it looks like the ball mill problems are finally behind us, and with recoveries improving we can hope for much better results next year.

Mine production

The Pirquitas mine produced 7.1 million ounces of silver during 2011 compared with 6.3 million ounces in 2010. Although production was 12% higher than in 2010, 2011 production was negatively impacted by over two months of production downtime due to installing additional crushing capacity, and operating for most of the year with a damaged ball mill gearbox. The gearbox has now been completely rebuilt to nearly-new condition, and the mill recommenced operating in early November 2011. A spare gearbox from Europe arrived in March 2012 and the Company has purchased a spare ball mill ring gear with expected delivery towards the end of 2012. Since the mill has been back in operation, it has exceeded design rates and production volumes have been strong.

During the year, 1.1 million tonnes of ore were processed at an average milling rate of 2,983 tonnes per day, compared to 1.3 million tonnes at an average of 3,439 tonnes per day in 2010. The reduced tonnage processed during 2011 was due to the aforementioned ball mill shutdowns, however, the average milling rate during 2011 per operating day was in excess of 3,600 tonnes per day.

Ore milled during 2011 contained an average silver grade of 253 g/t and an average silver recovery of 79.5% was achieved. This was a significant improvement compared to a silver grade of 233 g/t and recovery of 65.2% in 2010. The better silver recovery achieved during 2011 was due principally to improvements in the consistency of feed and continuous improvements to the crushing and flotation circuits.

The mine produced a total of 10.1 million pounds of zinc in 2011 which met guidance and resulted from milling higher grades and achieving better recovery than planned. There was no zinc production in 2010 as the zinc circuit was not commissioned until the start of 2011.

Mine operating costs

Direct mining costs in 2011 were $13.65 per ounce of silver compared to $12.19 per ounce in 2010. The increase in unit cost in 2011 versus 2010 was primarily driven by inflationary pressures on local labour costs and catering, repairs and maintenance costs related to the primary crusher and the refurbishment of the ball mill gearbox, additional maintenance costs and external costs associated with the import restrictions, and expenditures incurred to improve the long-term production efficiency of the facility.

Total cash cost in 2011, which includes by-product credits, treatment and refining costs, royalties and production taxes, was $20.93 per ounce of silver compared to $18.03 per ounce of silver in 2010. Treatment and refining costs, as well as royalties and production taxes all vary as a function of sales prices and are recorded for the actual ounces of silver sold. Consequently, on a per ounce basis, the variability in total cash cost from period to period is partially due to sales prices and the difference between production and sales volumes. The higher incremental per ounce impact of these costs in 2011 compared with 2010 is due primarily to higher prices achieved for sales in the current year.

Exploration drilling program

In addition to the comprehensive in-fill drilling program that was completed in 2011 in the area of the San Miguel open-pit, the Company diamond drilled 1,837 meters at an exploration target located just 200 meters north of the pit in the Cortaderas Valley. The main target at Cortaderas consists of a steeply-plunging breccia body where the breccia matrix is composed of silver-bearing iron and zinc sulphide mineralization and sulfide-rich, vein-hosted mineralization was intersected by drill-holes in the vicinity of the above-mentioned breccia body. To date, nine relatively closely-spaced drill-holes have intersected the mineralized breccia body. The results from this drilling were encouraging and based on the drilling completed, the Company estimated an Inferred mineral resource for the breccia of 7.0 million tonnes averaging 98.4 g/t silver and 2.3% zinc, for approximately 22.5 million ounces of contained silver and 360.1 million pounds of contained zinc, at a 50 g/t silver cut-off grade. Additional drilling is planned in the first half of 2012 to further define and delineate this resource.

Outlook

Our production guidance and cost estimates for 2012 are as follows:

--  Produce 8.2 to 8.5 million ounces of silver.

--  Produce 10.5 to 11.5 million pounds of zinc.

--  Direct mining costs of $11.85 per ounce of silver based on direct mining

    costs of $100.8 million.

--  Capital expenditures at Pirquitas of approximately $19 million.

--  Feasibility study, access roads, water wells, the operations camp and

    supporting administration at Pitarrilla are expected to be approximately

    $30 million.

--  Company exploration expenditures of greater than $25 million.

http://ir.silverstandard.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=656454