UNDERGROUND

Silver Bullet Mines receive plant equipment

The company aims to produce its first dore in April.

One of four conveyors has now been installed.

One of four conveyors has now been installed.

Junior miner Silver Bullet Mines have received the remaining equipment to build a mill at its Arizona silver property.

The materials had been delayed in shipping, chief executive A. John Carter said.

The mill should be constructed in 30 to 40 days, after which Silver Bullet will take two weeks' worth of low-grade material to calibrate the components, Carter said.

Following this process, Silver Bullet will begin processing ore produced at its nearby Buckeye silver mine.

Silver Bullet Mines plans to produce silver dore, to be sold to a smelter or a commodities trader. The company is currently in discussions with several possible customers.

The company aims to produce its first dore in April.

An increase in inflation and delays in the supply chain have led to a much-tightened budget, Carter told Mining Magazine.

"We had prices go up in some cases 250%," he said. "Transportation is up by four times the original quote, labor [costs] went up."

Many junior miners are in remote locations, where transport costs are heavily dependent on gas prices. Gas prices in Canada have increased, Carter said, which is putting many juniors in a difficult spot.

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