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Muck samples, equivalent to 16 tonnes of broken material, were taken during stope extraction at a frequency of one sample from every four scoop buckets. Sampling was performed by the geology assistant, extracting four separate channels vertically across the face of the scoop bucket into large pails for the purpose of approximating as close as possible a representative sample of both coarse and fine rock fragments present in the muck. Each sample weighed approximately 40 kilograms. The large sample was reduced by cone-and-quartering on a canvas to two 5-kilogram sample splits, which were placed in separate sample bags. One of these was the primary split and the second was a quality control duplicate. Sample bags were numbered in sequence with a numbered tag inserted by the Mine Geologist, who then secured the individual bags with cable ties. The sampling assistant and geologists transported the bags out of the mine to a secure staging area where sample shipments were prepared. In all, 342 primary muck samples were collected, totaling 1.7 tonnes of stope material. Sampling was done by the same three teams over the entire program for consistency. The Mine Geologists performed regular audits of the sampling and sample reduction technique. Custody of the samples was transferred at the mine site to Actlabs, which transported the samples to Actlabs Colombia SAS, Medellín, Colombia, an ISO-9001 accredited facility. Channel samples taken from the development backs were analyzed by a 50-gram gold fire assay with atomic absorption finish, or a gravimetric finish for samples initially reporting over 100 g/t gold. Muck samples were analyzed by a 50-gram gold fire assay with a gravimetric finish. All silver values were determined by aqua regia digestion and atomic absorption method.
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