By Jorge Cirett

During the 40th week of the year (September 28^th to October 4^th, 2020), at least 40 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, five companies posted exploration advances on their projects, ten companies posted news related to financing or share structure, and seven on their projects development. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the Mining Fund is gone. A new special force was created to aid protect mining companies from criminal gangs activities. Only nine percent of Mexico is under a current mining concession. The CTM asks for the continuation of the Mining Fund. Some 150 junior exploration companies have left Mexico. The Mining-Metallurgic production index grew by 6.2% in July. Sixteen municipalities in Hidalgo are to receive $48 M pesos from the Mining Fund. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Colibri Resources completed a mag survey on Evelyn. Tocvan Ventures identified a pipe like structure at its Pilar project. In Sinaloa, Brigadier Gold commenced drilling at Picachos. In Durango, Mithril Resources released drilling results from Copalquin. In Oaxaca, Megastar Development team is back in the field at Yautepec and Magdalena.  ON MINING, No relevant news. ON FINANCING, One World Lithium ($1.5 M), Plymouth Realty Capital ($10 M), Barksdale ($6.325 M), Santacruz Silver (CDN$9.5 M), Prismo Metals ($575 K), Endeavour Silver (US$60 M) released news regarding financing rounds. Candelaria Mining settled a $1.087 M debt with shares. Silver One granted options to its directors, officers, employees and consultants. Silver Dollar started trading at the OTCQB. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GR Silver released underground channel sampling results. Consolidated Zinc presented the latest resource estimate at its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua, and announced the refurbishment of the processing plant at the site. Capitan Mining commenced resource expansion drilling at El Capitan, Durango. Azucar Minerals presented the initial resource estimate for the El Norte Zone of its El Cobre project in Veracruz. GoGold Resources released drilling results from its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Bacanora Minerals is focusing in engineering while the financing package is complete for its Sonora Lithium project. Golden Minerals released final results of its resource definition drilling program at the Rodeo project, Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Candente Gold signed the definitive agreement on the acquisition of the San Dieguito de Arriba plant in Nayarit. Silver One is selling its Mexican properties to Plymouth Realty Capital. Dyna Resources is trying to enforce in USA a favorable Mexican court ruling. Silver Spruce has recurred to force majeure clause for lack of access to its Pino de Plata property in Chihuahua. Reyna Silver entered into an option agreement to acquire the Reyna project in Chihuahua. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Fresnillo PLC, Minera Autlan, Minera Saucito and Industrias Peñoles informed on sustainability, health, safety, environment, social and governance programs.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• The Mining Fund is gone for good from the purpose it was created for: aiding the development of mining communities. Mining States and municipalities wonder what the destiny of more than $1,500 M pesos actually in the Fund. The actual federal government re-directed the use of the Mining Fund, with 85% going to the Education Secretariat, 5% to the Economy Secretary and 10% to federal government infrastructure programs.
• A new special force for overseeing mining operations was formed by the federal government. The first 118 guards graduated from a special training course, and will be equipped with assault weapons. Heists by organized crime have plagued the industry in the last few years, with robberies of bullion in mining operations across several states.
• The Economy Secretariat informed mining concessions cover only 9% of Mexico. Graciela Marquez, Secretary of Economy noted that 24 thousand current mining concessions cover 17 M hectares. The Director de Minas (reporting to Gabriela Marquez) pointed that they are following the president view of not granting more mining concessions, which is problem that will catch up in 10 years’ time with fewer new deposits to mine due to the lack of exploration.
• The Confederacion de Trabajadores de Mexico (one of the largest union organizations in Mexico, best known as “CTM”) asked the federal government and the Deputies Chamber for the no disappearance of the Mining Fund.
• Fernando Alanís Ortega from Camimex pointed out some 150 junior exploration companies have left Mexico due to the complex operative environment. Several companies have diversified their operations this year, with acquisitions in Canada and USA. The last company to divest its Mexican portfolio is Silver One, to focus on a project in Nevada.
• The Mexican index of Mining-Metallurgic production increased by 6.2% in July, compared with the same month of 2019 and by 5.1% from July 2020 to the previous month.
• Sixteen Municipalities in Hidalgo are to receive $48 M pesos from the Fund for Development of Mining Production Zones.  

ON EXPLORATION

• Brigadier Gold Ltd. commenced its maiden drill program at the 3,954 ha Picachos property in Sinaloa. The drilling of 5,000 m in 40 holes will test the San Agustín mine (underground rock chip sample of 1.2 m @ 73.4 gpt Au), and the the Mochomos (underground rock chip sample of 0.5 m @ 18.5 gpt Au, 570 gpt Ag), Tejones (underground rock chip sample of 1.0 m @ 28.6 gpt Au, 114 gpt Ag) and Fermin (underground rock chip sample of 1.0 m @ 0.3 gpt Au, 268 gpt Ag) veins. “the Cocolmeca Vein system is comprised of several sub-parallel veins over a 1.5 kilometre (km) wide zone ……  San Agustín is the best understood of these veins, mainly because it has been historically exposed underground by approximately 670 line-metres of tunnels, stopes and shafts”.
• Colibri Resource Corp. received results from a high-resolution magnetic survey at its Evelyin property in Sonora. The interpretation of the magnetic data allowed the identification of three families of lineaments that are to aid in the definition and prioritization of targets.
• Tocvan Ventures Corp. informed on new interpretations on all the information gathered on its Pilar project in Sonora. With the aid of geophysical, geochemical and structural specialists a conclusion was reached that a sub-vertical pipe-like feature may represent a breccia feeder pipe related to epithermal mineralization. The pipe is close to 100 m in diameter, oval shaped and dipping 70 degrees to the SSW.
• Mithril Resources Ltd. Released results from nine more holes at La Soledad in the Copalquin project, Durango. Drilling confirmed the bonanza grades of the La Soledad vein and intercepted additional veins at depth and along strike. Highlighted results comprise 3.8 m @ 2.58 gpt Au, 143 gpt Ag; 0.5 m @ 6.78 gpt Au, 10 gpt Ag, an open working for 2.5 m and then 1.5 m @ 6.65 gpt Au, 18 gpt Ag; 2.82 m @ 2.37 gpt Au, 22 gpt Ag; 7.5 m @ 6.74 gpt Au, 158 gpt Ag.
• Megastar Development Corp. reported its exploration team is back at the Yautepec and Magdalena projects in Oaxaca. So far, they have found “highly prospective ferruginous (iron-rich) carbonate sinters and fault-controlled quartz veining and breccias in discontinuous erosional windows under post-mineral volcanic rocks over areas of several hundreds of meters”. These findings correlate well with the envisaged uppermost levels of an epithermal system, the concept exploration model used at the site.

ON MINING

• No Relevant News.

ON FINANCING

• One World Lithium Inc. announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $1.5 M (Salar del Diablo, Baja California).
•  Candelaria Mining Corp. closed the previously announced shares for debt transaction in settlement of $1.087 M of indebtedness (Pinos, Zacatecas).
• Plymouth Realty Capital Corp. will complete a $10 M private placement funding (Peñasco Quemado, Sonora; La Frazada, Nayarit; Pluton, Durango).
• Silver One Resources Inc. granted 2.575 M stock options to its directors, officers, employees and consultants (Peñasco Quemado, Sonora).
• Fresnillo PLC. Is extended the expiration time on its tender offer to purchase for cash any and all of its outstanding US$800,000,000 principal amount of 5.5% Notes due 2023, to September 29. 2020 (La Herradura, Sonora).
• Silver Dollar Resources Inc. started trading on September 30, 2020, in the United States on the OTCQB Venture Market (La Joya, Durango).
• Barksdale Resources Corp. closed the final tranche of the company’s non-brokered private placement that raised $6.325 M (San Javier, Sonora).
• Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Increased the size of its previously announced non-brokered private placement offering to CDN$9.5 M (Rosario, San Luis Potosi).
• Prismo Metals Inc. completed its initial public offering (IPO) for gross proceeds of $575 K (Palos Verdes, Sinaloa).
• Endeavour Silver Corp. entered into a sales agreement with BMO Capital Markets as the lead agent upon which the company can sell a number of common shares than can amount up to US$60 M (El Compas, Zacatecas; Terronera, Jalisco).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• GR Silver Mining Ltd.  announced favorable results from underground channel sampling on the lower level of the Plomosas mine in Sinaloa. Disseminated and massive mineralization is constituted by veins, stockworks and sulfide stringers that include chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena in a brecciated tuff. Highlighted channel intervals comprise 2.6 m @ 504 gpt Ag, 14.6 gpt Au, 8.9% Pb, 6.6% Zn, 0.3% Cu; 15.7 m @ 90 gpt Ag, 2.5 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.3% Zn, 0.8% Cu: 5.4 m @ 147 gpt Ag, 10.0 gpt Au, 0.6% Pb, 3.3% Zn, 1.2% Cu; 7.8 m @ 50 gpt Ag, 2.9 gpt Au, 2.2% Pb, 7.3% Zn, 0.2% Cu; 6.0 m @ 66 gpt Ag, 6.2 gpt Au, 1.4% Pb, 3.9% Zn, 0.9% Cu.
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. presented a mineral resource estimate for the month of April 2020 for its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. The indicated and inferred mineral resources comprise 964 K tonnes @ 13.2% Zn, 3.5% Pb, 20.6 gpt Ag that contain 127 K tonnes of zinc, 34 K tonnes of lead and 639 K Oz silver. The company is refurbishing the Plomosas beneficiation plant to process the ore at the site, for an estimated cost of US$1.35 M. The plant will start processing 3,000 tonnes per day (tpd), with the possibility of an expansion to 6,000 tpd.
• Capitan Mining Inc. has commenced drilling at the Capitan project in Durango. The first phase comprises 6,000 m of reverse circulation drilling focused on step-out holes for resource expansion.
• Azucar Minerals Ltd. completed its initial resource estimate for the Norte zone at El cobre project in Veracruz. “Copper and gold mineralization at the Norte Zone is associated with a multiphase variably potassic-phyllic altered porphyritic diorite intrusive complex that is cut by late mafic and intermediate dykes and post mineral feldspar porphyry. The Norte Zone is approximately 0.6 km x 0.4 km along an E-W strike. Sulphide mineralization, which extends up to 900 metres depth, consists of disseminated and vein-hosted chalcopyrite and trace bornite (Cu mineralization) exposed in surface outcrops and intersected in drill core”. The base case scenario considers indicated resources of 47.2 M tonnes @ 0.49 gpt Au, 0.21% Cu, 1.4 gpt Ag containing 1.17 M Oz AuEq and inferred resources of 26.9 M tonnes @ 0.42 gpt Au, 0.18% Cu, 1.3 gpt Ag, containing 1.35 M Oz AuEq.
• GoGold Resources Inc. released drilling results from the La Trini deposit on the Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Some of the highlighted results from 12 holes released comprise 22.5 m @ 1.37 gpt Au, 158 gpt Ag; 22.5 m @ 0.20 gpt Au, 48 gpt Ag; 44.5 m @ 0.84 gpt Au, 63 gpt Ag; 38.4 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 30 gpt Ag; 29.6 m @ 0.42 gpt Au, 88 gpt Ag; 27 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 48 gpt Ag; 7.9 m @ 0.86 gpt Au, 64 gpt Ag; 19.5 m @ 0.18 gpt Au, 83 gpt Ag; 21.8 m @ 2.73 gpt Au, 130 gpt Ag (including 5.6 m @ 9.40 gpt Au, 365 gpt Ag).
• Bacanora Lithium PLC. Informed the company has a strong cash balance of US$44.4 M as of June 30, 2020, and retains a senior debt facility of US$150 M. At the Sonora Lithium project in Sonora, work is focused on finalizing engineering so that construction may commence after the financing package is completed.
• Golden Minerals Co. released final assays from its resource definition program at the Rodeo project in Durango. Some of the true width (tw) highlighted intercepts comprise 15.8 m @ 2.05 gpt Au, 16 gpt Ag; 15.3 m @ 1.09 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag; 25.5 m @ 2.49 gpt Au, 6 gpt Ag; 25.8 m @ 1.22 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag; 15.6 m @ 0.78 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag; 15.0 m @ 0.74 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag; 7.7 m @ 0.98 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag; 34 m @ 1.63 gpt Au, 6 gpt Ag; 49.5 m @ 1.77 gpt Au, 22 gpt Ag; 9.6 m @ 0.97 gpt Au, 2 gpt Ag; 25.8 m @ 3.10 gpt Au, 10 gpt Ag; 24.5 m @ 1.32 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag; 28.0 m @ 1.96 gpt Au, 8 gpt Ag; 17.5 m @ 1.36 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag. The resource the company is trying to improve was defined in 2017 at 0.4 M tonnes @ 3.3 gpt Au, 11 gpt Ag, containing 46 K Oz Au, 200 K Oz Ag.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Candente Gold Corp. signed the definitive agreement with Magellan Acquisition Corp. to earn up to 100% interest in the San Dieguito de Arriba beneficiation plant and the rights on the El Dorado property, both in Nayarit.
• Silver One Resources Inc. entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with Plymouth Realty Capital Corp. to sell all its Mexican silver properties. In consideration for the properties Plymouth is to pay $1 M in cash and $5 M in shares. Plymouth Realty Capital will also change its name to Silverton Metals Corp. (Peñasco Quemado, Sonora; La Frazada, Nayarit; Pluton, Durango).
• Dyna Resource Inc. announced the filing on August 28, 2020 in Dallas county, Texas, a petition for recognition of the USD$48 M foreign judgement against Goldgroup Resources Inc. in order to recognize in USA the judgment obtained in Mexico against Goldgroup Resources Inc. (the judgment relates to a legal challenge for the ownership of the San José de Gracia project in Sinaloa).
• Silver Spruce Resources Inc. has “retained Mexico-based legal counsel to lead the discussions with representatives of the surface landowners of Pino de Plata in order to re-negotiate access rights to the ranch that covers the Pino de Plata project area”. The company’s purchase rights contract is now under a force majeure clause until access rights are granted by surface owners to continue exploration.
• Reyna Silver Corp. announced the acquisition of the 300 ha La Reyna project in Chihuahua. The property is in the Cusihuiriachi (Cusi) silver district of low sulfidation epithermal mineralization. “La Reyna proper is a nearly north-south trending structure traceable as vein and altered outcrops for 4 km across the property. Two historic (1890s) shafts (La Reyna and Princesa) that extend to 133-150m depths exploited high-grade silver-rich mineralized shoots 2-5 m wide in the late 1800s”. The deal involves US$1.3 M in staged cash payments over four years and a 2.5% NSR. The payment on singing was US$30K that is to be followed by US$45 K in 6 months, US$75 K in 12 months, US$75 K in 18 months, US$120 K in 24 months, US$120 K in 30 months, US$150 K in 36 months and US$685 K in 48 months.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Fortuna Silver Mines (San José mine in Oaxaca) signed an agreement with the Oaxaca Health Secretary and the San José del Progreso Municipality to help the community with the pandemic health emergency.
• Minera Autlán donated 4,000 tree saplings to the Teziutlan Municipality in Puebla.
• Minera Saucito informed on actions related to the fight against the pandemic in the Fresnillo Municipality in Zacatecas.
• Industrias Peñoles celebrated 13 years of the inauguration of the Museum of Metals.
• Industrias Peñoles informed in measures the company implements to reduce the use of water, and its treatment afterwards.
• Fresnillo PLC is to distribute 20,000 face masks in Zacatecas city.

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

On the image below: The mineralized porphyry from Cerro San Pedro, San Luis Potosí. Picture by Jorge Cirett.