Excellon Resources Gaining Momentum On Strong Cash Flow

Excellon Resources is a mineral resource company8.52% Zn. Our 2010 drilling program has three drills
operating in Durango and Zacatecas States, Mexico.working in the vicinity of the mine exploring for
The Company is producing silver, lead and zinc oreextensions of existing sulphide bodies and for new
from high-grade manto deposits on its Platosaones based on targets developed using both
Property, strategically located in the middle of thegeophysical techniques and geological data and
Mexican silver belt. It processes this ore at itsmodeling developed during our several years of drilling
concentrator in the town of Miguel Auza 220 km southin the area. A fourth drill will probe targets in the
of the mine and produces silver-lead and silver-zincSaltillera/Zorra area five kilometres west of the mine
concentrates, which are sold under the terms of awhere we continue to see the potential for a
long-term contract to an international trader. Miguellarge-tonnage proximal carbonate replacement deposit
Auza hosts an indicated and inferred mineral resource(CRD).
and was the site of considerable historic mining forRI: The acquisition of the Miguel Auza Property has
silver, gold, lead and zinc over the centuries. Chrismade an important addition to your holdings and
Hopkins, Excellon's CFO tells us more about where hiscapabilities. Can you focus on that a little?
company is headed.CH: Certainly. The Miguel Auza Property is a large
Resource Intelligence: Can you give us a little history onproperty with great potential for the discovery and
Excellon's involvement in Mexico?exploitation of additional epithermal silver/gold, lead and
Chris Hopkins: Certainly, Excellon became involved inzinc veins similar to those that have been worked so
Mexico in the early 1990s. It acquired the Platosaprofitably for decades in the Fresnillo camp, 150 km to
property in 1996 and in 1998 entered into a jointthe south as well as elsewhere in the Mexican Silver
venture on part of the property with Apex SilverBelt. It also presents evidence of a potential carbonate
Mines Ltd. We began production in 2005. In June of lastreplacement deposit (CRD) which could be very
year, the Company completed the acquisition of all theimportant. Although mining has taken place in the camp
outstanding common shares of TSX-listed Silver Eaglesince the 1500s very little systematic modern
Mines Inc. for a purchase price of $5,488,722exploration has actually been carried out and the
comprised of $3,370,000 in common shares andhistoric data record is almost non-existent. Silver Eagle
$1,200,000 in net cash payments for transaction costs.focused on developing the Calvario Vein system and
The purchase included Silver Eagle's Mexican assets,only began a concentrated review of the potential of
in particular its Miguel Auza mine and newly expandedthe overall property shortly before ceasing activities.
650 tonne per day mill. We began processing PlatosaSeveral additional vein systems are known including
ore at Miguel Auza in March 2009 while acquisitionthose exploited by the Spaniards, and the property
negotiations were underway. The mine has been onremains largely under-explored. We began an initial
care and maintenance since December 2008.exploration program on the property in the fall of 2009.
Another important 2009 development was theIts focus is on determining if portions of the Calvario
purchase of the remaining 49% joint venture interest inVein system can be exploited economically and
a large portion of the Platosa Property from Goldenwhether other areas of the large property warrant
Minerals Company, (successor to Apex Silver) forconcentrated exploration efforts.
US$2.0 million in cash and a 1% Net Smelter ReturnsThere was a small flotation mill on the property when
royalty.Silver Eagle acquired it, which was expanded and used
On December 10, 2009 we reported that the Platosato process oxide material as Silver Eagle developed
Indicated Mineral Resource has increased to a total ofthe King Ramp and the sulphide portion of the Calvario
579,000 tonnes grading 909 g/t (27 oz/T) Ag, 9.09%Vein system. Further expansion and modernization
Pb, and 10.51% Zn (as at October 31 2009), up nicelytook place during 2008 and it processed Calvario
from 396,000 tonnes grading 986 g/t (29 oz/T) Ag,sulphide mineralization for three months until
9.00% lead, and 10.10% zinc (as at February 3, 2008).mid-December 2008. We began shipping our Platosa
The Inferred Mineral Resource also increased fromore to the mill in mid-March 2009.
72,700 to 160,000 tonnes at a somewhat lower gradeRI: So you are shipping all your Platosa ore to the
than that of 2008.Miguel Auza mill?
RI: So what are the details on your Platosa Property?CH: Yes, and since mill capacity is greater than
CH: Platosa is located in the northeast corner of theproduction rate at Platosa the mill operating schedule is
State of Durango, Mexico approximately 45 kmset to match shipments and have a throughput rate
north-northwest of the city of Torreon, Coahuila State,that maximizes metallurgical results. For the mid-March
where the largest silver, zinc, lead smelter and refiningto December 31, 2009 period throughput averaged
complex in Mexico is located. The Property consists of280 tonnes per operating day and was as high as 375
71 contiguous mining concessions covering a total areatonnes per day. A total of 57,902 tonnes of Platosa
of 24,065 hectares. It is nominally divided into threeore grading 994 g/t Ag, 8.04% Pb, 8.81% Zn were
areas based on underlying agreements and/orprocessed during that period. Recoveries averaged
concession ownership:80% for Ag reporting to the Pb concentrate, 9% for
Excellon 100%/Golden Minerals Royalty Area: ThisAg reporting to the Zn concentrate for a total of 89%
area comprises 46 concessions totalling 10,118 ha. ItAg recovery. Pb recovery averaged 74.0% and Zn
contains the Platosa mantos, current Mineralrecovery 68.0%. Concentrate production totalled 5,733
Resources, and Platosa Mine plus the surrounding area,tonnes of silver-lead and 6,656 tonnes of silver-zinc.
which prior to November 2009 had been held in JointRI: In summary, why should investors consider Excellon
Venture with Apex Silver Mines Limited (Apex). Infor their portfolio?
November 2009, Apex's successor Golden MineralCH: Excellon is a well-established operator in the
Corp. sold to Excellon its interest in the former Jointhigh-grade mining business in Mexico. We have
Venture concessions or US$2,000,000 and a 1% Netassembled very large land positions, which have seen
Smelter Return royalty.considerable historic production and as well, hold the
Altiplano Area: This area comprises 20 concessionspotential for significant discoveries of much larger
owned by Excellon totalling 11,076 ha. These 20resources. We are well funded, expect to generate
concessions are subject to a 3% NSR payable toover $45 in revenues in fiscal 2010 with greater
Exploraciones de Altiplano, S.A. de C.V., a privaterevenues expected as production increases in the
Mexican company.future. We have world class exploration upside and
Others: This area comprises five concessions totallingexposure to silver, lead and zinc prices through the
2,870 ha. They are owned 100% by Excellon and arehighly profitable operations at Platosa. This self-funded
not subject to any underlying agreement or royalty.exploration play provides investors with great potential
In addition we own or lease 1,841 ha of surface rights.without the risk of a pure exploration company.
RI: And what are you doing there now?Excellon is an established operator.
CH: We're continuing to drill and expand our resourcesMilestones:
at Platosa. On January 14, 2010 we announced assay* Continue exploring the large under-explored,
results for thirteen additional drill holes, most of whichstrategically located properties at Platosa with a $12
intersected high-grade massive sulphides. Hole LP708million budget devoted largely to diamond drilling
cut 3,300 g/t (96 oz/T) Ag, 11.8% Pb, 0.13% Zn over* Develop drilling targets at Miguel Auza with a modest
1.15 metres (m) and hole EX09-LP692 intersected 1,470budget of close to $1 million.
g/t (43 oz/T) Ag, 4.9% Pb, 7.3% Zn over 1.77 m. Both* Increase the mining capacity at Platosa and continue
represented extensions to the 623 Manto, which asprocessing ore at the Miguel Auza mill
reported in the press release dated December 10,* Continue to operate Platosa on a sustained and
2009, has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 62,000consistent basis generating strong cash flows.
tonnes grading 1,183 g/t (34 oz/T) Ag, 10.27% Pb and