Kootenay Silver considers SILVOX process for La Cigarra silver deposit

Kootenay Silver reports additional leach testing of oxide and sulphide silver mineralization has begun on bulk samples from its La Cigarra silver deposit in Chihuahua State, Mexico, applying the proprietary SILVOX Technologies process. The purpose of the Phase II Program is to determine if silver mineralization at La Cigarra is amenable to low cost heap leach processing using the SILVOX process, which could have a positive impact on potential capital requirements and operating costs. Previous metallurgical work was focused on silver recovery through production of a concentrate via conventional floatation. This work was very positive achieving recoveries up to 88% silver producing a high grade lead-silver concentrate that graded 34% Pb and 23,000 g/t Ag for every tonne of concentrate.

The Phase II Program was initiated based on positive results from preliminary metallurgical testing of the oxide mineralization hosted within the La Cigarra deposit that showed a significant improvement in silver recoveries when using standard leaching with the SILVOX process, versus industry standard leaching without the SILVOX process.

The metallurgical test work is part of a larger comprehensive approach to the La Cigarra property aimed at maximizing the project’s near and long-term economic viability through resource expansion and optimization of the existing silver deposit.

Silvox Technologies is a Canadian private company providing a proprietary process (SILVOX) that enhances silver recoveries by simply augmenting standard heap leach technology and conventional milling methods. The process requires minimal capital investment and has been confirmed with certified lab testing and associated fieldwork on several deposits over the past two years. Test results show additional silver recoveries of up to 30% with potential attractive profit margins for increased recovery over processing costs. Successful introduction of SILVOX could make an economic project more robust or mean the difference between a sub-economic project and one that is economically viable.

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. It is supported by one of the largest portfolios of silver assets in Mexico.