The Northern Miner’s latest Drill Down features highlights of the top 20 silver assays of the year to June 30. Drill holes are ranked by silver grade times width.Drilling in three far-flung parts of the world has returned the best silver assays.Hycroft Mining (Nasdaq: HYMC) topped the results from its namesake past-producing site in Nevada. Aftermath Silver (TSX: SSRM) was second with results from its resource-stage Berenguela project in Peru. Aya Gold & Silver (TSX: AYA) was third with results from its producing Zgounder mine in Morocco.Hycroft Mining Hole H24D-6018 at Hycroft’s site cut 21.2 metres grading 2,359 grams silver per tonne from 306.6 metres depth, for a grade times width value of 50,025, the company reported on Jan. 14.The intersection, which pierced the Brimstone zone, was the best hole drilled at the site in more than 40 years, Alex Davidson, Hycroft’s vice-president of exploration, said in January. It was among drill results that confirmed the continuity of a high-grade silver trend at Brimstone, located on the east side of the gold-silver pit in northwest Nevada. Production happened intermittently between 1983 and 2021, when operations were suspended due to cost difficulties.Drill results including hole H24D-6018 have made Hycroft consider developing a smaller high-grade mine for the initial stage of sulphide mining. During the first half of this year it has advanced metallurgical and engineering work.Last month, Hycroft started a 14,500-metre drill program leading into next year with two rigs. It aims to expand and advance the high-grade discoveries at Brimstone and Vortex, south of Brimstone.The company plans to complete a technical study with economics in the fourth quarter.Hycroft hosts 819.1 million measured and indicated tonnes grading 0.4 gram gold per tonne and 13.68 grams silver for 10.58 million oz. gold and 360.66 million oz. silver, according to a 2023 technical report. Inferred resources total 268.17 million tonnes at 0.39 gram gold and 11.14 grams silver for 3.35 million oz. gold and 96.11 million oz. silver.Silver Top 20. Credit: The Northern MinerAftermath SilverHole AFD100 at Aftermath’s Berenguela silver-copper-manganese project returned 156 metres grading 290 grams silver per tonne from surface, for a grade times width value of 45,240. That hole, reported on Feb. 27, was drilled into the Eastern zone at the project in southeastern Peru, about 200 km northeast of Arequipa.The result was from the second stage of a 5,200-metre drilling program designed to define the zone’s margin of mineralization while converting inferred resources to indicated and measured.Berenguela hosts 40.17 million measured and indicated tonnes grading 78 grams silver for 101.2 million contained oz., according to an initial resource from 2023. Inferred resources total 22.28 million tonnes at 54 grams silver for 38.8 million oz. silver.Mining took place at Berenguela from 1913 until 1965, during which about 454,000 tonnes of ore were mined from underground and open pit operations. That amounts to just 1.2% of the 2023 resource, Aftermath said.The company plans to complete a preliminary feasibility study for Berenguela this year.Aya Gold & SilverHole ZG-RC-24-277, in the East zone at Aya’s producing Zgounder silver mine in west-central Morocco cut 17 metres grading 2,425 grams silver from 33 metres depth, for a grade times width value of 41,225, the miner reported on Jan. 7.The hole, among 34,809 metres drilled as part of last year’s exploration program, revealed the potential to increase high-grade ounces in and around Zgounder’s pit, CEO Benoit LA Salle said in a release.The result came just one week after Aya declared commercial production at Zgounder. The mine produced more than 1.04 million oz. in the second quarter. It’s targeting 5 million to 5.3 million oz. for 2025.Zgounder hosts 8.5 million proven and probable reserves grading 257 grams silver for 70.8 million oz., according to a 2022 technical report. The mine has a $373-million post-tax net asset value (at a 5% discount), a 48% internal rate of return and an 11-year life.Aya is about one-third into its 25,000-metre drill program in and around Zgounder this year. Another 100,000 to 140,000 metres of drilling are planned for the Boudamine project, about 385 km east of Zgounder. The company has budgeted $25 million to $30 million for exploration and development.Aya plans to publish an updated resource estimate for Zgounder in the fourth quarter.
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