Highlights on the Fourth Week of June, 2018. Mining and Exploration News in Mexico

By Jorge Cirett

During the 26^th week of the year (June 25^th to July 1^st, 2018), at least 20 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. Five companies updated on exploration advances. Three companies announced financing exercises that could accrue over US$14 M, and one company proceeded with a 10:1 consolidation. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Argonaut Gold announced a ruling by the Collegiate Tribunal to reinstate its explosives permit at La Colorada in Sonora. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Aztec Minerals reported drilling results from the Cervantes property; Kootenay described its La Mina property and Aloro Mining obtained the drilling permit for the Los Venados project. ON MINING Argonaut Gold announced a ruling by the Collegiate Tribunal to reinstate its explosives permit at La Colorada in Sonora. Frisco and Goldcorp are to jointly explore the Mazapil valley in Zacatecas. ON FINANCING, Silver Bull, Prize Mining and One World Lithium announced private placements for up to $3 M, $10.75 M and CND$2 M respectively. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Endeavour Silver released results from infill drilling at Terroneras, Jalisco. Sierra Metals informed of a stockwork zone on the Santa Rosa de Lima structure of its Cusi mine in Chihuahua. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Geologix finalized its name change to ValOro. Defiance Silver acquired a land package from Mag Silver in Zacatecas. Aloro Mining received title to land contiguous to its Venados project in Sonora. Arian Silver presented its financial report for 2017. Kootenay Silver optioned La Mina property in Sonora to Capstone Mining.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No Relevant News..

ON EXPLORATION

• Kootenay Silver Inc. reported drilling results by partner Aztec Minerals Corp. on its Cervantes project in Sonora. The final six core holes of 17 on the phase 1 campaign encountered porphyry-type gold-copper mineralization. Highlighted intervals comprise 16.0 m @ 0.25 g/t Au, 0.12% Cu; 100.5 m @ 0.22 g/t Au, 0.12% Cu; 98.5 m @ 0.41 g/t Au, 0.13% Cu (including 33 m @ 0.60 g/t Au, 0.02% Cu); 85.2 m @ 0.48 g/t Au; 0.07% Cu; 90.5 m @ 0.29 g/t Au, 0.06% Cu (including 34.5 m @ 0.55 g/t Au); 116 m @ 0.35 g/t Au, 0.06% Cu (including 62 m @ 0.5 g/t Au). The drilling extended the strike length to more than 800 m at the California and Jasper prospect areas.
• Kootenay Silver Inc. optioned the La Mina property in Sonora to Capstone Mining Corp. (see below). The property covers “the upper levels of a zoned copper porphyry mineral system exposed over a 2 by 2 Kilometer area”, containing a large leached argillized pyritic zone where surface grab and chip samples averaged about 300 ppm Cu. Another area in the property displays a 100 x 700 m exotica copper zone where sampling averaged 0.49% Cu on 40 rock chip samples.
• Aloro Mining Corp. informed the permit for road construction and drilling at its Los Venados property in Sonora has been granted by SEMARNAT (Environmental bureau). The permit allows for drilling 12 reverse circulation (RC) holes and the construction of 3,693 m of access roads.
• Minera Frisco and Goldcorp Inc. entered into an agreement for exploration and mining in the Mazapil valley, Zacatecas. The information was presented by Frisco to the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV).
• One World Lithium Inc. conducted a geophysical survey at its Salar del Diablo project in Baja California. The Volterra TEM in-loop sounding survey was carried on the northern third of the Salar del Diablo. The survey totaled 79.7 line kilometers on seven lines nine to twelve Km long and spaced two Km apart, covering 150 square Km. A six square Km part of the salar is highly conductive and with a calculated thickness in excess of 100 m. A probably thinner and less conductive part of the salar covers 24 square Km and is open ended. The company intends to launch a 15 hole 4,000 m drilling campaign in three months time.

ON MINING

• Argonaut Gold Inc. announced that the Collegiate Tribunal (an arm of the State Supreme court that is tasked with overseeing the Judiciary court) unanimously ruled to lift the suspension of the explosives permit at its La Colorada mine in Sonora. “The ruling directs that the Secretary of National Defense (“SEDENA”) reinstate the explosives permit”. “With this successful appeal, the Company will now have the ability to continue full operations during the balance of the Judiciary legal process”. Ramp up of full operations is expected to be re-established by mid-July.

ON FINANCING

• Geologix Explorations Inc. announced the name change to ValOro Resources Inc. along with a share consolidation on a 1:10 ratio will take effect as market opens on June 28^th (Tepal, Michoacan).
• Silver Bull Resources Inc. intends to complete a private placement aiming for gross proceeds of US$3 M (Sierra Mojada, Coahuila).
• Prize Mining Corp. is to make a private placement aiming to raise up to $4 M in gross proceeds. The company is to pay 7.0% of the gross proceeds as cash commission, and a cash work fee of $40 K to the agent. The maximum aggregate gross proceeds of the offering and the non-brokered private placement is $10.75 M. (Manto Negro, Coahuila).
• One World Lithium Inc. announced that the previous non-brokered private placement announced on May 25, 2018 will be replaced with a non-brokered private placement aiming to raise gross proceeds of up to CND$2 M.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Endeavour Silver Corp. released results from infill drilling at its Terroneras property in Jalisco. Highlighted true width (TW) intervals from these nine holes comprise: 2.8 m @ 2.0 g/t Au, 54 g/t Ag; 1.3 m @ 1.3 g/t Au, 467 g/t Ag; 2.3 m @ 4.8 g/t Au, 222 g/t Ag; 21.2 m @ 3.2 g/t Au, 618 g/t Ag; 6.0 m @ 2.6 g/t Au, 507 g/t Ag; 1.5 m @ 7.1 g/t Au, 181 g/t Ag; 1.6 m @ 4.2 g/t Au, 120 g/t Ag; 4.4 m @ 4.7 g/t Au, 121 g/t Ag; 4.6 m @ 4.3 g/t Au, 146 g/t Ag; 5.7 m @ 1.3 g/t Au, 164 g/t Au. “The infill drill program is now 60% complete, with 5,990 m drilled out of 10,000 m planned”.
• Sierra Metals Inc. confirmed the existence of a wide high-grade silver stockwork within the Santa Rosa de Lima vein complex, at its Cusi property in Chihuahua. The stockwork zone measures 100 m in length, 40 m in width and 70 m in height, and is open at depth and width. Mine development so far has resulted in 4,437 tonnes @ 205 g/t Au, 0.07 g/t Au, 0.12% Pb, 0.15% Zn.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Geologix Explorations Inc. announced the name change to ValOro Resources Inc. along with a share consolidation on a 1:10 ratio will take effect as market opens on June 28^th (Tepal, Michoacan).
• Defiance Gold Corp. completed the acquisition of Mag Silver’s Corp.’s Zacatecas silver district holdings, including its regional exploration database. Defiance is to pay 5 M shares to Mag for as consideration for the sale. The Lagartos project consists of 14 concessions covering 800 hectares (San Acacio, Zacatecas).
• Aloro Mining Corp. received the title from a 1,675 has concession contiguous to its 1,524 has Los Venados project in Sonora. The claim was staked on July 2017 (Los Venados, Sonora).
• Arian Silver Corp. presented financial results for 2017. The company owns 12 mining concessions covering 1,500 hectares, some of which encompass the Los Campos, San Celso, Los Africanos and Calicanto projects in Zacatecas. At the end of the period the company had 0.9 M in cash and cash equivalents.
• Kootenay Silver Inc. entered into an option agreement with Capstone Mining Corp. on La Mina project in Sonora. Capstone can earn-in an initial 60% by making staged payments of US$600 K and spending US$4 M on exploration over 4 years. “Capstone may earn up to a 100% interest in La Mina in stages by completing certain milestones including preparation of a preliminary economic assessment, a pre feasibility study and paying an additional aggregate total of US$8.4 million to Kootenay in stages at each of the various milestones”. The property is subject to an underlying information agreement with a 2.5% royalty, of which up to 2.0% can be bought. “If Capstone Mining earns 100% interest, Kootenay will retain a 1% net smelter return with no buy out option of which 0.5% will be held by the third party after giving effect to the Buydown”.
• Minera Frisco and Goldcorp Inc. entered into an exploration/mining agreement on the Mazapil Valley. No further details were released.

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 above, intensely silicified tuff, interpreted as alteration at the paleo water table of an epithermal low sulfidation system in Guanajuato. Picture by Jorge Cirett.