On the picture above, Very strong silicification and minor alunite on a shallow epithermal system in Guanajuato. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

By Jorge Cirett

During the 16^th week of the year (April 16^th to April 22^nd, 2018), at least 20 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, of which two had information on exploration, five on first quarter production, three in financing, two on resources and development and seven in corporate issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, No relevant news. ON EXPLORATION, In Jalisco, Evrim released impressive high-grade results from trenching at Cuale. In Veracruz, Mexican Gold released high grade samples from veins at Las Minas. ON MINING, McEwen, Fortuna Silver, Avino Silver, Telson and Excellon presented Q1 2018 production reports. ON FINANCING, Prospero Silver and Aura Silver respectively announced the opening and closing of financing rounds, while Excellon announced the exercise of warrants. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, SilverCrest released drill results from the Luigi vein at its Las Chispas property in Sonora. Levon Resources filed a PEA report with a new resource estimate on the Cordero project in Chihuahua.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Monarca Minerals continues work to solve community issues in Tejamen, Durango. Geologix Explorations Inc. is to change name to ValOro Resources Inc.. Advance Gold acquired the Venaditas property in Zacatecas. Argonaut Gold informed on the legal struggle that halted the explosives permit use on its La Colorada mine in Sonora. Goldplay Exploration optioned the San Marcial property in Sinaloa. Vangold Mining and Mexican Gold granted options to officers, directors and consultants.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No Relevant News.

ON EXPLORATION

• Evrim Resources Corp. announced results from trench sampling at its Cuale project in Jalisco. Trench 4 grades 13.61 g/t Au over 106.2 m, including 50.0 m grading 26.13 g/t Au, including 7.5 m @ 163.3 g/t Au. Trench 2 grades 2.94 g/t Au over 29.4 m, including 17.9 m @ 4.55 g/t Au. Gold results over 10 g/t have been re-assayed. “Metallic screen assays reported acceptable repeatability with excellent repeatability at the highest gold grades”. A second IP line defines a 1,200 m long by 50 to 120 m deep highly resistive ledge associated with strong silicification and minor anomalous gold at the surface.
• Mexican Gold Corp. released initial sampling results from four veins on its Pueblo Nuevo concession, part of its Las Minas property in Veracruz. The veins are hosted in diorites with argillic alteration, occur as mesothermal quartz veins, 20 to 50 cm in width with sub-vertical dips and lack post-minerals deformation. The Tamiahua I vein assayed 90.82 g/t Au, 37 g/t Ag over 0.40 m, with the footwall and hanging wall returning 0.52 g/t Au, 1 g/t Ag over 1.0 m and 0.72 g/t Au, 1 g/t Ag over 0.80 m respectively. Nine samples at the Tamiahua II returned 2.05 to 22.82 g/t Au and 5 to 37 g/t Ag on an average width of 0.27 m (up to 0.50 m). At the Cajon vein a grab sample returned 32.2 g/t Au, 231 g/t Ag; while a 0.20 m chip sample assayed 3.53 g/t Au, 31 g/t Ag. At the Dos Rios vein, two 0.35 m and 0.18 m samples returned 3.86 g/t Au, 16 g/t Ag; 8.25 g/t Au, 59 g/t Ag respectively, while a 1.0 m  hanging wall channel sample returned 4.92 m g/t Au, 38 g/t Ag.

ON MINING

• McEwen Mining Inc. reported consolidated production for Q1 2018, which includes figures from its Mexican operations. At El Gallo in Sinaloa, 12,217 AuEq Oz were produced during the period. Mining from the existing open pits will cease in Q2, while heap leach activities will continue until 2020, or as long as it remains economic.
• Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. reported first quarter 2018 production, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Jose in Oaxaca, 258 K tonnes were milled, at an average rate of 3,011 tonnes per day (tpd) @ 284 g/t Ag, 0.2 g/t Au, and a recovery of 92.8% Ag, 92.3% Au, to produce 2.18 M Oz Ag, 14,882 Oz Au.
• Avino Silver & and Gold Mines Ltd. released first quarter 2018 production results from its Avino property in Durango. During the period 120.6 K tonnes were milled @ 56 g/t Ag, 0.58 g/t Au, 0.43% Cu, with recoveries of 81% Ag, 68% Au, 84% Cu, to produce 309.9 K Oz Ag, 2,065 Oz Au, 970 K Lb Cu.
• Telson Mining Corp. presented first quarter 2018 results from its Campo Morado mine in Guerrero. During the period the mill processed 148.7 K tonnes (approximately 1,650 tpd) @ 3.65% Zn, 0.41% Cu, 0.90% Pb, 1.14 g/t Au, 108 g/t Ag, with recoveries of 70.4% Zn, 23.0% Cu, 37.9% Pb, 17.9% Au, 28.3% Ag in the elaboration of distinct Zn, Cu, Pb concentrates containing 3,824 tonnes Zn, 140.5 tonnes Cu, 508.7 tonnes Pb, 970.9 Oz Au, 146.8 K Oz Ag. Telson continues to ramp-up production to the 2,500 tpd plant capacity.
• Excellon Resources Inc. presented first quarter 2018 production results from the Platosa mine, Durango. During the period 13,784 tonnes were mined, 18,885 tonnes milled @ 359 g/t Ag, 3.79% Pb, 6.43% Zn, with recoveries of 87.3% Ag, 81.2% Pb, 83.8% Zn, to produce 194.5 K Oz Ag, 1.27 M Lb Pb, 2.25 M Lb Zn.

ON FINANCING

• Prospero Silver Corp. is to complete a non-brokered private placement intending to raise gross proceeds of up to $1 M (Petate, Hidalgo; Bermudez, Chihuahua).
• Excellon Resources Inc. announced that 3.33 M warrants were exercised, for proceeds of C$2.17 M (Platosa, Durango).
• Aura Silver Resources Inc. is undertaking a non brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of up to $600 K (Aranzazu, Zacatecas).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• SilverCrest Metals Inc. released drill results from the Luigi vein on the Las Chispas property in Sonora. The vein was discovered in mid-2017 and referred only as unnamed vein until further drilling delineated a prospective target. Relevant results comprise: 0.8 m (true width, or TW) @ 1.03 g/t Au, 151 g/t Ag; 4.1 m @ 1.71 g/t Au, 232 g/t Ag; 1.8 m @ 0.28 g/t Au, 221 g/t Ag; 1.4 m @ 13.22 g/t Au, 2,067 g/t Ag; 1.4 m @ 0.18 g/t Au, 172 g/t Ag; 1.6 m @ 3.41 g/t Au, 265 g/t Ag; 1.0 m @ 2.75 g/t Au; 231 g/t Ag. The Luigi vein high-grade footprint measures 300 m long by at least 75 m high, averaging 1.7 m in width @ 2.84 g/t Au, 417 g/t Ag. “The Phase III drill program also includes drilling several new and partially-drilled high-grade mineralized veins. An additional 15,000 to 20,000 metres of drilling are planned for Q3 2018”. The 672 ha Cuesta Blanca ranch was bought, with SilverCrest now owning two thirds of the surface rights on the Las Chispas property.
• Levon Resources Ltd. filed a NI-43-101 technical report with a resource update and preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the Cordero project in Chihuahua. The project envisages a 40 K tpd operation with a 29 year mine life on 417.5 M tonnes of mineralized material @ 46.5 g/t AgEq, to produce 231 M Oz Ag, 2,863 M Lb Zn, 1,992 M Lb Pb, 0.35 M Oz Au. The base case economic estimate is an after tax net present value of $438 M, using a 7.5% discount rate, and an after tax internal rate of return of 16.5%, with a payback period of 4.8 years.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Monarca Minerals Inc. presented a corporate update. At Tejamen, in Durango, 202 RC holes and 10 diamond holes have been re-logged to help in the design of a new drilling campaign. The company has involved the Federal, State and Municipal governments in its search of an agreement with the community regarding the surface rights. At San Jose, in Chihuahua, the LOI on the project was extended to July 2018. “Terms of the LOI call for payment of US$20,000 on execution of the LOI(paid), US$20,000 on execution of a definitive agreement, US$50,000 on the first anniversary of the definitive agreement and US$60,000 on the second anniversary of the definitive agreement. The owners retain a 2% NSR. One percent of the NSR can be purchased by Monarca for US$100,000. Back taxes on the property of US$390,000 will be paid over a period of time. Concession taxes per year are approximately US$46,000”.
• Geologix Explorations Inc. announced its intention to change its name to ValOro Resources Inc., subject to approval by the TSX-V, as well a 10 to 1 consolidation on shares (Tepal, Michoacan).
• Advance Gold Corp. announced the acquisition of the 2,365 ha Las Venaditas claim in Zacatecas, 11 km to the West of Advance’s Tabasqueña project, which is currently being drilled. “Upon receipt of regulatory approval, Advance will issue to Hot Spring Mining, a Mexican based corporation, 1,000,000 common shares which will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period, in exchange for which Hot Spring Mining will transfer a 100% interest in the Venaditas claims to Advance Mexico. Hot Spring Mining will retain a 2.5% NSR, of which Advance Mexico has the right to buy 1.5% at a rate of $500k CAD per 0.50%”. Advance will issue 800 K options to certain consultants and advisers.
• Argonaut Gold Inc. reported that the court has postponed “the hearing pertaining to Argonaut’s explosive permit at its La Colorada mine (see press release dated April 12, 2018) to allow the Secretary of National Defense (“SEDENA”) to provide evidence requested by the court regarding the temporary suspension of the explosives permit at Argonaut’s La Colorada mine. It is expected that a ruling will be issued within 15 business days of the original hearing date (April 16, 2018), as required by law.” (La Colorada, Sonora).
• Goldplay Exploration Ltd. entered into an option agreement with SSR Mining Inc. to acquire a 100% interest in the 1,250 ha San Marcial project in Sinaloa. San Marcial is a low sulfidation epithermal near surface high grade Ag, Zn Pb project with a NI-43-101 resource completed by Silvermex Resources Inc., with opportunity for resource expansion. The indicated resource holds 3.75 M tonnes @ 149 g/t Ag, 0.67% Zn, 0.36% Pb, hosting 18.0 M Oz Ag, 29.9 M Lb Zn, 55.3 M Lb Pb; and 3.07 M tonnes @ 44 g/t Ag, 0.51% Zn, 0.29% Pb holding 4.4 M Oz Ag, 19.5 M Lb Zn, 34.7 M Lb Pb as inferred resources. Goldplay has to pay SSR Mining an aggregate of $2.575 M in cash, issue an aggregate of 3.5 M common shares, incur in $3 M in exploration expenditures over a three year period and grant a NSR royalty (0.5% to 1.5%, based on a resource estimate). A NI-43-101 resource estimate has to be completed on or before the third anniversary of the agreement.
• Vangold Mining Corp. granted an aggregate of 4.8 M stock options to directors, officers and consultants (Pinguico, Zacatecas).
• Mexican Gold Corp. granted 174 K incentive stock options to directors and officers of the company.

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