Vancouver-based IMPACT Silver is weighing the restart of its open pit and processing plant at the Capire deposit in the Zacualpan silver district in Mexico.

The Capire plant has been on care and maintenance since July 2013, and has capacity to process 200 tonnes per day.

IMPACT Silver is conducting studies to determine the optimum plant size for restarted operations. It is also testing a 1,400 kilogram bulk sample with X-Ray Transmission pre-concentration processing technology, which could reduce costs.

In the third quarter, throughput at the mill was 34,587 tonnes, a slight increase over the same period last year. Average mill grade declined by 6% to 156 g/t of silver compared to the comparable period in 2020.

The grade is expected to improve as more high-grade feed is fed to the mill in 2022. The 500-tpd mill processes feed from the San Ramon Deeps mine, the Mirasol mine, and the Cuchara-Oscar mine.

Third-quarter silver production was 152,026 ounces, down from third-quarter production of 158,992 ounces in 2020.

Heavy rains forced IMPACT to halt mining at the Veta Negra open pit, and also resulted in higher hauling and mining costs.

IMPACT is ramping up production capacity to pre-pandemic levels at its Guadalupe mine, and is refurbishing the mineshaft at the mine. It is also rebuilding and extending the underground railroad system on the 195 level, which will provide access to the high-grade Pachuqueno section.