Banded quartz texture

By Miguel A Heredia

During the 45^th week of the year (November 5^th to November 11^th, 2018), at least 36 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, with thirteen communicating mining activities, seven disclosing deals and corporate issues, seven informing on exploration results, six announcing financing issues, and 3 reporting on advances on their properties. ON MEXICO ISSUES, no relevant news.  ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Aloro commenced the road construction and building of drill pads on its Los Venados project, San Marco Resources announced the commencement of a drilling program at its Chunibas project, Sonoro reported drill results from its Cerro Caliche project, and Minaurum discovered two new vein zones at its Alamos Silver project. In Coahuila, Discovery Metals completed a 40 line-km ground magnetometer survey at its Monclova project.  ON MINING, Alio Gold, Americas Silver, Argonaut, Avino, Consolidated Zinc, First Majestic, Fortuna Silver, Hecla, Pan American Silver, Premier Gold, Santacruz Mining, and US Antimony reported production results from their Mexican operations. ON FINANCING, Auxico Gold closed a non-brokered private placement for $315K. GoGold closed the US$12M sale of the Santa Gertrudis royalty with Metalla Royalty and Streaming Ltd. Impact Silver announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $1.5M. Telson Mining received $5M from Trafigura Mexico for the second tranche of the loan agreement announced on December 18, 2017. Silver Spruce consolidated its common shares and proposed to complete a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $1.5M. Golden Minerals reported its Q3 2018 financial results. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Kootenay designed a drilling program aimed to expand resources at its la Cigarra deposit in Chihuahua. Hecla released in-fill drilling results for its San Sebastian mine in Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Capstone Mining made reductions to its organizational structure (Cozamin mine, Zacatecas). Defiance Silver and ValOro Resources signed a definitive merger agreement (San Acacio project, Zacatecas). Golden Goliath announced that Desarrollos Mineros El Aguila (subsidiary of Fresnillo plc) exercised the option agreement on its Uruachic project in Chihuahua. New Gold (Cerro San Pedro mine, San Luis Potosi) and Prize Mining (Manto Negro project, Coahuila) appointed their Chief Financial Officer respectively. Golden Reign and Marlin Gold completed business combination to form Mako Mining Corp (La Trinidad mine, Sinaloa).

ON MEXICO ISSUES

No relevant news.

ON EXPLORATION

• Aloro Mining Corp., commenced a 3.6km road construction and building of 12 permitted drill pads at its Los Venados project in Sonora. “The road construction will open up new exposures for sampling in mineralized areas and structure that were previously undercover”.
• San Marco Resources, commenced a drilling program at its Chunibas project in Sonora where they have a JV agreement with Antofagasta plc. The drilling program will consists of initial 1,500m comprised in six holes with the goal of testing down dip and along strike high-grade Cu-Ag mineralized mantos hosted in volcanic rocks in different stratigraphic levels. The manto-type mineralization has been identified along a corridor of 1.7km long and at least 300m wide.
• Sonoro Metals Corp., reported results from the initial 13 drill holes from its Cerro Caliche project in Sonora. Significant intersections are: Hole SCR-002 with 27.43m of 0.6 g/t Au and 7 g/t Ag; Hole SCR-003 with 30.48m of 0.5 g/t Au and 8 g/t Ag; Hole SCR-004 with 39.62m of 0.9 g/t Au and 9 g/t Ag, including 6.09m of 2.9 g/t Au and 20 g/t Ag; Hole SCR-005 with 10.67m of 0.7 g/t Au and 21 g/t Ag, and 10.67m of 0.6 g/t Au and 1 g/t Ag; Hole SCR-006 with 10.67m of 1.2 g/t Au and 21 g/t Ag, including 6.1m of 2 g/t Au and 26 g/t Ag; Hole SCR-007 with 22.86m of 0.9 g/t Au and 13 g/t Ag, including 4.57m of 2.2 g/t Au and 20 g/t Ag; and SCR-008 with 36.58m of 0.5 g/t Au and 4 g/t Ag. “The drilling has further confirmed that mineralization in the Los Japoneses zone remains open in all directions, including at depth.”
• Minaurum Gold Inc., discovered two new vein zones at its Alamos Silver project in Sonora: the San Jose vein, a NNE trend structure hosted in a fault zone which can be traced for at least 3km long, and the Santa Rosa vein, a stringer-quartz veinlets structural zone that runs for at least 300m along strike. The discovery of the new veins was through its ongoing district-scale reconnaissance program. Sampling on the San Jose vein returned grades ranging from anomalous up to 1,995 g/t Ag, 2.5% Cu, and 1.9% Zn, while sampling on the Santa Rosa vein only retuned anomalous values.
• Discovery Metals Corp., completed a 40 line-km ground magnetic survey at its Monclova project in Coahuila to cover three targets: Real Viejo with 23 lines spaced 50m apart, Corrales with 17 lines spaced 100m apart, and Soledad with 12 lines spaced 50m apart. “Results of the Real Viejo survey highlight a linear magnetic high parallel to the mapped mineralized and altered zone along the southern boundary of the Monclova intrusive complex centered on the Project. This suggests continuity of the alteration and/or mineralization along the contact and provides support for the holes planned to test this zone. Interestingly, similar magnetic high zones occur across the neighboring Corrales target. Both linear magnetic highs as well as linear lows are highlighted by the survey and represent prospective targets on the Project. Results at the northern Soledad grid also highlight similar geometries”.

ON MINING

• Alio Gold Inc., reported Q3 production results from its San Francisco mine in Sonora. Alio produced 11.6K Oz Au and 3.9K Oz Ag at an AISC of $1,315 per Oz produced.
• Americas Silver Corporation, produced 323K Oz Ag, 7.5M Lb Pb, and 7.9M Lb Zn during the Q3-2018 from its Cosala operations in Sinaloa and Galena Complex in Idaho.
• Argonaut Gold Inc., announced Q3 2018 production results from their Mexican operations. At the El Castillo mine in Durango, Argonaut mined 2, 267,000 tonnes of 0.33 g/t Au, to produce 10.3K Oz Au and 4.8K Oz Ag (10.4K GEOs or Gold Eq Oz). At the San Agustin mine in Durango, the company mined 1, 747,000 tonnes of 0.34 g/t Au to produce 15.7K Oz Au and 52.9K Oz Ag (16.5K GEOs). At its La Colorada mine in Sonora, Argonaut mined 1.2M tonnes of 0.33 g/t Au to produce 7K Oz Au and 16.2K Oz Ag (7.3K GEOs).
• Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd., milled 193, 645 tonnes during Q3 2018 to produce 2.2K Oz Au, 342K Oz Ag, and 992K Lb Cu (704.4K Oz Ag Eq) at an AISC of $11.15 per payable Oz Ag Eq.
• Consolidated Zinc Limited, reported the October 2018 production from its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. The company milled 237 tonnes of 12.9% Zn and 3.3 % Pb to produce 68.3K Lb Zn and 17.6K Lb Pb.
• First Majestic Silver Corporation, released Q3 2018 production results from their Mexican operations. The table below shows the quarterly operating and cost parameters at each of the mining operations:

• Fortuna Silver Mines Ltd., milled 262, 710 tonnes during Q3 2018 at grades of 1.6 g/t Au and 258 g/t Ag to produce 12.4K Oz Au and 1.99M Oz Ag, with metallurgical recoveries of 91% for Au and Ag.
• Hecla Mining Company, released Q3 production results from its San Sebastian mine in Durango. During Q3 2018, Hecla produced 3.7K Oz Au and 522K Oz Ag.
• Pan American Silver Corp, reported Q3 2018 production results from each of their mining operations. At La Colorada, Zacatecas the company produced 1.1K Oz Au and 2M Oz Ag. At its Dolores mine in Chihuahua, Pan American Silver produced 33.1K Oz Au and 1M Oz Ag.
• Premier Gold Mines Limited, announced Q3 2018 production results from its Mercedes mine in Sonora. The company processed 159,608 tonnes of 3.52 g/t Au and 39 g/t Ag with metallurgical recoveries of 96.6% and 43.7% respectively, to produce 17.5K Oz Au and 88.4K Oz Ag at an AISC of $1,059 per Oz produced.
• Santacruz Silver Mining , released Q3 2018 production results from their Mexican mining operations.  At Veta Grande, Zacatecas, the company processed 42,011 tonnes with 0.26 g/t Au, 77 g/t Ag,  0.8% Pb and 1.94 % Zn to produce  140 Oz Au, 62.2K Oz Ag, 590.8K Lb Pb and 952.4K Lb Zn. At El Rosario, San Luis Potosi, Santacruz processed 15,965 tonnes of 0.26 g/t Au, 0.2% Pb and 1.6% Zn to produce 85 Oz Au, 18.4K Oz Ag, 72.7K Lb Pb, and 467.4 Lb Zn.
• Torex Gold Resources Inc., processed 1,246,000 tonnes with 2.6 g/t Au during Q3 2018 from its El Limon-Guajes Mine Complex in Guerrero. The quarterly production was 100.4K Oz Au with a metallurgical recovery of 89%.
• US Antimony Corporation, released its September and October 2018 production results. In September, US Antimony produced 141.2 K Lb Sb and 1,394 tonnes of zeolites, while in October produced 123.5 Lb Sb and 1,065 tonnes of zeolites.

ON FINANCING

• Auxico Resources Canada Inc., closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $315K (Zamora project, Sinaloa).
• GoGold Resources Inc., closed the US$12M sale of its Santa Gertrudis royalty with Metalla Royalty and Streaming Ltd. GoGold took US$6M of the US$12M sale price in common shares of Metalla, which represent 9.9% of the Metalla shares outstanding.
• Impact Silver Corp., announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $1.5M to explore its Zacualpan project in Mexico State for additional high potential precious metals as well as Au-Cu targets.
• Telson Mining Corporation, received $5M from Trafigura Mexico S.A. de C.V., for the second tranche of the loan agreement for the construction of its 1,000 tpd Tahuehueto mine in Durango.
• Silver Spruce Resources Inc., consolidated its common shares and proposed to complete a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $1.5M. The consolidation of its common shares is one new share for five old shares.
• Golden Minerals Company, reported revenue of approximately $1.9M in Q3 2018 related to the oxide plant lease and costs of approximately $0.7M related to the services Golden provides under the terms of the lease, for a net margin of $1.2M. Other operating income of $3.2 million included $3.0 million from the sale of Golden’s remaining interest in the Celaya project in Guanajuato to The Electrum Group LLC, as well as pro‐rated income from the farm‐out of the Company’s Zacatecas properties to Santacruz Silver. Exploration expenses were $1.1 million in the third quarter, reflecting increased exploration and project evaluation activities at the Santa Maria project in Chihuahua as well as other projects in Mexico.

 

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Kootenay Silver Inc., designed a program of 15,000m of drilling over 62 holes aimed to expand resources along the extensions of its La Cigarra deposit in Chihuahua. The drilling program will be conducted on four target areas where the company believes there is untested potential to increase resources. “The plan would entail primarily exploration step out drilling of known mineralization and some infill drilling of the successful La Borracha program earlier this year”. “The four areas Kootenay plans to target are the La Borracha high grade (the mineralized trend located 1,000 meters northwest from the northern boundary of the Resource), the La Borracha Connection (connecting La Borracha with the San Gregorio area of the Resource), Gap (a very under drilled area between the main San Gregorio and Las Carolinas zones that currently comprise the Resource) and the Carolinas Extension (the strike extension of the Resource to the southeast)”.
• Hecla Mining Company, released in-fill drilling results for its San Sebastian mine in Durango. The in-fill drilling was conducted in the central portion of the polymetallic zone along the Francine Vein. Additionally, exploration core drilling was also conducted toward shallower oxide mineralization along the West and East Francine vein areas, the recently discovered South Vein, and at the Esperanza Vein target area. At the Francine vein, the in-fill drilling program intersected high grade mineralization. Highlights include 1.37m of 591 g/t Ag, 4.8% Cu, 16% Pb and 13.5% Zn and 2.25m of 227 g/t Ag, 1.8% Cu, 3.5% Pb, and 6% Zn. The drilling also intercepted narrow but high-grade mineralization along the East Francine vein on new zones of vein-hosted oxide mineralization. Significant intersections are 1.46m of 485 g/t Ag and 0.3 g/t Au, and 2.83m of 299 g/t Ag and 2.2 g/t Au. Mineralization in this area is defined over 1,200 feet along strike and 800 feet down-dip and this new zone could represent an important new source of oxide mineralization. At the West Francine vein, the drilling program encountered also narrow intervals of high grade. Highlights include 0.64m of 1,791 g/t Ag and 0.62 g/t Au. Mineralization in this area is open laterally and at depth. Follow-up, offset drilling is in progress. At the Esperanza vein, exploration drilling commenced but results are pending. Reconnaissance RC drilling discovered a new blind vein under soil cover in the Saladillo Valley. This new vein, referred as the South vein, intercepted significant mineralized intervals such as 2.83m of 392 g/t Ag and 2.5 g/t Au, 2.86m of 187 g/t Ag and 0.93 g/t Au, and 2.86m of 174 g/t Ag and 1.24 g/t Au. Drilling for the remainder of the year will continue to focus on expanding resources and evaluate near-surface oxide mineralization at the West Francine Vein, South Vein, and Esperanza Vein areas.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Capstone Mining Corp., announced management changes and made reduction of its organizational structure to improve financial and operating performance and save approximately $5M per year in corporate general and administrative expenses (Cozamin mine, Zacatecas).
• Defiance Silver Corp., and ValOro Resources Inc., signed a definitive merger agreement dated on November 5, 2018. The ValOro shareholders will receive 0.71 common shares of Defiance for each share of ValOro held. “Upon completion of the Transaction, the combined company will have approximately 119 million common shares outstanding, of which former shareholders of Defiance will own approximately 87% and the former shareholders of ValOro will own approximately 13%” (San Acacio project, Zacatecas).
• Golden Goliath Resources Ltd., announced that Desarrollos Mineros El Aguila S.A. de C.V., a wholly subsidiary of Fresnillo plc, exercised the option agreement on its Uruachic project in Chihuahua by making a final payment of US$2.3M. Golden Goliath still holds a royalty on the several optioned properties in the Uruachic mining district.
• Golden Reign Resources and Marlin Gold Mining Ltd., completed business combination to form Mako Mining Corp. Prior to the closing of the arrangement, the companies completed the amendment to the Gold Purchase Agreement with Sailfish Royalty Corp., and the Marlin reorganization.

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, banded quartz texture in a hot spring epithermal system in Durango, Mexico.  Photo by Miguel A Heredia.