News Releases
| Thu Nov 15, 2007 Bear Creek's Corani Silver Deposit; Positive Metallurgical Process Recoveries Established; Elements in Place to Complete Scoping Study in Q1 2008 | |||||
Vancouver, B.C. - Bear Creek Mining (TSX Venture: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a metallurgical testing update on its Corani Silver-Lead-Zinc deposit in Peru. Testing has now advanced to the point where the production of marketable concentrates has been demonstrated. Recoveries of silver, lead and zinc are as per Bear Creek's previous guidance of 80% silver and 60% lead and zinc. These metallurgical testing results will be incorporated into a Scoping Study (Preliminary Economic Assessment) to be completed in the first quarter of 2008. The fourth resource estimate for the Corani Project, expected by year-end 2007, will provide the resource basis for the study. Variability tests completed at G&T Laboratories during October confirm that conventional flotation is viable for the Corani ores as predicted by the SGS Vancouver testing (see news release dated 3 October 2007). Test work is now at a sufficient level to define the preliminary flow sheet and concentrate marketing variables necessary for completion of the scoping study and preliminary economic assessment. Metallurgical testing will continue to optimize the processing methods for feasibility study purposes. Twelve diamond drill holes are currently being drilled in the hearts of the Corani deposits for final open pit-wall determinations. These drill holes will supply additional material for continued metallurgical optimization testing within the higher-grade cores of the deposits. Testing will continue to focus on increasing selectivity and maximizing the amount of silver reporting to the lead concentrate. Direct whole ore leaching will also be evaluated for lower-grade, peripheral portions of the deposit which have lower base-metals credits. Andrew T. Swarthout, President and CEO of Bear Creek stated, "We are extremely pleased with the results of the latest round of metallurgical testing as we have established that we can achieve high recoveries and marketable concentrates for the Corani silver-base metal mineralization using industry standard technology. Additionally we believe that the presence of a high grade core, combined with the mine sequencing information expected from the fourth resource estimate, will provide a very robust economic model for the project." SGS Vancouver Metallurgy- The recent advances have primarily been achieved through improved control of processing parameters thereby rejecting pyrite and non-sulfide waste minerals in the early stages of the flotation process with minimal metal losses. Specifically, reductions in collector doses and a proper mix of both flotation collectors and zinc depressants have allowed more efficient separation into commercial lead and zinc concentrates. G&T Laboratories program- Testing of seventy-one composite samples distributed throughout the deposits has been completed and the preliminary results show that the high-grade mineralized cores of the Este, Minas and Main zones respond very well to flotation. The test work also showed that the majority of the material in the west limb of Minas and the principal vein of the Main Zone, which represents the oxidized, lower-grade portions of the deposits, responds very well to conventional cyanide leaching methods. Testing will continue on these zones to evaluate silver dore production through heap and/or agitation leaching. The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. - End - Andrew Swarthout - President and CEO, or Patrick De Witt - Investor Relations Phone: 604-685-6269 Direct: 604-628-1111 E-mail: For further information, please visit the Company's website (www.bearcreekmining.com) Regulatory footnotes: All of Bear Creek's engineering programs and pertinent disclosure of a technical or scientific nature are prepared by or prepared under the direct supervision of Marc Leduc, P.Eng. Bear Creek's Vice President of Technical Services, who serves as the qualified person (QP) under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101. Certain disclosure in this release, including management's assessment of Bear Creek's plans and projects, constitutes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to Bear Creek's operation as a mineral exploration company that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. *Any reference to the potential quantity & grade of mineralization is conceptual in nature, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on the property and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in discovery of a mineral resource on the property. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Bear Creek expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View News Release in PDF Format: | |||||
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