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| | |   Tepal Aerial Fly-Over Arian Silver Corporation has acquired an exclusive option over 100% of the Tepal poly-metallic project in Michoacán State, Mexico. The Project is located approximately 450 miles to the south of Zacatecas, where Arian's other properties are located. The Tepal Project comprises six exploration concessions covering approximately 14,000 hectares. Initial investigation by Arian indicates that the Tepal Project consists of four gossanous poly-metallic deposits containing copper, gold and silver, with potential for additional areas of mineralization. The Tepal Project was previously explored in the 1970s and the 1990s by a number of companies including INCO, Teck and Hecla. The historical data indicates 78.82 million tonnes of mineralization grading 0.5 grammes/tonne (g/t) gold and 0.25% copper, equating to 1.23 million contained ounces of gold and 432.63 million contained pounds of copper. The historical data also indicates that there are potentially higher grade zones within these mineralized zones. Both INCO and Teck were interested in the Tepal Project as a copper-gold porphyry target, regarding silver only as a by-product. Hecla's primary focus on the Project was a large tonnage, low grade gold target. The Tepal Project has not been systematically tested for silver by previous owners, as the silver market had been subdued, with a price averaging less than $6 an ounce during the 1970s and 1990s. The management of Arian believes that potentially significant quantities of silver, as well as other metals, could also be present at the Tepal project. The Tepal Project was initially explored in the early 1970s by INCO who identified the area as having potential to host a porphyry copper-gold deposit. INCO drilled 21 diamond drill holes, totalling 3,247 metres and identified significant mineralization at the North Zone. In 1992, Teck acquired the Tepal Project, drilled an additional 50 Reverse Circulation ("RC") holes, totalling 8,168 metres, and discovered a second area of mineralization at the South Zone. Spacing between drill holes was typically 50 or 100 metres. In 1994 Teck completed a resource estimate of 78.82 million tonnes grading 0.5 g/t gold and 0.25% copper. However, Teck only assayed for gold and copper. Teck used polygonal block estimates to calculate its resource estimate. Intercept intervals were based on combined gold and copper values calculated to a dollar value equivalent using gold at $375/oz and copper at $0.80/lb. Two cut-off values, greater than $4/ton and greater than or equal to $8/ton over a minium of 6.0 metres were used. A specific gravity of 2.6 g/cm3 was used. Subsequently Hecla owned the Tepal Project. Hecla collected nearly 900 rock chip samples on a 50 metres by 50 metres grid, re-analysed 298 pulps from the Teck RC drilling programme and drilled a further 17 RC holes, totalling 1,506 metres. Hecla's focus was exclusively on gold potential. In 1997 Hecla estimated a total historic resource of 9.063 million tonnes averaging 0.90 g/t gold containing 262,359 ounces of gold. However, Hecla used a specific gravity of 2.2 g/cm3, which is substantially lower than the 2.6 g/cm3 used by Teck. Hecla used polygonal block estimates to calculate its resource estimate, using drill sections constructed at intervals ranging from 50 metres to 90 metres. Cut-off grades of 0.5 g/t gold and 0.30% copper were used in the estimate although there is no copper resource in the Hecla material. Arian has established a local operational base in the area and has obtained environmental permits and all relevant permissions to conduct exploration on all the Tepal properties, without payment or royalties to be made to the landowners. Phase one exploration has started with remote sensing and aerial mapping surveys. Phase one drilling commenced in April 2007 on known targets. Additional information with respect to the Tepal Property is contained in a technical report prepared by A.C.A. Howe International Limited, dated September 18, 2006, and entitled "Technical Report on the Tepal Project, Michoacán , Mexico". Please click here for technical report (PDF, 9.92 Mb)
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