Decision Lens
A PFS-level geotechnical drilling program at a past-producing Nevada silver project reveals how incoming open-pit developments in Tier-1 jurisdictions are building their slope design foundations — relevant context for any operations director tracking future silver supply or benchmarking geotechnical study scope against their own brownfield programs.
90-Second Brief
Silver One Resources has commenced a nine-hole, ~1,900-metre geotechnical core drilling program at the Candelaria Silver Project in Nevada to support a pre-feasibility-level pit slope stability study. The company engaged Call & Nicholas, Inc. — a recognized geotechnical engineering firm — to conduct the slope study and inform the conceptual open-pit design. The PFS is targeted for Q4 2026 completion. For operations directors, the program’s scope and positioning within the proposed pit footprint illustrate how a development-stage open pit in a major jurisdiction is approaching slope design from first principles.
What’s Actually Happening
Silver One Resources has launched a geotechnical core drilling campaign at its Candelaria Silver Project in Nevada. The program consists of nine HQ-diameter (63.5 mm) core holes totaling approximately 1,900 metres, strategically positioned within and along the margins of the proposed open-pit footprint. The company states the resulting geotechnical data will guide slope design, optimize mine engineering, and support long-term operational safety and efficiency. Tradingview
In parallel, Silver One has engaged Call & Nicholas, Inc. to conduct a pre-feasibility-level pit-slope stability study. This work feeds directly into a conceptual PFS open-pit design, with the full pre-feasibility study scheduled for completion in Q4 2026. The company describes this as a “major advancement” toward the PFS milestone. Newsfilecorp
Candelaria is a past-producing mine with existing infrastructure including power, water, and year-round road access. The open-pit resource currently stands at 22,070,000 tonnes M&I grading 94 g/t Ag and 0.20 g/t Au (70.84 million ounces AgEq), plus 2,960,000 tonnes Inferred grading 68 g/t Ag and 0.18 g/t Au (7.00 million ounces AgEq). The broader property hosts a global resource of 108.18 million ounces AgEq M&I and 29.53 million ounces AgEq Inferred, which includes two historic heap leach pads carrying additional silver and gold content. Cnitucson
Silver One CEO Gregory Crowe stated the geotechnical drilling and slope stability study “provides the engineering backbone for our open-pit design and is essential to delivering a robust pre-feasibility study.” The company highlights Candelaria’s position in Nevada as a Tier-1 jurisdiction with expansion potential along strike and at depth. Cnitucson
Why It Matters for Mining Operations Directors
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From a geotechnical standpoint, the nine-hole, 1,900-metre program positioned within and along the proposed pit margins represents a standard approach to building the geotechnical model that will determine inter-ramp and overall slope angles. For directors managing active open pits, this is a useful reference point for how new entrants are scoping their slope design data collection — and a reminder that under-investment in geotechnical characterization at PFS stage creates slope performance risk that surfaces at your bench face years later.
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From an operational standpoint, Candelaria’s past-producing status with existing power, water, and road infrastructure reduces the typical development-stage uncertainty. The open-pit resource at 22 million tonnes M&I with a 94 g/t Ag head grade suggests a future operation of modest scale. Any director running silver or polymetallic operations in the western U.S. should note this project’s trajectory toward potential production.
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From a regulatory standpoint, the project benefits from previous permitting in Nevada, which remains one of the more predictable mining jurisdictions globally. The PFS-level geotechnical work now underway will feed directly into the permitting and mine plan approvals that follow — a sequence worth noting for directors managing their own brownfield expansion timelines.
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From a competitive standpoint, with a global resource exceeding 108 million ounces AgEq, Candelaria ranks among the larger undeveloped silver resources in the U.S. Its advancement toward PFS adds to the pipeline of potential future silver supply, relevant for any director whose operation competes for silver processing capacity, skilled workforce, or equipment in the Nevada market.
The Forward View
Watch for completion of the nine geotechnical holes — likely within 60–90 days given the program’s scope — and subsequent release of slope stability study parameters. The Q4 2026 PFS delivery date is the next major milestone; any delay would signal geotechnical or engineering complexity beyond initial expectations. Call & Nicholas’s slope recommendations will directly determine the strip ratio and waste tonnage assumptions underpinning the PFS economics.
What We’re Uncertain About
- Geotechnical conditions in the proposed pit walls remain undefined. The drilling program is designed to collect this data, so rock mass quality, structural domains, and hydrogeological conditions are not yet characterized. Resolution comes when drilling is complete and Call & Nicholas delivers its slope stability analysis.
- Whether the PFS will confirm open-pit viability at these grades and tonnages. A 94 g/t Ag head grade in a 22-million-tonne M&I resource is promising, but pit slope angles, strip ratio, and processing route will determine economic viability. The Q4 2026 PFS will resolve this.
- The extent to which historic heap leach pad resources contribute to project economics. The source details “substantial amounts” of silver and gold in two leach pads but provides no specifics on reprocessing method or cost. Future technical studies will clarify this.
One Question to Bring to Your Team
If we were scoping a geotechnical drilling program for a new pit phase or cutback at our operation today, would nine holes across 1,900 metres be sufficient to characterize our slope domains — and when did we last validate our existing pit slope design assumptions against actual wall performance?
