Govt. asks Silvercrest to postpone drilling

Honduras' mining promotion agency Defomin has asked Canadian junior Silvercrest to postpone drilling its silver projects in the country while it completes talks with local authorities about permitting requirements and procedures. Silvercrest is planning 1,500m of core drilling at its El Ocote project in western Honduras and another program at Opoteca in the central-west of the country. "The company has requested Defomin to provide details on the status of the discussions and an estimate of the time required to resolve the inter-governmental issues," Silvercrest said in a statement. The company said it believes the delay will be short lived, adding that it has started public relations programs in key municipalities to address exploration issues with locals. In the meantime, the drill rig destined for El Ocote has not been cleared by customs in Guatemala and an alternative rig is not expected to be ready for at least 30 days, it said. In early October, anti-mining protests occurred in Aramecina municipality in Valle department over reports that Defomin had granted 15 exploitation licenses in the area.