The milestone, which is the operation’s final step before full production can begin, means Santa Elena can capture gold and silver from the pregnant solution using the system and aid its ramp-up to a 24-hour-per-day operation.

Mexus said that a metal building will be erected around the Merrill-Crowe system; that work is set to begin shortly, and meanwhile it has already begun its search for a full-time company representative in Mexico to oversee all projects.

“The expected cash flow from…Santa Elena…necessitates this step, and will be of great important as the company’s multiple projects move forward,” officials said.

In addition, Mexus has appointed a security firm to watch the mine site on a 24-hour basis, and guards will be on-site by the end of the year. Remote monitoring will soon be possible with a video system that is currently being installed.

Santa Elena mine, which it owns entirely, is located 54km northwest of Caborca, Mexico. Mexus also has an ownership interest in the San Felix mine in northern Mexico and owns rights to the Ures property north of Hermosillo.