Monday August 21, 9:01 am ET
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(CCNMatthews - Aug. 21, 2006) - Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (TSX VENTURE:FVI - News), Mr. Jorge Ganoza Durant, President of the Company, is pleased to report a significant increase in resources at the 100% owned Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru. Measured and indicated pure silver resources, inclusive of reserves, have increased by 50 per cent to 10.5 million ounces.
The increment in the size of the resource is from the new block model for the Animas Vein, constructed using DataMine modeling software, and has been independently verified by consulting firm Chlumsky, Armbrust and Meyer (CAM). An updated technical report entitled "Mineral Reserves and Resource Estimate, Caylloma Mine, Peru" authored by Robert Sandefur of CAM is being prepared in compliance with NI 43-101 and will be finalized and filed on SEDAR on or before September 30th, 2006.
The new technical report does not encompass economic analysis as only the size of measured and indicated resources has increased from the technical report of April 2005. Reserves and resources for other veins have not increased materially but have been updated to reflect metal price changes and minimum mining width parameters. The April 2005 technical report is available on SEDAR and on the Company's web site at www.fortunasilver.com.
Table 1. Silver Veins Proven & Probable Reserves--------------------------------------------------
Contained
Vein Tonnes Ag gpt Au gpt Pb % Zn % Ag oz
--------------------------------------------------
PROVEN
San Cristobal 145,851 422 0.3 0.0 0.0 1,980,562
San Pedro 52,102 407 1.0 0.0 0.0 682,646
San Carlos 5,392 622 0.2 0.3 0.7 107,751
La Plata 8,537 478 2.1 0.2 0.1 131,184
Cimoide (La Plata) 30,269 575 3.4 0.0 0.1 560,075
Paralela 11,200 592 0.1 0.0 0.0 213,294
Proven Reserves 253,351 451 0.9 0.0 0.0 3,675,513 PROBABLE
San Cristobal 35,989 507 0.4 0.2 0.3 586,410
San Pedro 33,650 340 0.9 0.0 0.1 368,157
San Carlos 7,921 656 0.1 0.3 0.7 167,020
La Plata 1,954 720 4.1 0.1 0.1 45,213
Cimoide (La Plata) 5,691 414 3.0 0.0 0.1 75,814
Paralela 4,491 688 0.0 0.1 0.2 99,339
Probable Reserves 89,695 465 0.8 0.1 0.2 1,341,953
--------------------------------------------------
Proven + Probable 343,046 454 0.8 0.1 0.1 5,017,466
--------------------------------------------------Table 2. Animas Vein Measured and Indicated Resources--------------------------------------------------
Contained
Vein Tonnes Ag gpt Au gpt Pb % Zn % Ag oz
--------------------------------------------------
Measured 484,540 152 0.8 2.3 4.2 2,388,782
Indicated 688,786 137 0.5 2.3 4.2 3,037,544
--------------------------------------------------
Measured+Ind. 1,173,326 143 0.7 2.3 4.2 5,426,326
--------------------------------------------------Table 3. Inferred Resources--------------------------------------------------
Contained
Vein Tonnes Ag gpt Au gpt Pb % Zn % Ag oz
--------------------------------------------------
San Cristobal 135,513 407 0.2 0.3 0.4 1,771,635
San Pedro 92,896 369 0.2 0.7 1.4 1,100,831
San Carlos 16,626 766 0.2 0.5 1.2 409,654
La Plata 40,540 663 2.5 0.2 0.7 863,893
Cimoide (La Plata) 7,326 231 2.0 0.0 0.1 54,330
Paralela 52,473 563 0.0 0.2 0.3 950,452
Ramal paralela 90,094 362 0.1 0.3 0.7 1,049,011Animas 980,032 243 0.5 2.7 4.2 7,626,114
--------------------------------------------------
Inferred 1,415,499 305 0.4 2.0 3.1 13,825,919
--------------------------------------------------Tables 1 through 3 may not check exactly due to rounding.
The block model resource estimate for measured, indicated and inferred in the Animas vein is based on a cut-off of US$36.5 per tonne, which accounts for all on-site mine cash costs. Proven and probable reserves and inferred resources for the silver veins have been diluted at zero grade by 10 percent with a minimum mining width of 1 meter. A break even cut-off of US$48 per tonne has been applied and carries a 16 percent increment from the stated in the April 2005 technical report. The following metal prices were used in the resource and reserve estimation: US$8/oz Ag, US$500/oz Au, US$800/tonne Pb, US$1803/tonne Zn.
Exploration drilling continues on the property with two rigs on the north east extension of the Animas vein as the current measured and indicated resources are located along just 1.6 km of a 3.8 km vein.
Mr. Jorge Ganoza Durant, President of the Company, commented, "We are pleased to see the results of this new resource estimate. Measured and indicated resources viewed in tonnage terms, inclusive of reserves, have increased by 100 percent to about 1.5 million tonnes. This is excellent news as we get closer to production at the end of this quarter."




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