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First Majestic Announces 2023 Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Estimates

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 1, 2024) - First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE: AG) (TSX: FR) (FSE: FMV) (the "Company" or "First Majestic") is pleased to announce the 2023 Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates for its four material mineral properties with an effective date of December 31, 2023. Three material properties are currently in production: the San Dimas Silver/Gold Mine, the Santa Elena Silver/Gold Mine, and the La Encantada Silver Mine. The fourth material property, the Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine, is currently in temporary suspension in respect of mining activities, with the Company currently focused on exploration, definition, and expansion of the mineral resources, and the optimization of mine planning and plant operations.

During 2023, the Company completed a total of 143,454 metres of exploration drilling. Approximately 85% of this drilling was focused on near-mine or brownfield targets while the remainder was focused on greenfield targets exploring for new discoveries. In 2023, the Company's Measured and Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource estimates remained relatively unchanged in contained silver equivalent ("AgEq") ounces; exploration results also successfully offset of Reserve depletion following record annual production of 9.6 million AgEq ounces.

2023 HIGHLIGHTS (compared to prior Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates on December 31, 2022)

  • Proven and Probable ("P&P") Mineral Reserve estimates at the Company's three producing material assets totalled 122.5 million AgEq ounces consisting of 56.1 million ounces of silver and 671,000 ounces of gold, which represents a 2% decrease in tonnes, a 9% decrease in silver ounces and a 14% decrease in gold ounces.

  • Measured and Indicated ("M&I") Mineral Resource estimates (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) for the four material assets totalled 346.6 million AgEq ounces consisting of 95.9 million ounces of silver and 2.9 million ounces of gold, which represents a 1% increase in tonnes, a 6% decrease in silver ounces and a 3% increase in gold ounces, respectively. The changes to Mineral Resource estimates reflect mining depletion and updated cut-off grades from new economic parameters including costs, metal recoveries and metal prices. Exploration drilling results added new Mineral Resources and identified additional mineralized areas. Jerritt Canyon added 207,000 ounces of gold to its M&I Mineral Resource estimates.

  • Inferred Mineral Resource estimates for the Company's four material assets totalled 283.8 million AgEq ounces consisting of 65 million ounces of silver and 2.6 million ounces of gold, which represents a 6% increase in tonnes, a 12% decrease in silver ounces and a 10% increase in gold ounces. Jerritt Canyon added 360,000 ounces of gold to its Inferred Mineral Resource driven by a combination of expansionary drilling results, modelling of additional mineralized areas and a decreased cut-off grade.

2023 PRODUCTION TABLE

Units

SAN
DIMAS

SANTA
ELENA		LA
ENCANTADA		JERRITT
CANYON		TOTAL
Ore ProcessedTonnes875,345882,592 966,392177,643 2,901,972
Material from Reserves Mined and ProcessedTonnes764,444882,592 152,259 -- 1,799,295
Material Mined from Areas Not in ReservesTonnes110,900--814,134 177,643 1,102,677
Silver Produced Ounces 6,355,308 1,176,5912,718,856 --10,250,755
Gold Produced Ounces 76,964 100,535321 21,101 198,921
Silver-Equivalent Produced from Gold Ounces 6,434,6128,395,20126,7661,767,08316,623,662
Silver-Equivalent Produced Ounces 12,789,9209,571,7922,745,6221,767,08326,874,417

 

  1. Silver‐equivalent ounces are estimated considering metal price assumptions, metallurgical recovery for the corresponding mineral type/mineral process and the metal payable of the corresponding contract of each mine. Details as to the method of calculation can be found in the applicable tables in each mine section of the Company's Annual Information Form dated April 1, 2024 (the "AIF").

Metal price assumptions used to estimate the December 31, 2023 Mineral Reserves were $22.50/oz for silver and $1,850/oz for gold. This compares to the previous metal price assumptions of $21.50/oz for silver and $1,750/oz for gold used to calculate the Company's 2022 Mineral Reserve estimates.

Metal price assumptions used to estimate the December 31, 2023 Mineral Resources were $24.50/oz for silver and $2,000/oz for gold. This compares to the previous metal price assumptions of $23.00/oz for silver and $1,900/oz for gold used to calculate the Company's 2022 Mineral Resources estimates.

MINERAL RESERVE AND MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATES

As of December 31, 2023, P&P Mineral Reserve estimates at the Company's three producing material assets totalled 56.2 million ounces of silver and 671,000 ounces of gold, which represents a total of 122.5 million AgEq ounces.

Santa Elena's P&P Mineral Reserve estimates remained relatively unchanged despite record production of 9.6 million AgEq ounces from Ermitaño. At La Encantada, P&P Mineral Reserves estimates increased mainly due to mine design updates in the Milagros ore body. At San Dimas, P&P Mineral Reserve estimates decreased due to a combination of depletion, cost driven increase of cut-off grade and the exclusion of low tonnage pillars.

Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve Estimates with an Effective Date of December 31, 2023

MineMineralTonnageGradesMetal Content
CategoryTypek tonnesAg (g/t) Au (g/t) Ag-Eq (g/t) Ag (k Oz) Au (k Oz) Ag-Eq (k Oz)
SAN DIMAS
Proven (UG)Sulphides1,9722653.4755616,78022035,270
Probable (UG)Sulphides1,6632542.6948013,58014425,640
Total Proven and Probable (UG)Sulphides3,6352603.1152130,36036460,910
SANTA ELENA
Proven (UG - Ermitano)Sulphides590783.875481,4737310,386
Proven (UG - Santa Elena)Sulphides1641401.5426773581,408
Probable (UG - Ermitano)Sulphides2,086652.874144,36719327,774
Probable (UG - Santa Elena)Sulphides6791671.302753,636285,996
Probable (Pad)Oxides325250.39652664677
Total Proven and Probable (UG+Pad)Oxides + Sulphides3,843852.4837410,47830746,241
LA ENCANTADA
Probable (UG)Oxides3,675130-13015,321-15,321
Total Probable (UG)Oxides3,675130-13015,321-15,321
Consolidated FMS
Proven (UG)All mineral types2,7262173.4453718,98830247,064
Probable (UG)All mineral types8,4281371.3627837,17136975,409
Total Proven and ProbableAll mineral types11,1531571.8734256,159671122,472

 

  1. Mineral Reserves have been classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, whose definitions are incorporated by reference into NI 43-101.
  2. The Mineral Reserve statement provided in the table above has an effective date of December 31, 2023, except for the Santa Elena Leach Pad estimate, which has an effective date of March 11, 2024.
  3. The Mineral Reserve estimates were prepared under the supervision of, or were reviewed by, Brian Boutilier, P.Eng., Internal QP for First Majestic, who is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.
  4. The Mineral Reserves were estimated from the M&I portions of the Mineral Resource estimates. Inferred Mineral Resources were not considered to be converted into Mineral Reserve estimates.
  5. AgEq is estimated considering metal price assumptions, metallurgical recovery for the corresponding mineral type/mineral process and the metal payable of the selling contract.

(a) The AgEq grade formula used was:
AgEq Grade = Ag Grade + Au Grade * (Au Recovery * Au Payable * Au Price) / (Ag Recovery * Ag Payable * Ag Price).
(b) Metal prices considered for Mineral Reserve estimates were $22.5/oz Ag and $1,850/oz Au for all sites.
(c) Other key assumptions and parameters include: metallurgical recoveries; metal payable terms; direct mining costs, processing costs, indirect and G&A costs and sustaining costs. These parameters are different for each mine and mining method assumed and are presented in each mine section of the AIF.

  1. A two-step constraining approach has been implemented to estimate Mineral Reserves for each mining method in use: A General Cut-Off Grade ("GC") was used to delimit new mining areas that will require development of access, infrastructure and all sustaining costs. A second Incremental Cut-Off Grade ("IC") was considered to include adjacent mineralized material which recoverable value pays for all associated costs, including but not limited to the variable cost of mining and processing, indirect costs, treatment, administration costs and plant sustaining costs but excludes the access development assumed to be covered by the block above the GC grade.
  2. The cut-off grades, metallurgical recoveries, payable terms and modifying factors used to convert Mineral Reserves from Mineral Resources are different for all mines and are presented in each mine section in the AIF.
  3. Modifying factors for conversion of resources to reserves include consideration for planned dilution which is based on spatial and geotechnical aspects of the designed stopes and economic zones, additional dilution consideration due to unplanned events, materials handling and other operating aspects, and mining recovery factors. Mineable shapes were used as geometric constraints.
  4. Tonnage is expressed in thousands of tonnes; metal content is expressed in thousands of ounces. Metal prices and costs are expressed in USD.
  5. Numbers have been rounded as required by reporting guidelines. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
  6. The technical reports from which the above-mentioned information is derived are cited under the heading "Technical Reports for Material Properties" in the AIF.

M&I Mineral Resource estimates for the four material assets totalled 346.6 million AgEq ounces consisting of 95.9 million ounces of silver and 2.9 million ounces of gold. The M&I tonnes increased by 1% compared to 2022. M&I Mineral Resources at Jerritt Canyon increased by 207,000 gold ounces primarily due to successful drilling programs at the SSX and Smith mines that expanded the mineralization, combined with an overall decrease in gold cut-off grade from assumptions related to increased gold prices and lower costs due to self-performed mining instead of third-party contractor mining. M&I Mineral Resource estimates are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserve estimates.

Inferred Mineral Resource estimates for the Company's four material properties totalled 283.8 million AgEq ounces consisting of 65 million ounces of silver and 2.6 million ounces of gold. Successful exploration drilling at Jerritt Canyon outlined new Inferred Resource estimates, additional mineralized areas were modeled, and a reduction of the gold cut-off grade all contributed to an increase in Inferred Resources totalling 360,000 ounces of gold.

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource Estimates with an Effective Date of December 31, 2023

Mine / ProjectMineralTonnageGradesMetal Content
Category / AreaTypek tonnesAg (g/t) Au (g/t) Ag-Eq (g/t) Ag (k Oz) Au (k Oz) Ag-Eq (k Oz)
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
SAN DIMAS
Measured (UG)Sulphides 2,124 449 5.92 942 30,640 404 64,340
Indicated (UG)Sulphides 1,821 353 3.80 671 20,680 223 39,260
Total Measured and Indicated (UG)Sulphides 3,945 405 4.94 817 51,320 627 103,600
SANTA ELENA
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