By Jorge Cirett

During the 50^th week of the year (December 7^th to December 13^th, 2020), at least 31 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, ten companies posted exploration advances on their properties and seven more published on project development. ON MEXICO ISSUES, a list of eight projects that have changed hands in the last six months include properties in Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango and Zacatecas. The AIMMGM confirmed its International Convention will be held in 2021 in Acapulco, Guerrero (With so many options, Why Acapulco? Why?), as vaccination is likely to have the pandemic under control by then. The proposed law against outsourcing is likely to affect the mining industry in Sonora. The Naica mine (site of the famous Crystals Cave) in Chihuahua is to see activity again.  ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Riverside reported trench sampling results at the Cuarentas project; Tocvan Ventures informed RC drilling advances at its Pilar project; Colibri Resource released assays from trench sampling at Evelyn. In Chihuahua, Reyna Silver started drilling at the Guigui project, in the Santa Eulalia district. In Sinaloa, Brigadier Gold updated on the exploration of the Picachos project. In Durango, Mithril Resources released drilling results from Copalquin; Canasil Resources reported on two more drill holes at the Nora project. In Zacatecas, VanGold Mining completed a shaft to the 7^th level at its Pinguico project; Defiance Silver commenced its 5,000 m drilling program at San Acacio; Advance Gold defined a new geophysical anomaly at Tabasqueña.  ON MINING, Mexus Gold continues to produce from its heap leach operation at the Santa Elena mine in Sonora. Gatos Silver informed on production on the third quarter. Alamos Gold provided its 2021 gold production guidance. ON FINANCING, First Majestic is to start paying a dividend. Canuc Resources and Oroco Resource closed non-brokered private placements for CAD$1 M and $15.5 M respectively. Alien Metals is to issue 3.4 M shares of no par value. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GR Silver Mining reported on bulk metallurgical testing at Plomosas, Sinaloa. Sonoro Gold released drilling results from the Cerro Caliche project in Sonora. GoGold Resources released drilling results from La Trini deposit at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Consolidated Zinc continues the plant refurbishment at its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. Impact Silver is re-interpreting all the historical exploration data gathered at the Real de Zacualpan district in Estado de Mexico. Sierra Metals released a new PEA on the expansion to 2,400 tpd of its Cusi mine, in Chihuahua. Southern Silver Exploration reported results of two deep holes on the South Skarn target of Cerro Las Minitas, Durango.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Capstone Mining signed a precious metals purchase agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals International. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Grupo Peñoles, Fresnillo PLC, Peña Colorada, Minera Media Luna, Almaden Minerals and Esperanza Silver informed on programs to aid communities near their operations.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• Projects that have changed hands in the second half of the year include El Picacho (Sonora) by Silver Crest, MVZ within El Pajarito project (Chihuahua) by Li-ion Graphite, Juliana (Sonora) by Tarachi Gold, Magistral de Oro tailings (Durango) by Tarachi Gold, Margarita (Chihuahua) by Magna Gold, La Sanguijuela and Cerro Gordo (Jalisco) by Endeavour Silver, Lucita (Zacatecas) by Defiance Silver and Santa María (Chihuahua) by Fabled Silver.
• The AIMMGM (Asociación de Ingenieros de Minas, Metalurgistas y Geólogos de México) announced that thanks to the appearance of the Covid-19 vaccine, the next International convention sponsored by the association is to be held in Acapulco, Guerrero, in October 19-22 of 2021.
• Coparmex Sonora (Confederación Patronal de la República Mexicana – Sonora) stated that the proposed law against outsourcing is to affect the mining industry on the state, as 40% of its work force is under this scheme.
• The Naica mine in Chihuahua (home to the famous Cave of Crystals), which closed in 2015, is to see miners again, as a group of twenty has been contracted to start working again. The mine is also to supply water from its underground workings to irrigate 200 hectares of farm land.

ON EXPLORATION

• Mithril Resources Ltd. released drilling results from its Copalquin project in Durango. Highlighted core-length intercepts comprise 9.35 m @ 7.84 gpt Au, 138 gpt Ag (including 4.0 m @ 16.44 gpt Au, 287 gpt Ag) at El Refugio; 14.85 m @ 0.85 gpt Au, 48 gpt Ag (including 1.30 m @ 5.07 gpt Au, 309 gpt Ag) and 9.78 m @ 0.85 gpt Au, 13 gpt Ag; 11.70 m @ 1.16 gpt Au, 70 gpt Ag (including 1.0 m @ 7.17 gpt Au, 236 gpt Ag; 2.90 m @ 1.93 gpt Au, 216 gpt Ag; 5.28 m @ 0.39 gpt Au, 26 gpt Ag; 10.15 m @ 0.55 gpt Au, 16 gpt Ag (including 1.0 m @ 3.75 gpt Au, 70 gpt Ag.
• Riverside Resources Inc. and Hochschild Mining reported trench sampling results at its Cuarentas project in Sonora. Highlighted trench sampling comprises 12.5 m @ 0.59 gpt Au; 12.5 m @ 0.33 gpt Au; 25 m @ 0.27 gtp Au; 22.5 m @ 0.17 gpt Au; 6.0 m @ 0.24 gpt Au at Santa Rosalía. Channel sample results from the Centro target include 1.0 m @ 2.23 gpt Au; 1.5 m @ 1.01 gpt Au; 1.2 m @ 0.53 gpt Au.
• VanGold Mining Corp. has completed clearing the Pinguico shaft to adit level 7, at El Pinguico mine, Zacatecas. The company expects to be able to sample the lower portion of an underground stockpile (or backfill) that the Mexican Geological Survey (SGM) measured at 149 K tonnes @ 1.66 gpt Au, 143 gpt Ag.
• Tocvan Ventures Corp. informed more than 400 m of reverse circulation drilling in three holes have been sunk at its Pilar project in Sonora. Results are pending and expected early in the New Year.
• Defiance Silver Corp. commenced drilling at its San Acacio project in Zacatecas. The 5,000 m program is to focus on the Veta Grande vein system in hanging wall structural offsets and the Veta Grande vein system at depth.
• Reyna Silver Corp. started drilling at its Gugui project in the Santa Eulalia district of Chihuahua. “Santa Eulalia is Mexico’s largest Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) but despite over 300 years of continuous mining activity, the intrusive source for the system, which is Reyna’s initial target focus, has not been found…….. Targeting is based on a combination of geology, geochemistry, geophysics and hyperspectral satellite imagery analysis”. The initial drilling is to comprise 10,000 m.
• Canasil Resources Inc. released results from two more drill holes on the Candy vein at its  Nora project in Durango. True width (TW) intervals comprise 0.72 m @ 1.46 gpt Au, 7 gpt Ag in one hole, and 2.40 m @ 4.78 gpt Au, 351 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb+Zn (including 0.45 m @ 15.60 gpt Au, 561 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb+Zn); 0.45 m @ 7.13 gpt Au, 639 gpt Ag, 0.7% Pb+Zn; 1.49 m @ 11.86 gpt Au, 378 gpt Ag, 0.21% Pb+Zn; 0.45 m @ 36.70 gpt Au, 1,010 gpt Ag, 0.35% Pb+Zn.
• Colibri Resource Corp. released further assay results from the trenching program at its Evelyn project in Sonora. Twenty two out of 95 samples  returned more than 0.1 gpt Au, and 6 were greater than 1.0 gpt Au, peaking at 17.75 gpt Au. Areas with good gold values include El Sahuaro, Cerro Rojo and Central Evelyin targets.
• Brigadier Gold Ltd. updated in the exploration at its Picachos project in Sinaloa. “The 3,954 hectare Picachos Property is centered over the historic “Viva Zapata” National Mineral Reserve, Sinaloa, Mexico.  It overlaps two mineralized systems, a porphyry copper‐molybdenum system hosted by a Paleocene granite‐granodiorite intrusive complex, and a gold‐silver vein complex comprised of both east‐northeasterly trending veins (La Cocolmeca Vein System) and northwesterly trending veins (El Placer System)”. The company has established its community relations, repaired roads, upgraded the water supply, built a core processing facility, drill tested the SW of the Cocolmeca vein system and discovered several new veins by trenching on historic soil anomalies.
• Advance Gold Corp.  informed on results of a newly completed geophysical study at its Tabasqueña project in Zacatecas. The induced polarization survey delineated a new large chargeability anomaly to the west of known anomalies.

ON MINING

• Mexus Gold US. announced the gold production from its newly completed leach pad at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora is to be sold before the end of the year.
• Gatos Silver Inc. reported third quarter 2020 results. At the Cerro Los Gatos mine in Chihuahua, 164.5 K tonnes were mined to produce 6,097 tonnes of lead concentrate @ 5,726 gpt Ag, 6.82 gpt Au, 59.71% Pb, 9.69% Zn and 7,980 tonnes of zinc concentrate @ 572 gpt Ag, 0.52 gpt Au, 1.60% Pb, 56.46% Zn. Recoveries stood at 85.1% Ag, 87.3% Pb, 73.9% Zn. The mine was recommissioned in late May from the pandemic lockdown with a monthly production rate of 1,750 tpd.
• Alamos Gold Inc. provided guidance for gold production and costs for 2021, including from its Mexican operations. At Mulatos, in Sonora, Alamos is to produce 150-160 K Oz Au at total cash cost of $840-890 per Oz Au and Mine-site-all-in-sustaining-cost of $1,060-1,110 per Oz Au. The Mulatos district is to produce 140-150 K Oz Au in 2020, at cash cost $840-890 per Oz Au and Mine-site AISC of $940-980 per Oz Au, at an operating rate of 22,000 tpd @ 0.9-1.1 gpt Au, recovering 60% of gold. A total of $9 M in exploration is to be spent at Mulatos in 2021.

ON FINANCING

• First Majestic Silver Corp. announced the company will start paying a dividend of 1% net revenues commencing after the completion of the first quarter 2021 (San Dimas, Durango).
• Canuc Resources Corp. closed a non-brokered private placement for CAD$1.02 M in gross proceeds (San Javier silver -gold, Sonora).
• Alien Metals Ltd. announced an incoming share issue of 3.4 M units of no par value (Los Campos and San Celso, Zacatecas).
• Oroco Resource Corp. closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $15.5 M (Santo Tomás, Sinaloa).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• GR Silver Mining Ltd.  reported results of bulk metallurgical testing at its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. The 2,700 tonnes sample was excavated from a representative zone of the San Juan area underground development – San Juan vein & breccia, and sent for off-site processing. The samples produced a concentrate that averaged 15,147 gpt Ag and 46.2 gpt Au (recovery rates were not mentioned).
• Sonoro Gold Corp. released assay results from the ongoing drilling program at its Sonoro project in Sonora. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 16.25 m @ 0.67 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag; 10.70 m @ 0.29 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag; 20.95 m @ 0.50 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag; 21.0 m @ 0.88 gpt Au, 18 gpt Ag (including 2.90 m @ 3.86 gpt Au, 48 gpt Ag); 9.50 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 2 gpt Ag, at the El Rincón-Veta de Oro zone, and 12.19 m @ 0.35 gpt Au; 45.72 m @ 0.36 gpt Au; 4.57 m @ 0.66 gpt Au; 28.96 m @ 0.22 gpt Au; 12.19 m @ 0.45 gpt Au; 21.33 m @ 0.58 gpt Au; 24.38 m @ 0.75 gpt Au; 21.34 m @ 0.81 gpt Au (including 6.10 m @ 2.03 gpt Au) at the Buena Suerte and Japoneses zones.  
• GoGold Resources Inc. released additional assays from drilling at La Trini deposit, part of the Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Core length intercepts comprise 23.1 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 44 gpt Ag; 29.5 m @ 0.69 gpt Au, 91 gpt Ag (including 16.7 m @ 1.18 gpt Ag, 141 gpt Ag that include 6.3 m @ 2.66 gpt Au, 320 gpt Ag); 36.7 m @ 1.00 gpt Au, 69 gpt Ag; 61.4 m @ 1.06 gpt Au, 124 gpt Ag (including 13.9 m @ 4.29 gpt Au, 477 gpt Ag that include 3.4 m @ 14.28 gpt Au, 1,694 gpt Ag); 15.6 m @ 0.11 gpt Au, 93 gpt Ag; 44.1 m @ 0.56 gpt Au, 46 gpt Ag (including 6.4 m @ 2.18 gpt Au, 108 gpt Ag); 33.0 m @ 1.24 gpt Au, 68 gpt Ag (including 6.0 m @ 4.94 gpt Au, 218 gpt Ag).
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. announced the plant refurbishment of its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua is on time and on budget. The primary ball mill has been delivered to site, the crushing circuit dry testing has been completed, flotation cells are in the purchasing stage and the tailings dam, construction is due to commence.
• Impact Silver Corp. contracted a consultant to re-interpret data “from extensive historic geophysical surveys carried out over the southern portions of the large Royal Mines of Zacualpan Project in central Mexico. This area hosts the Capire open pit silver deposit, the Manto America bulk tonnage gold target and many other exploration areas. The historic data sets include IP (Inverse Polarization), airborne magnetometer and EM (electromagnetics), radiometric and ground gravity surveys that were carried out by a previous operator in the 1990’s”.
• Sierra Metals Inc. reported results from a PEA (preliminary economic assessment) on the expansion of its Cusi mine, Chihuahua. The report sets an after-tax net present value (NPV) of US$81 Million at an 8% discount rate assuming a long term silver price of US$20/Oz, envisaging the increase of production from 1,200 to 2,400 tpd, with an NPV (@ 8%) of US$28.1 M, and IRR of 46.8%, with a mine life of 13 years, processing ore @ 127.2 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, 0.48% Zn, 0.34% Pb to produce 33.4 M Oz Ag.   The expected net after-tax cash flow is US$134 M.
• Southern Silver Exploration Corp. reported assay results from its 10,000 m core drilling program on Cerro Las Minitas, Durango. The two holes reported are from the South Skarn target, with highlighted true width (tw) intervals comprising 2.7 m @ 511 gpt Ag 0.1 gpt Au, 0.13% Cu, 5.0% Pb, 3.7% Zn (including 0.6 m @ 902 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au, 0.16% Cu, 7.8% Pb, 8.4% Zn); 1.6 m @ 182 gpt Ag, 0.23 gpt Au, 0.21% Cu, 4.4% Pb, 4.1% Zn; 0.9 m @ 247 gpt Ag, 0.19 gpt Au, 0.07% Cu, 4.7% Pb, 1.2% Zn; 3.3 m @ 304 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 0.18% Cu, 4.8% Pb, 1.9% Zn (including 0.6 m @ 607 gpt Ag, 0.15 gpt Au, 0.49% Cu, 11.0% Pb, 3.4% Zn); 10.4 m @ 172 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, 0.15% Cu, 3.8% Pb, 3.7% Zn (including 5.8 m @ 286 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 0.27% Cu, 6.4% Pb, 5.8% Zn); 1.2 m @ 303 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au, 0.02% Cu, 7.1% Pb, 5.8% Zn.

 ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Capstone Mining Corp. entered into a definitive precious metals purchase agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals International Ltd.. Wheaton will pay an upfront cash consideration of $150 M for 50% of the silver production until 10 M Oz have been delivered, thereafter dropping to 33% of silver production for the life of mine from the Capstone’s Cozamin Mine in Zacatecas.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Grupo Peñoles donated 30 ventilators, 35 ventilator circuits and more than 90 thousand face masks in Chihuahua.
• The Mining Fund provided resources for a water well in Zacatecas.
• Fresnillo PLC informed on its efforts aiding on the recovery and promotion of wildlife in Zacatecas.
• Peña Colorada, Televisa and the Mexican Bank association are sponsoring scholarships for 121 students in Colima.
• Minera Media Luna (Torex Gold) funded the asphalting of streets of communities in Cocula, Guerrero.
• Almaden Minerals informed that an “irrigation dam developed by the Company in partnership with the Federal Government water authority (“CONAGUA”) and a local irrigation group from the community of Zacatepec, is now in operation”(in Puebla).
• Esperanza Silver intends to develop the Esperanza project in Morelos in a sustainable way with social inclusion.

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: Argillic alteration at Villa de Reyes, San Luis Potosí. Picture by Jorge Cirett.