Metalline Mining Company
   News Release: For immediate release June 14, 1999

 

Joint Venture Evaluation and Drill Results Sierra Mojada Project

 

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho - Metalline Mining Company announces that their Sierra Mojada Project is being evaluated by major mining companies for Joint Venture participation.  Metalline President Merlin Bingham said “I have noticed a strong increase in interest in the oxide zinc portion of Sierra Mojada since Reunion Mining PLC was purchased by Anglo American.”  Anglo’s purchase of Reunion acquired the Skorpion Project, Namibia, Africa, a Solvent Extraction Electrowinning project with a 20 million tonne deposit grading 10% zinc.

Oxide zinc ore grading about 30% zinc has been direct shipped from Sierra Mojada for the past 40 years, primarily from the San Salvador, Encantada and Fronteriza mines.  The remainder of the current drill program, about 3000 meters, will be drilled in these three mines over a distance of 1500 meters.  Oxide zinc ore has been mined in the district over a distance in excess of 5 kilometers.  The high-grade direct shipping ore of the San Salvador, Encantada and Fronteriza has been mined throughout a volume of rock 1500 meters by 200 meters by 100 meters vertically, a volume of 30 million cubic meters.  An average 10% grade in only 20% of this volume is 20 million tonnes of ore and would sustain 5000 tonne per day operations.  Production of 5000 tonne per day would make Sierra Mojada the fifth largest zinc mine in the world.  The probability of developing this required tonnage in these three mines is considered to be very good and there is an additional 3.5 kilometers in which to continue to develop reserves. The mineral system continues beyond the mined 5 kilometers to the east and the west and probably to the south.

The results from an additional 5 Reverse Circulation drill holes follows.  These holes are all drilled in the Encantada North silver, copper, zinc and lead sulfide target.  Four holes, R9912, R9914, R9915 and R9916 intersected ore grade mineralization over mineable thickness.  R9913 did not intersect ore grade mineralization.

Hole R9915 was the highlight of this round of drilling and the best hole drilled to date in the program.

 

                Hole-Id      From         To             Ag            Ag            Cu            Zn             Pb            $ Value

                                                                g/mt          oz/mt        %            %            %            per  mt

                ­­­Metal Prices $                            0.16/g       5.00/oz      0.75/lb       0.64/lb       0.25/lb       ­                             

                R9915       183           184           109           3.5            <.01          0.89          0.21          31.13

                R9915       184           185           2590         83.3          0.03          10.95        11.55        632.60

                R9915       185           186           3672         118.1        0.04          7.25          21.90        810.71

                R9915       186           187           777           25.0          0.01          1.84          4.44          174.81

                R9915       187           188           288           9.3            <.01          0.68          2.24          67.97

                R9915       188           189           97             3.1            <.01          0.79          0.66          30.31

                R9915       189           190           46             1.5            <.01          0.84          0.44          21.64

                R9915       190           191           50             1.6            <.01          0.32          0.26          13.95

                R9915       191           192           62             2.0            <.01          0.16          0.19          13.19

                R9915       192           193           206           6.6            <.01          0.43          0.90          43.96

                R9915       193           194           114           3.7            <.01          0.12          0.57          23.06

                Average 11 meters   (36 feet)       728           23.4          0.01          2.21          3.94          169.39

                Average 4 meters     (13 feet)       1832         58.9          0.02          5.18          10.03        421.52

                Average 3 meters     (10 feet)       2346         75.4          0.03          6.68          12.63        539.37

 

R9915 also extends the known limits of the Encantada North ore zone to the south by about 30 meters and the zone remains open to extension and definition in all directions.

The weighted average grade of all ore grade intersects in the 15 holes in the north side sulfide zone, is $87 per tonne, at the listed metal prices, still well above that required for an economic operation.   The highest average, for the north side Encantada and San Salvador zone, after hole R997, was $105 per tonne.  The average grade will continue to vary as the program to develop reserves continues until a final grade and tonnage is determined and feasibility is completed.

 

Balance of results:

               

                Hole-Id      From         To             Ag            Ag            Cu            Zn             Pb            $ Value

                                                                g/mt          oz/mt        %            %            %            per  mt

                Metal Prices $                            0.16/g       5.00/oz      0.75/lb       0.64/lb       0.25/lb                      

            R9912       156           157           90             2.9            0.18          0.35          0.23          23.61

                R9912       157           158           105           3.4            0.09          0.91          0.31          32.80

                R9912       158           159           75             2.4            0.08          0.99          0.28          28.75

                R9912       159           160           137           4.4            0.28          0.60          0.19          35.95

                Average 4 meters                       102           3.3            0.16          0.71          0.25          30.28

                                                                                                                               

                R9912       168           169           738           23.7          0.19          0.26          0.12          125.54

                R9912       169           170           350           11.3          0.07          0.08          0.05          58.56

                R9912       170           171           155           5.0            0.02          0.05          0.02          25.94

                R9912       171           172           97             3.1            0.02          0.06          0.01          16.69

                R9912       172           173           98             3.1            0.01          0.06          0.03          16.82

                R9912       173           174           82             2.6            0.03          0.03          0.01          14.03

                R9912       174           175           107           3.4            0.03          0.08          0.12          19.32

                R9912       175           176           58             1.9            <.01          0.06          0.17          11.04

                R9912       176           177           157           5.0            0.07          0.03          0.04          26.92

                R9912       177           178           258           8.3            0.44          0.13          0.01          50.43

                R9912       178           179           92             3.0            0.19          0.04          <.01          18.48

                R9912       179           180           124           4.0            0.21          0.10          <.01          24.71

                R9912       180           181           118           3.8            0.07          0.08          0.03          21.33

                Average 13 meters                     187           6.0            0.10          0.08          0.05          33.06

                                                                                                                               

                R9914       193           194           100           3.2            0.09          0.05          <.01          18.19

                R9914       194           195           124           4.0            0.14          0.10          0.01          23.61

                R9914       195           196           131           4.2            0.13          0.08          0.01          24.29

                R9914       196           197           108           3.5            0.11          0.07          0.01          20.06

                R9914       197           198           150           4.8            0.08          0.03          0.01          25.80

                R9914       198           199           103           3.3            0.08          0.04          0.01          18.34

                Average 6 meters                       119           3.8            0.20          0.06          0.01          23.30

                                                                                                                               

                R9914       206           207           142           4.5            0.24          0.07          0.03          27.75

                R9914       207           208           151           4.9            0.29          0.09          0.03          30.38

                R9914       208           209           176           5.7            0.26          0.12          0.03          34.30

                Average 3 meters                       156           5.0            0.26          0.09          0.03          30.81

                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                               

                R9916       139           140           146           4.7            <.01          3.97          1.02          84.87

                R9916       140           141           3              0.1            <.01          0.04          <.01          1.04

                R9916       141           142           117           3.7            0.02          4.39          1.37          88.32

                Average 3 meters                       89             2.8            0.01          2.80          0.80          58.08

                                                                                                                               

                R9916       156           157           597           19.2          <.01          0.97          0.95          114.40

                R9916       157           158           237           7.6            <.01          0.88          0.79          54.66

                R9916       158           159           49             1.6            <.01          0.22          0.14          11.69

                Average 3 meters                       294           9.5            0.00          0.69          0.63          60.25

                                                                                                                               

                Hole-Id      From         To             Ag            Ag            Cu            Zn             Pb            $ Value

                                                                g/mt          oz/mt        %            %            %            per  mt

                Metal Prices $                            0.16/g       5.00/oz      0.75/lb       0.64/lb       0.25/lb                      

                R9916       170           171           166           5.3            <.01          0.17          0.21          30.11

                R9916       171           172           191           6.1            <.01          0.14          0.29          34.13

                R9916       172           173           90             2.9            <.01          0.06          0.06          15.57

                Average 3 meters                       149           4.8            0.00          0.12          0.19          26.60