U.S. miner Hecla Mining has reported the second highest silver reserves in the company’s 130-year history, and com-municated an update on its exploration programmes during the fourth quarter of 2021 and plans for this year.
Hecla Mining’s silver reserves expanded to 200 million oz, with its Greens Creek asset increasing by 12 percent, the company said in a statement. Its gold production was replaced, and reserves rose by 14 percent.
“Measured and indicated resources declined primarily due to conver-sion to reserves. Inferred resources increased 8% for silver and 2% for gold,” according to Hecla Mining.
“Hecla’s silver reserves are near our all time high with Greens Creek reaching 125 million ounces, that mine’s second highest since 2002, and Lucky Friday’s 75 million ounces giving it a reserve mine life in excess of 15 years,” said Phillips S. Baker, Jr., the president and CEO of the U.S. miner.