During the 50^th week of the year (December 11^th to December 17^th, 2017), at least 20 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON MEXICO ISSUES: The workers of the El Limon-Guajes mine in Guerrero voted for returning to work, in a poll sponsored by the company to show the government the worker’s support. The Federal and State authorities keep dragging their feet to end the illegal blockade that has lasted for six weeks now. ON EXPLORATION: six press releases from companies working in Mexico informed on exploration efforts during the week: In Sonora Riverside informed partner Centerra Gold commenced a drill program on its Glor project. Colibri Resource released drill intercepts by Agnico Eagle in its JV Pitaya project. Azure Minerals confirmed extensive high-grade Zn-Pb intersections on its drilling at Oposura; In Chihuahua, Harvest Gold is seeking the permit for drilling at Cerro Cascaron; In Sinaloa, Chesapeake Gold informed on drill results at its Yareli project; In Veracruz, Almadex presented high-grade Cu-Au intersection on its El Cobre project.  ON MINING: Torex Gold informed that a majority of its workers voted to end the illegal blockade to its Limon-Guajes mine in Guerrero. ON FINANCING: Silver Spruce is conducting a financing round in Hong Kong aiming to raise up to US $1.8 M (Pino de Plata, Chihuahua); Kootenay Silver closed the first tranche of its private non-brokered placement, for gross proceeds of $3.8 M; Mammoth Resources closed its private non-brokered placement for gross proceeds of $720 K; Bacanora Minerals informed that Next View Capital acquired 19.9% of the company, raising $C53.5 M; Primero Mining agreed on another revolving credit facility extension; Consolidated Zinc announced the commitment by investors to a placement for $1.96 M. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT: In Veracruz, Mexican Gold presented further high-grade results from its drilling at Las Minas; In Puebla, Almaden Minerals completed a social impact assessment at its Ixtaca project. In Durango, Excellon commenced an extensive exploration program at its Platosa mine property. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Silver Viper signed a LOI on the three core claims of the La Virginia project in Sonora; In Zacatecas, Santacruz Silver and the Contracuña companies amended the agreement on the purchase of the Veta Grande properties. Concurrently, Santacruz Silver and Carrizal Mining signed an agreement upon which Carrizal can obtain a 20% interest on the Veta Grande and other Zacatecas properties.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No relevant news.

ON EXPLORATION

• Colibri Resource Corp. announced drill results provided by its JV partner Agnico Eagle on its Pitaya project in Sonora. Highlighted intervals comprise 2.2 m @ 20.96 g/t Au, 57 g/t Ag; 20 m @ 0.42 g/t Au; 19.0 m @ 0.50 g/t Au; 32.1 m @ 0.45 g/t Au; 27.0 m @ 0.37 g/t Au, 65.0 m @ 0.30 g/t Au; 25.0 m @ 0.80 g/t Au; 37.1 m @ 0.55 g/t Au; 29.30 m @ 0.57 g/t Au. A total of 7,286 m in 26 drill holes have been sunk, drilling is still in progress.
• Riverside Resources Inc. announced that partner, Centerra Gold Inc., commenced a 1,200 m drill program at the Glor project in Sonora. The diamond drill campaign is focusing on targets developed by detailed mapping, soil geochemistry, two ground magnetic surveys and an induced polarization survey.
• Azure Minerals Ltd. confirmed extensive high-grade Zn-Pb at its Oposura project in Sonora. Highlights include intercepts of 17.35 m @ 3.7% Zn, 4.0 % Pb, 18 g/t Ag; 2.30 m @ 5.3% Zn, 3.9% Pb, 15 g/t Ag; 6.85 m @ 9.0% Zn, 4.0% Pb, 39 g/t Ag; 4.30 m @ 2.3% Zn, 1.1% Pb, 5 g/t Ag; 6.15 m @ 2.9% Zn, 2.6% Pb, 19 g/t Ag; 4.32 m @ 6.4% Zn, 5.0% Pb, 26 g/t Ag; 16.62 m @ 12.7% Zn, 5.5% Pb, 27 g/t Ag; 5.2 m @ 4.9% Zn, 3.1% Pb, 11 g/t Ag; 6.95 m @ 4.3% Zn, 1.2% Pb, 15 g/t Ag; 3.95 m @ 4.7% Zn, 5.3% Pb, 26 g/t Ag; 5.35 m @ 8.1% Zn, 4.7% Pb, 27 g/t Ag; 6.40 m @ 10.4% Zn, 5.9% Pb, 42 g/t Ag; 3.95 m @ 8.8% Zn, 5.9% Pb, 49 g/t Ag. Samples for 43 holes have been sent for analysis, with assays received for 19 of these holes. To date 62 holes have been drilled, for 3,661 m, with the second-half of the resource drill-out program progressing well.
• Almadex Minerals Ltd. presented results from two more holes from the Raya Tembrillo area, which is the northern part of the Villa Rica zone of its El Cobre project in Veracruz. Drill core intercepts comprise 100.0 m @ 0.15 g/t Au, 0.67% Cu (including 48.0 m@ 0.29 g/t Au, 1.23% Cu) of chalcocite dominant enriched zone and 205.40 m @ 0.18 g/t Au, 0.20% Cu (including 82.0 m @ 0.20 g/t Au, 0.28% Cu) of hypogene mineralization in one hole; 20.0 m @ 0.34 g/t Au, 0.04% Cu in the gold zone, 94.0 m @ 0.07 g/t Au, 1.36% Cu (including 43.0 m @ 0.09 g/t Au, 2.45% Cu) in the enriched zone, and 58.0 m @ 0.18 g/t Au, 0.22% Cu in the hypogene zone.
• Chesapeake Gold Corp. provided an update of phase 1 drilling and district wide exploration at its 72,000 hectare Yareli project in Sinaloa. At the Central prospect five core holes have been drilled with 1,200 m testing stockwork zones over one Km in length and quartz-calcite veins. Three holes demonstrated a zonation of shallow zinc (0.3%) to copper at depth (40-189 m of > 400 ppm Cu) in disseminated pyrite and veinlets with trace chalcopyrite. At the Central-Spaniard zone two holes intersected veins running 1.0 m @ 6.3 g/t Au, 969 g/t Ag, 0.5% Pb, 0.6% Zn and 5.1 m @ 0.6 g/t Au, 58 g/t Ag. At Loretos an ongoing drill hole has intersected over 100 m of feld-K alteration and silica flooded breccias cut by quartz veinlets with sulfides. At the Yasmin prospect geochemical sampling over an IP anomaly has returned 0.1 to 0.7 g/t Au in zones 5 to 30 m wide, while quartz veins returned 3.3 m @ 5.0 g/t Au, 179 g/t Ag; 3.0 m @ 4.2 g/t Au. At the Lucy prospect, channel sampling has returned 30 m @ 0.4 g/t Au, 12 g/t Ag, 3.7% Zn; 3 m @ 0.5 g/t Au, 24 g/t Ag, 5.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu.
• Harvest Gold Corp. announced that the permitting process to drill its Cerro Cascaron project in Chihuahua is underway. The drill program includes up to 30 holes from 50 to 300 m in length in the 6,900 hectare project.

ON MINING

• Torex Gold Resources Inc. reported that a majority of its employees have voted to return to work immediately. Torex organized an off-site vote on December 14 2017, for its 520 employees that are eligible to join a union. The purpose of the vote was to give union eligible employees an opportunity to speak for themselves in a safe and independent environment. “During the vote, unionized employees were asked if they wanted the illegal blockade lifted immediately so they can return to work. In the end, the vote was overwhelmingly (99%) in favour of lifting the blockade immediately. 274 of the 520 voters were able to attend and vote. The Company could not send buses to the communities that are behind the blockades. The Company believes the numbers able to attend the vote, would have been much higher if it were not for Los Mineros intimidation of local employees. An example of such intimidation was the stopping of a vehicle that was taking employees from behind the blockade to the vote. Employees on the vehicle were told to get out of the vehicle. They did, and walked home.”

ON FINANCING

• Silver Spruce Resources Inc. received a financing mandate letter from Securities Ltd. a brokerage firm from Hong Kong, to provide up to US$1.8 M in gross proceeds. The agent will receive 10% of the capital raised by the agent and 1% of the capital raised by the company. Proceeds are to be used to fund the drill program at Pino de Plata, in Chihuahua, and for other ends.
• Kootenay Silver Inc. has closed the initial tranche of its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $3.9 M. Cash finder’s fee of $154.6 K have been paid (La Cigarra, Chihuhahua).
• Mammoth Resources Corp. closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement, for gross proceeds of $720 K. The proceeds are to be used on drilling up to 3,000 m testing up to 24 targets along a 5 km trend of gold-silver mineralization on its Tenoriba project in Chihuahua.
• Bacanora Minerals Ltd. announced that NextView Capital, a Chinese institutional fund management group focused on new technologies and energy, agreed to acquire 19.89% equity interest in Bacanora. The C$53.5 M raised by the placement will be used for the continued development of the Sonora Lithium project. Bacanora has agreed to supply 5 K tpa (tonnes per annum) of Li carbonate, with a firm commitment to supply 8 K tpa lithium carbonate during stage 2 and to supply a further 7 K tpa Li carbonate during stage 2.
• Primero Mining Corp. agreed with its lenders to an extension of its revolving credit facility and guarantee provided by Wheaton Precious Metals Corp, from December 15 to December 22, 2017. This agreement provides the ability to continue negotiations surrounding its previously announced strategic review process and the possible divestiture of its San Dimas mine in Durango.
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. received commitments for a placement of $1.96 M from new and existing investors. The funds raised will be used to accelerate resource drilling that is currently underway in the Plomosas mine and several new areas (Plomosas, Chihuahua).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Mexican Gold Corp. presented drill results from four more holes at its Las Minas project in Veracruz. The holes were testing the dike contact mineralized zones, intersecting 38.0 m @ 3.53 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag, 1.5% Cu (including 14.0 m @ 2.00 g/t Au, 13 g/t Ag, 3.0% Cu); 44.0 m @ 1.71 g/t Au, 4 g/t Ag, 1.2% Cu (including 22.0 m @ 2.85 g/t Ag, 5 g/t Ag, 1.4% Cu); 30.0 m @ 0.72 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag, 1.2% Cu (including 0.82 g/t Au, 7 g/t Ag, 1.6% Cu); 22.0 m @ 1.14 g/t Au, 6 g/t Ag, 1.2% Cu (including 4.0 m @ 4.2 g/t Au, 23 g/t Ag, 4.8% Cu).
• Leagold Mining Corp. completed the Bermejal Underground drill program at the Los Filos mine in Guerrero. The program totaled 56,191 m in 111 holes. Highlights of 10 new holes comprise true width intercepts of 8.83 m @ 3.74 g/t Au, 16.02 m @ 7.25 g/t Au, 2.80 m @ 3.42 g/t Au in one hole; 2.22 m @ 5.90 g/t Au, 3.89 m @ 4.98 g/t Au, 0.94 m @ 19.55 g/t Au, 4.04 m @ 8.68 g/t Au in a second hole; 4.11 m @ 4.04 g/t Au, 8.02 m @ 3.53 g/t Au, 5.80 m @ 3.92 g/t Au, 2.46 m @ 23 .63 g/t Au in other hole; 7.44 m @ 9.96 g/t Au; 10.58 m @ 8.36 g/t Au; 3.29 m @ 14.73 g/t Au, 8.57 m @ 11.00 g/t Au, etc. “The Bermejal Underground deposit is at the northern end of a large intrusive body which has a total circumference of at least 15 kilometres, ….. mineralization extends approximately 1,600 metres along the strike of the intrusive contact and has a vertical depth extent of over 800 metres.”
• Almaden Minerals Ltd. completed a social impact assessment (SIA) at its Ixtaca project in Puebla. The study was completed by GMI Consulting, a firm with extensive Mexican and International experience in human rights, environment and economics. This is the first time that such a study has been completed in the minerals industry in Mexico, as only the energy industry requires its filing for permitting. The report key points include: that Almaden Minerals consultation process complies with the Equator principles and international best practices and that Almaden has consulted widely within the Focus area communities, the Ixtaca project was understood, and that the SIA itself was successful in providing people with an opportunity to express their views on the impacts of the project.
• Excellon Resources Inc. commenced an extensive surface exploration program on the 21,000 hectare Platosa property in Durango, targeting extensions to the Platosa mine and new manto and skarn discoveries. The program comprises an extensive soil program and induced polarization survey at developing targets, including Saltillera, Jaboncillo and San Gilberto as well as 30,000 m of diamond drilling. The drilling is focused on defining additional tonnage at the Platosa mine, finding new mineralization manto targets on the Platosa corridor, south of the Guadalupe South manto, and north of the Guadalupe North manto, manto targets defined by IP and gravity geophysics and skarn targets similar to Rincon (43.4 m @ 146 g/t Ag, 2.8% Pb, 1.9% zn, 0.22 g/t Au), which have been defined through reprocessing of IP, magnetics (ZTEM) and gravity geophysics,

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Silver Viper Minerals Corp. signed a non-binding 120 days letter of intent (LOI) on three mineral concessions forming the core of the La Virginia gold-silver project in Sonora. Silver Viper can earn 100% ownership of the 2,102 hectare project by making cash payments totaling US$4.5 M in staged payments over a four year period as follows: First anniversary US$200 K, second anniversary US$500K, third anniversary US$1 M, fourth anniversary US$2.8 M. The company is to assume the claim taxes and maintenance costs, while owners retain a 2% NSR which might be purchased for US$2.0 M within 5 years of the effective date, or for US$3.0 M after that period. “La Virginia is characterized by laterally extensive epithermal style gold-silver mineralization in quartz stockworks, veins and hydrothermal breccias hosted in andesites and felsic dykes….The largest historical workings, “La Virginia” and “Con Virginia” are still accessible and host mineralization ranging between one metre to greater than twenty metres in thickness.”
• Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. reached an agreement with the Contracuña group of companies to amend the terms of the option agreement to acquire 100% ownership of the Veta Grande project, including the Veta Grande mine and mill facilities as well as the Minillas property in Zacatecas. The amended payment schedule is as follows: US$500 K paid on December 13, 2017; US$500 K on December 2018; US$2.5 M on December 2019; US$2.5 M on December 2020; US$5 M on December 2021; US$4.5 M on December 2022. Contracuña keeps a 1% NSR that commences on December 2022, same that can be bought by US$ 1.5M.
• Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. concurrently with the above entered into a binding LOI with Carrizal Mining S.A. de C.V., pursuant to which Carrizal will acquire 20% working interest in the Veta Grande project, as well as the Zacatecas properties under option by Santacruz from Golden Minerals Company. Carrizal can earn in its 20% by funding 100% of the cost of the increase in capacity of the Veta Grande mill to 750 tpd, as well as providing drill rig and drilling materials to conduct exploration drill campaigns at the Veta Grande mine and Panuco deposit. In addition, Carrizal is providing a short-term working capital advance of US$500 K. Upon completion of the required earn-in expenditures a (20%) Carrizal and (80%) Santacruz joint venture will be formed.
• Canasil Resources Inc.’s have approved a plan of arrangement to segregate its British Columbia properties (Esperanza, Zacatecas).

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

On the picture below, Fault scarp on quartzite, Durango. Photo by Jorge Cirett.