Dia Bras produces metal while exploring

Dia Bras Exploration (DIB-V) continues to cut high grade base metals as well as significant silver and gold at its Bolivar project 230 km southwest of Chihuahua, Mexico.

The latest drilling is highlighted by one hole (no. 86) that cut four high-grade zones. At 6.5 metres downhole , 2 metres graded 13% zinc, 0.77% copper, 39.6 grams silver and 0.18 gram gold per tonne. Further downhole, at 44 metres, 1 metre graded 21% zinc, 1.3% copper, 54 grams silver and 0.3 gram gold per tonne. Six metres later, another 2 metres graded 5.4% zinc, 0.5% copper, 42.3 grams silver and 0.2 gram gold per tonne; and at 73 metres downhole, 1-metre graded 14% zinc, 0.9% copper, and 9 grams silver per tonne.

Hole 98 cut three zones: one 2-metre-wide intercept graded 7.8 % zinc, 1.9% copper, 92 grams silver and 0.6 gram gold per tonne. The other two zones each measured one-metre-wide: one graded up to 34.7% zinc, 4.75% copper, and 39.3 grams silver, whereas the other graded 10% zinc, 1.8% copper, and 21.3 grams silver per tonne.

Fifty-seven holes tested high-grade mineralized zones. Thirty-five of these cut significant mineralization.

These zones are all easily accessible from previous mine-workings. The Bolivar mine produced about 60,000 tonnes of ore grading 6% copper and 30% zinc with supplemental gold and silver.

To date, the company has found an inferred resource of about 30,000 tonnes contained within two partially exposed zones in the mine, as well as another zone with an inferred resource of 50,000 tonnes that is readily accessible from the mine.

Mineralization is skarn-hosted and is found at fault intersections.

The mine is in the Piedras Verdes mining district and was acquired by Dia Bras in Sept. of 2004. In November the company signed a three-year lease-to-own agreement for a 100-tonne-per-day flotation mill, located 125 km from the mine, in the town of Malpaso.

Dia Bras began a pre-feasibility study in December. Drilling is planned to firm up the resource and confirm tonnage, grade and recovery.

To date, two underground levels, spaced 50-metres apart, have been widened to accommodate modern mining equipment. More than 300 metres of rehabilitation have been completed. This produced an initial sample of about 900 tonnes of ore grading an estimated 15% zinc and 3% copper that has been shipped to the mill.

The mill began processing ore in January. In February, another 2,000 tonnes of ore will be mined and transported to the mill. Tonnage is expected to increase by about one-third in March.

The 158-sq-km property comprises 17 claim blocks, some of which the company began exploring in late 2003.