Silvercorp Intercepts New High-Grade Structures at LMW Mine, Ying Mining District, China, Including Vein LM26: 5.39 Metres True Width Grading 2,896 Grams Per Tonne Silver and 2.58% Copper

Trading Symbol        TSX:  SVM
                                    NYSE AMERICAN: SVM

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – October 6, 2022 – Silvercorp Metals Inc. (“Silvercorp” or the “Company”) (TSX: SVM) (NYSE American: SVM) is pleased to report assay results from its ongoing drilling program at the LMW mine within the Ying Mining District in China.  From October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, a total of 56,803 metres (“m”) in 416 diamond drill holes, including 372 underground holes and 44 surface holes, were completed at the LMW mine. Assay results for 378 holes have been received and selected results are presented in Table 1 below.  Currently, two surface and eight underground rigs are drilling at the LMW mine.

The assay results released here have not been included in the most recent “MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES” update with a cut-off date of December 31, 2021 (see news release dated September 21, 2022). 

1. New Discovery of High-Grade Silver-Lead-Zinc Veins at the West of LMW Outside Current Mining Areas

Drilling at the west side of LMW, where there has been no previous mining activity, intersected new high-grade silver-lead-zinc veins, including W1, W2, W2W, W6, W6E, W6W, and W18.  Among these, veins W2, W1 and W18 may have lengths of over 800 m along strike and 400 m down-dip from 1100 m to 700 m elevation.  To pursue this new discovery, the Company has started to develop two new horizontal tunnels from surface at 1040 m and 988 m elevations, and a new branch off-ramp from 800 m to 700 m elevations to access these veins. 

Highlights of these new discovery holes are as follows:

• Hole ZKX0818 intersected a 3.18 m interval (2.82 m true width) of vein W2 grading 2,238 grams per tonne (“g/t”) silver (“Ag”), 5.90% lead (“Pb”), 0.61% zinc (“Zn”), and 0.36% copper (“Cu”) at the 1,045 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX0634 intersected a 4.03 m interval (3.43 m true width) of vein W6W grading 970 g/t Ag, 16.20% Pb, 0.60% Zn, and 0.29% Cu, at the 1,031 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX0636 intersected a 1.18 m interval (0.91 m true width) of vein W1 grading 2,511 g/t Ag, 3.45% Pb, 1.01% Zn, and 0.38% Cu, at the 963 m elevation; and
• Hole ZKX14214 intersected a 6.58 m interval (1.19 m true width) of vein W18 grading 646 g/t Ag, 3.12% Pb, 0.3% Zn, and 0.16% Cu, at the1039 m elevation.

1. Drilling of Low Angle Gold-Copper-Silver Veins Further Improved Continuity of Mineralization

Drilling of the low angle copper-gold-silver veins of LM21, LM22, LM26 and LM50 was designed to better understand this new type of mineralization which is strongly altered by silicification, with less obvious contact with host rocks of Archean granitic gneisses.  The lower angle copper-gold structures were also offset slightly by sub-vertical north-west and north-east trending silver-lead veins which have been the focus of mining production at LMW.  With the drilling program designed to expand gold-copper structures, and with better understanding, the Company is learning how to mine these low angle gold-copper bodies.

Highlights of the intercepts from the low angle gold veins at the LMW mine:

• Hole ZKX03X021 intersected a 7.03 m interval (5.39 m true width) of vein LM26 grading 0.17 g/t gold (“Au”), 2,896 g/t Ag, and 2.58% Cu, at the 602 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX11238 intersected a 9.54 m interval (3.37 m true width) of vein LM26 grading 0.98 g/t Au, 1,323 g/t Ag, 7.45% Pb, 0.55% Zn, and 0.32% Cu, at the 670 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX11223 intersected a 6.57 m interval (3.2 m true width) of vein LM26 grading 1.23 g/t Au, 1,780 g/t Ag, 16.71% Pb, 0.69% Zn, and 0.23% Cu, at the 670 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX07X031 intersected an 8.10 m interval (4.06 m true width) of vein LM50 grading 1.26 g/t Au, 674 g/t Ag, 1.28% Pb, 0.21% Zn, and 0.09% Cu at the 799 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX07X021 intersected an 1.01 m interval (0.65 m true width) of vein LM50 grading 19.2 g/t Au and 15 g/t Ag at the 791 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX05X079 intersected a 4.21 m interval (3.42 m true width) of vein LM50 grading 6.36 g/t Au and 11 g/t Ag at the 794 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX05X098 intersected a 0.77 m interval (0.70 m true width) of vein LM22 grading 29.00 g/t Au, 10 g/t Ag, and 1.21% Cu at the 850 m elevation; and
• Hole ZKX05X096 intersected a 0.51 m interval (0.38 m true width) of vein LM22 grading 32.50 g/t Au, 2 g/t Ag, and 0.05% Cu, at the 848 m elevation.

1. Drilling Above or Beneath Previously Mined Stopes

Most holes in this period targeted blocks of known silver-lead-zinc veins in the production areas that were previously missed due to limited drilling or tunneling, changes in the strikes and dips, and/or pinch-swelling of the pay-zones in the veins. The high-grade intercepts are mainly associated with the southwest-striking LM7 series, LM12 series and LM17 series of veins, and the northwest-striking LM8 series, LM19 and LM20E.

Highlights of the high-grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization in the production areas:

• Hole ZKX07X003 intersected a 13.31 m interval (12.80 m true width) of vein LM7 grading 365 g/t Ag, 0.71% Pb, 0.13% Zn, 0.06 g/t Au, and 0.33% Cu at the 778 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX0733 intersected a 1.46 m interval (1.37 m true width) of vein LM12E grading 4,549 g/t Ag, 1.19% Pb, 0.24% zinc (“Zn”), 0.49 g/t Au, and 0.10% copper (“Cu”) at the 645 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX0058 intersected a 3.40 m interval (3.39 m true width) of vein LM7W grading 1,181 g/t Ag, 2.49% Pb, 0.24% Zn, 0.12 g/t Au, and 0.21% Cu at the 771 m elevation;
• Hole ZKX05X075 intersected a 4.16 m interval (3.72 m true width) of vein LM7 grading 360 g/t Ag, 1.75% Pb, 0.59% Zn, 9.15 g/t Au, and 0.24% Cu at the 764 m elevation; and
• Hole ZKX09X001 intersected a 5.78 m interval (5.53 m true width) of vein LM7W grading 531 g/t Ag, 1.06% Pb, 0.37% Zn, 0.02 g/t Au, and 0.19% Cu at the 575 m elevation.

1. Drilling Intersected High-Grade Silver-Lead-Zinc Veins and a New Gold Structure at the East Side of the Resource Area

At the east side of the resource area, drilling intersected high-grade silver-lead-zinc vein LM41E and the parallel silver-lead-zinc veins LM41E1 and LM41E1Wa with true widths up to 2.40 m.

While drilling these LM41 series high grade silver-lead-zinc veins, a new gently dipping gold vein has been discovered with three drill holes, ZKX10944, ZKX10735, and ZKX10739 intercepting high grade gold, which are approximately 450 m east of those intercepts on the LM50 gold structure.

Highlights of the high-grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization at the northwest and east sides of the LMW mine:

• Hole ZKX1166 intersected a 1.36 m interval (1.23 m true width) of vein LM41E grading 2,415 g/t Ag, 2.61% Pb, 0.40% Zn, 0.05 g/t Au, and 0.90% Cu at the 778 m elevation; and
• Hole ZKX1143 intersected a 3.11 m interval (2.40 m true width) of vein LM41E grading 993 g/t Ag, 1.35% Pb, 0.54% Zn, 0.05 g/t Au, and 0.12% Cu at the 754 m elevation.
• Hole ZKX09X033 intersected a 1.3 m interval (0.88 m true width) of vein LM41EWa grading 1976 g/t Ag, 1.74% Pb, 0.45% Zn, 0.79 g/t Au, and 0.23% Cu at the 706 m elevation.
• Hole ZKX10944 intersected a 2.13 m interval (2.0 m true width) of a new gently dipping gold vein grading 478 g/t Ag, 2.14% Pb, 0.9% Zn, and 5.97 g/t Au, at the 763 m elevation
• Hole ZKX10735 intersected a 1.18 m interval (1.18 m true width) of the new gently dipping gold vein grading 5.37 g/t Au at the 760 m elevation
• Hole ZKX10739 intersected a 0.95 m interval (0.95 m true width) of the new gently dipping gold vein grading 5.65 g/t Au at the 754 m elevation

Tunneling Programs at the LMW Mine                                      

A total of 3,566 m of exploration tunnels have been developed at the LMW mine during this period. The exploration tunneling, comprised of drifting, cross-cutting and raising, was driven along and across major mineralized vein structures to upgrade the drill-defined mineral resources, and to test for new parallel and splay structures.

Quality Control

Drill cores are NQ size. Drill core samples, limited by apparent mineralization contacts or shear/alteration contacts, were split into halves by saw cutting. The half cores are stored in the Company’s core shacks for future reference and checks, and the other half core samples are shipped in securely sealed bags to the Chengde Huakan 514 Geology and Minerals Test and Research Institute in Chengde, Hebei Province, China, 226 km northeast of Beijing, the Zhengzhou Nonferrous Exploration Institute Lab in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, and SGS in Tianjin, China. All three labs are ISO9000 certified analytical labs. For analysis, the sample is dried and crushed to minus 1mm and then split into a 200-300 g subsample which is further pulverized to minus 200 mesh. Two subsamples are prepared from the pulverized sample. One is digested with aqua regia for gold analysis with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and the other is digested with two-acids for analysis of silver, lead, zinc and copper with AAS.

Channel samples are collected along sample lines perpendicular to the mineralized vein structure in exploration tunnels. Spacing between sampling lines is typically 5 m along strike. Both the mineralized vein and the altered wall rocks are cut by continuous chisel chipping. Sample length ranges from 0.4 m to more than 1 m, depending on the width of the mineralized vein and the mineralization type. Channel samples are prepared and assayed with AAS at Silvercorp’s mine laboratory (Ying Lab) located at the mill complex in Luoning County, Henan Province, China. The Ying lab is officially accredited by the Quality and Technology Monitoring Bureau of Henan Province and is qualified to provide analytical services. The channel samples are dried, crushed and pulverized. A 200 g sample of minus 160 mesh is prepared for assay. A duplicate sample of minus 1mm is made and kept in the laboratory archives. Gold is analysed by fire assay with AAS finish, while silver, lead, zinc and copper are assayed by two-acid digestion with AAS finish.

A routine quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedure is adopted to monitor the analytical quality at each lab. Certified reference materials (CRMs), pulp duplicates and blanks are inserted into each batch of lab samples. QA/QC data at the lab are attached to the assay certificates for each batch of samples.

The Company maintains its own comprehensive QA/QC program to ensure best practices in sample preparation and analysis of the exploration samples. Project geologists regularly insert CRM, field duplicates and blanks to each batch of 30 core samples to monitor the sample preparation and analysis procedures at the labs. The analytical quality of the labs is further evaluated with external checks by sending approximately 3-5% of the pulp samples to higher level labs to check for lab bias.  Data from both the Company’s and the labs’ QA/QC programs are reviewed on a timely basis by project geologists.

Guoliang Ma, P. Geo., Manager of Exploration and Resource of the Company, is the Qualified Person for Silvercorp under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and given consent to the technical information contained in this news release.

About Silvercorp

Silvercorp is a Canadian mining company producing silver, gold, lead, and zinc with a long history of profitability and growth potential. The Company’s strategy is to create shareholder value by 1) focusing on generating free cashflow from long life mines; 2) organic growth through extensive drilling for discovery; 3) ongoing merger and acquisition efforts to unlock value; and 4) long term commitment to responsible mining and ESG. For more information, please visit our website at www.silvercorp.ca. 

For further information
Silvercorp Metals Inc.
Lon Shaver 
Vice President
Phone: (604) 669-9397
Toll Free 1(888) 224-1881
Email: investor@silvercorp.ca
Website: www.silvercorp.ca

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Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects”, “is expected”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “projects”, “estimates”, “assumes”, “intends”, “strategies”, “targets”, “goals”, “forecasts”, “objectives”, “budgets”, “schedules”, “potential” or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information.  Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company’s material properties; the sufficiency of the Company’s capital to finance the Company’s operations; estimates of the Company’s revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Company’s mines in the Ying Mining District; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company’s operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company’s properties.

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The technical and scientific information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101, which differs from the standards adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, the technical and scientific information contained herein, including any estimates of mineral reserves and mineral resources, may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies subject to the disclosure requirements of the SEC.

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