of Crescent Mine ore being hauled underground and then hoisted and processed through Bunker Hill Co. milling facilities, the property was never developed or mined on nearly the scale it could have supported. Facilities at the Bunker Hill Co. limited the amount of ore that could be processed so further development never occurred, subsequently, the Crescent is one of the few properties in the Silver Belt that remains highly prospective yet relatively un-mined compared to it's potential.

Favorable metal prices, with Silver over $12 per ounce market conditions are very favorable Coeur d' Alene district mines typically produce for around $5 per ounce silver. Lead and Zinc are at highs and the potential for high-grade lead ore bodies is good. Both the "Lead" vein and the "Steep Lead" vein are silver-lead bearing galena veins that were for the most part left un-mined as a result of low lead prices in previous era's.

Drift Rehabilitation Objectives:

  • Establish an exhaust ventilation path
  • Establish a secondary escape way
  • Rehabilitate the Hooper Raise for Ore passage, ventilation and escape way.
  • Rehabilitate the Alhambra Drift for Exploration

Drilling and development.

Project 2: Hooper Level Core Drilling

  • 100,000 ft. Underground Drill Exploration project continues 24hrs a day 7 days a week. To date 28,000 feet of underground drilling has been completed, assay results pending.

Project 3: Surface Drilling

  • Surface drilling for 2008 has commenced in the last week with the first of three drills arriving on site. The first of many drill holes to be drilled from this site shows very favourable intercepts. The other 2 drills to be delivered by the end of June.

Project 4: SRK 43-101 Resource

  • SRK has been hired to put together a 43-101 resource calculation • SRK will be using the 41,000 feet of surface drilling that was completed
  • Last summer plus the current surface definition drilling in progress
  • The report is expected to be out in the first quarter of 2009
Last changed at 03-Sep-2011 02:25AM by AGORACOM-GT