During the 22^nd week of the year (May 28^th to June 4^th, 2017), at least 25 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora Canuc signed an agreement with the San Javier ejido, Riverside regained control of the Thor copper project and San Marco Resources started drilling the Chunibas project. Prospero Silver is to drill test its Santa Maria project in Durango and the Petate and Pachuca Southeast projects in Hidalgo. Vangold is acquiring three properties in Guanajuato and Queretaro. Kootenay completed three holes at La Cigarra in Chihuahua. Mexican Gold is obtaining high grade gold results on the recently acquired properties in Las Minas, Veracruz.  ON MINING, Santacruz, Impact and Marlin reported Q1 2017 operating and financial results. Starcore presented Q4 2017. Great Panther commissioned the refurbished processing plant at Topia, in Durango. Mexus has a new crusher for its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. ON FINANCING, Osisko invested $3.3 M in Minera Alamos, Sonoro received the balance of the $4 M for the sale of La Chipriona in Sonora, and Torex signed a secured $400 M debt facility. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Avino filed the PEA of its Avino property at SEDAR. Americas Silver is confirming and extending mineralization at its Cosala property in Sinaloa. Consolidated Zinc presented the over-limits results from drilling at Plomosas, Chihuahua. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Vangold is acquiring seven claims in Guanajuato and Queretaro. Magellan made an extension payment on a MOU to acquire a flotation plant in Nayarit.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No relevant news.

ON EXPLORATION

• Canuc Resources Corp. announced the signing of a surface use agreement with the San Javier ejido at its San Javier project in Sonora. “The Agreement calls for exploration on 300 hectares of land and also provides binding terms for exploitation (mining) on an area of up to 1,000 hectares. The Agreement requires Canuc to pay $35,000 USD per year during exploration activities and up to $135,000 USD per year during the exploitation phase. The Agreement is binding and has a 25 year term with an additional 5 years provided under Agrarian Laws.”
• Prospero Silver Corp. has appointed a drilling contractor for its 6,000 m program in late June, which is to cover three projects: Santa Maria del Oro, in Durango; Petate in Hidalgo; and Pachuca Southeast in Hidalgo.
• Vangold Mining Corp. has entered into agreements to acquire seven mining claims that cover the Patitos, Analy and El Ruso prospects in Guanajuato and Queretaro. The sevcen claims totaling 2,798 hectares have high grade assay results on sampling by the vendors.
• Kootenay Silver Inc. has completed the first three holes of a 7,500 m core drilling campaign at its La Cigarra property in Chihuahua. Drilling continues on the eastern part of Las Venadas zone, which currently is 400 x 200 m in size. Rock sample results have grade up to 482 g/t Ag in this area.
• Mexican Gold Corp. reported rock sampling results on its recently acquired Pueblo Nuevo concession adjacent to its Las Minas project in Veracruz. The sampling was carried out on the Tamiagua 1 and 2 veins and on the Dos Rios vein. Results include 0.25 m @ 24.8 g/t Au, 0.22 m @ 23.4 g/t Au; 0.25 m @ 9.5 g/t Au; 0.2 m @ 13.5 g/t Au; 0.5 m @ 5.9 g/t Au; 0.4 m @ 4.9 g/t Au; 0.2 m @ 13.7 g/t Au; 0.2 m @ 13.6 g/t Au.
• Riverside Resources Inc. has regained 100% interest on the Thor copper project in Sonora, as the company’s joint-venture partner Antofagasta PLC has elected not to continue with the required investment to advance the property. The first four diamond holes in the property confirmed the concept, with three intersecting quartz-sericite-pyrite stockworks.
• San Marco Resources Inc. has started diamond drilling at its Chunibas project in Sonora, aiming to confirm high grade mineralization within shear veins and test the presence of broad haloes of lower grade Au-Ag within sericite-Fe carbonate altered wall rocks. The drill holes are to probe three targets over 1.5 Km of strike length.

ON MINING

• Santacruz Silver Mining Inc. reported its Q1 operating and financial results for 2017. At Rosario in San Luis Potosi, 18,723 tonnes were processed @ 66 g/t Ag (226 g/t AgEq) with a silver recovery of 86%, to produce 34.5 K ounces Ag, 195 Oz Au, 45 tonnes Pb, 382 tonnes Zn. At Veta Grande in Zacatecas 26.7 K tonnes were processed @ 117 g/t Ag (209 g/t AgEq) with a silver recovery of 57% to produce 57.6 K Oz Ag, 131 Oz Au, 99 tonnes Pb, 177 tonnes Zn. Cash cost per AgEq Oz was $19.55 and AISC per AgEq Oz was $24.56. The Rosario mill in San Luis Potosi is to work during the next few months with ore from the Membrillo vein (optioned from Grupo Mexico), The Cinco Estrellas property and the Rosario mine. At Veta Grande, Zacatecas, the mill is to be fed by the Chorros, Veta Grande and the Garcia mines.
• Starcore International Mines Ltd. presented production results for the fourth quarter 2017, period during which 65.8 K tonnes of ore were milled at its San Martin mine in Queretaro, during the first quarter 2017. The average grade was 1.82 g/t Au, 13.5 g/t Ag, with recoveries of 81.9% and 49.7% for gold and silver respectively, to produce 3,365 AuEq Oz.
• Impact Silver Corp. released financial and production results for the first quarter 2017. The Guadalupe mill was fed ore from the San Ramon Deeps, Cuchara and Mirasol mines at its Zacualpan property in Estado de Mexico. The average mill feed was 177 g/t Ag, producing 230.3 K Oz Ag, while ore production stood at 542 tonnes per day (tpd). The cash position at the end of the quarter was $7.6 M.
• Marlin Gold Ltd. announced financial results for the first quarter 2017. During the period the company had revenues of $32.6 M, producing 15,556 Oz Au and selling 20,401 Oz Au. Cash and finished gold amount to $5.8 M.
• Great Panther Silver Ltd. completed the commissioning phase of the refurbished processing plant at its Topia mine, in Durango. The plant is now operating at planned capacity. The company continues to work with the government on the permitting of the phase II tailings storage facility. Run of mine ore is now being processed along with the stockpiled ore.
• Mexus Gold US. Received a jaw crusher for its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to confuse with First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). The company intends increase its mining rate to 10,000 tonnes per day.

ON FINANCING

• Minera Alamos Inc. announced Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. has purchased on a private placement basis Minera Alamos shares for gross proceeds of $3.3 M. Osisko now owns 19.9 % of Minera Alamos shares. An additional private placement has been announced, same that is intended to raise up to $3.5 M in gross proceeds (La Fortuna, Durango).
• Sonoro Metals Corp. has received the balance of the $4 M proceeds from Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., for the sale of the Chipriona project in Sonora. Sonoro has now no further interest in the Chipriona concessions, save for the retention of a 1% NSR, same that can be purchased for $1.5 M.
• Torex Gold Resources Corp. announced the signing of a binding commitment letter with various lenders in connection with a secured US$400 M debt facility. The Loan facility will be available by way of a US$300 M term loan and a US$310 M revolving loan facility (El Limon-Los Guajes, Guerrero)

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. has filed the technical report on the Avino property (in Durango) with SEDAR. The report covers the preliminary economic assessment for the re-treating of the Avino mine tailings, including the resource estimates up to the end of 2016.
• Americas Silver Corp. reported that infill drilling at its Cosalá operations in Sinaloa confirmed the San Rafael Main Zone model, with mineralization extending for further 350 m. Drilling has started at Los Manueles zone.
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. confirmed the final assay results of the high grade Zn and Pb mineralization on the initial six holes on the Tres Amigos target at its Plomosas property in Chihuahua. The intervals with over-limits in Zn returned 1.5 m @ 26.3% Zn, 0.6% Pb, 52 g/t Ag; 1.85 m @ 32.6 % Zn, 0.3% Pb, 3 g/t Ag.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Vangold Mining Corp. has entered into agreements to acquire seven mining claims totaling 2,798 hectares in Guanajuato and Queretaro. A 100% interest on the claims is to be acquired for an aggregate C$10 K and 3,375,000 Vangold shares, with the vendors keeping a 2.5% net smelter return, of which half can be re-purchased for C$500 K.
• Magellan Gold Corp. has made a further $100 K option payment for a 60 day extension on its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Rose Petroleum PLC. The MOU gives Magellan the right to purchase an operating flotation plant in Nayarit for a total consideration of $1.5 M. The $100 extension payment will be credited against the purchase price if the transaction closes.

Content like what you have just read can be seen at https://gambusinoprospector.com/ and at LinkedIn’s Mexico Mineral Exploration Group.

On the center of the picture below, a felsic dike protruding from the lower volcanic group andesites on the Cañada del Güerachi in Chihuahua. The ignimbrites of the upper volcanic group rest on top of the andesites. Photo by Jorge Cirett.