ECU Silver Mining Inc.
Durango, Mexico, has been a mining area for almost half a century, before Fred C. Dobbs and his compatriots sunk their pickaxes into the ground for gold in the classic novel and movie set there, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” “Miners 100 years ago would be basically scratching the surface with picks and shovels,” points out Stephen Altmann, director and president of ECU Silver Mining Inc. He estimates they would have excavated anywhere between 20 to 300 meters below the surface over decades within the minerals-rich region.
“It’s one of these situations where the best place to find a new mine is where there’s an old mine,” he asserts. That is just what ECU Silver Mining Inc. has done by staking its claim on the underground resources of the area, where the mineralized veins run deep, similar to the mining experience of the area’s residents. “There’s a deep history of mining in Mexico, particularly Durango,” Altmann reports. “So there’s no shortage of mining talent in Mexico – there’s generations of mining experience.
“We’re very proud of the fact that the majority of our employees are from Mexico,” he continues. “We have an excellent relationship with our employees. We provide 24/7 healthcare in the villages – we’re a very big part of the community, and we think that’s important in our ongoing relationship, particularly if we want to advance the project to senior producer status. Anyone that worked for us in the mines or at the mill usually has very good things to say about us.”
Besides exploring for additional resources, the company also operates a sulfide mill and an oxide mill. “We just happen to have some production activities which will help fund our exploration efforts going forward,” Altmann explains. “That production we have right now is just making a small dent in our resources. The best way to describe us is as an exploration company with an insurance policy. The bulk of our value is on the side of the mineral resources, and we really are an exploration company. That is what our focus will be going forward, until we are happy with the ultimate size of the resource.”
In the Ground
The greatest value of ECU Silver has yet to be mined, Altmann maintains. He estimates that at current commodity prices, the company has almost $10 billion worth of metals – including gold, silver, lead and zinc – in the ground. “Once we delineate a much larger resource, it will justify a much larger production platform,” he emphasizes. “The benefit is we have the experience now. We have 430 people working for us, we’re right next to a major highway, we have no infrastructure problems, we have our environmental permits, we have ownership of the land and we have a fantastic platform to leverage off into much greater production once we finish delineating the size of the resource.”
ECU Silver Mining’s holdings also are located in an area that includes nearby flat topography that would allow construction of facilities for a large mining operation, he explains. The electrical lines for the power that such facilities would need are routed along the major highway nearby.
“It’s just a beautiful and efficient location for a future plant,” Altmann insists. “We have no political issues, no environmental issues, no infrastructure issues.”