Since the acquisition of the Cusi silver district, in mid-2006, the Corporation has conducted detailed geologic mapping, detailed core drilling (both surface and underground), metallurgical testing and pilot mining in the old mine workings.

Due to the size of the property and the high number of potential targets, the Corporation decided to concentrate its efforts on four interconnecting former mines out of twelve situated in the NW area of the property. Most of the drilling has been aimed at discovering and defining mineralized structural trends and veins within two major sectors of the Cusi Project ― Santa Eduviges and Promontorio, both historical producers.

Santa Eduwiges Mine
The Santa Eduviges–San Antonio–San Marina sector consists of multiple fracture-filled quartz-carbonate veins containing high sulphide contents that are typical of the middle portion (Pb, Zn, Cu) of a zoned, low-sulphidation epithermal vein. This middle portion of the vein transits upwards to the upper precious metal (Au, Ag) portion of the vein.

Promontorio Mine
Mineralization at Promontorio is associated with fracture-filled, low-sulphidation veins with high precious-metal grades and low contents of base metals, typical of a high-level epithermal system.

In the Promontorio Mine sector, a series of NW-SE veins are mineralized. These veins are labeled from A to K. The A vein (Veta A) dips NE while the other veins (from B to K) dip SW. The intersections of the veins host wide breccias zones that are often mineralized with high grades of silver.

Cusi 2009 Exploration Program
The objectives of 2009 were twofold:

1) Define and expand the resources along the Santa Marina and San Antonio veins, along vein intersections Santa Marina and Rosario, Santa Marina and San Bartolo and along the Tascates and Mexicana veins

2) Evaluate and test the Promontorio vein intersections and the Santa Rosa Chimney with the objective of defining and expanding resources in this sector.
The successful exploration program developed additional resources at the Cusi mine that enabled the Corporation to re-start pilot-mining production of mineralized rock in August, 2009. At that time, Dia Bras also began construction of cyanide vat leach cells and installation of a Merrill Crowe recovery system at the Malpaso mill that metallurgical testing has shown can elevate the recovery of silver to 80-85%. In December, 2009, the Corporation poured its first silver doré at the Malpaso mill from material produced at the Cusi mine.