The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of April, 2021.

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Magnetite-rich Fe skarn manto

By Miguel A Heredia

During the 14th week of the year (April 05th to April 11th, 2021), at least 35 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico and 4 news published by the media, with nine informing on exploration results, eight disclosing deals and corporate issues, seven announcing financial issues, six reporting on resources and development, six communicating production and financial results, two discussing social issues, and one commenting on Mexican issues.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, Compañía Minera Cuzcatlán (Fortuna Silver) declared that it pays taxes and reiterated its attachment to the government mechanisms that drive Mexico’s socio-economic development (San Jose mine, Oaxaca). ON EXPLORATION, In Baja California, One World Lithium announced that a drill crew will be mobilizing to its Salar del Diablo project in Baja California, to drill a third diamond drill hole. In Sonora, Colibri informed that it will commence a 3D IP survey at its Evelyn project, Heliostar released first pass sampling and mapping results from its Cumaro project, Ridgestone announced encouraging results from geophysical surveys and follow-up work on its Rebeico project, and Silver Tiger reported drill results in the Benjamin vein zone at its El Tigre project. In Sinaloa, Vizsla provided results from eighteen holes collared along the Napoleon Vein corridor at its Panuco project. In Zacatecas, Alien reported sampling results from dumps/floats at its San Celso property, and Zacatecas Silver completed geological and structural mapping at its El Cristo project.  In San Luis Potosi, Advance Gold started a drilling program at its Saldivar lithium salar project. ON MINING, Endeavor reported Q1, 2021 production results from its Mexican mine operations. GoGold presented Q1, 2021 production and financial results from its Parral Tailings project in Chihuahua. Magna Gold reported year end 2020 financial results from its San Francisco mine in Sonora, and provided production guidance for 2021. Mexus Gold announced its plans to blast at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. Telson reported Q1, 2021 production results from its Campo Morado mine in Guerrero. Torex presented Q1, 2021 production and financial results from its El Limon-Guajes Mine Complex in Guerrero.  ON  FINANCING, Aura Minerals announced a clarification of its payments of dividends (Aranzazu mine, Zacatecas). Canuc granted 6M incentive stock options to officers, directors, employees, and consultants (San Javier project, Sonora). Capitan Mining announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $3.2M (Peñoles property, Durango). GR Silver entered into a bought deal private placement financing agreement for gross proceeds of $ 8M (Plomosas project, Sinaloa). Santacruz announced a private placement for gross proceeds of up to CAD $14.1M (Zimapan mine, Hidalgo). Silver Spruce granted 759K stock options to its CEO (El Mezquite project, Sonora).  Tarachi Gold commenced to trade on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol “TRGGF” (Magistral Mill and Tailings project, Durango).  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Almadex announced its intention to drill at least three of its Mexican mining properties in 2021, and discussed plans for El Cobre and Ixtaca properties located in Veracruz and Puebla respectively. Consolidated Zinc reported that mill and flotation circuits commissioning commenced over Easter at its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. Prime released drill results from el Zapote South, Noche Buena, and San Miguel East deposits at its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Sonoro reported results from 12 RC holes drilled at its flagship property Cerro Caliche in Sonora. VanGold filed a PEA for combined El Pinguico-El Cubo projects in Guanajuato. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Discovery Metals announced name change to Discovery Silver (Cordero project, Chihuahua).  Equinox completed the acquisition of Premier Gold and the spin out of i-80 Gold Corp. (Los Filos mine, Guerrero and Mercedes mine, Sonora). Gatos Silver appointed Rodrigo Monroy as General Counsel effective April 1st, 2021 (Los Gatos mine, Chihuahua). Minaurum engaged Digital Marketing Firm and granted 3,825,000 common share stock options to Directors, Officers and Consultants (Alamo Silver project, Sonora). Minera Autlán announced the appointment of Pedro Rivero González as its General Management of the company as of April 5, 2021 (Molango mine, Hidalgo). Santacruz announced that the acquisition of the Zimapan assets is now expected to close on or before April 16, 2021. Tarachi Gold appointed a new member to its Board of Directors and announced the change of Auditor (Magistral Mill and tailings project, Durango). Torex announced that it received a key environmental permit for its Media Luna project in Guerrero.  ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Arcelor Mittal delivered a donation of MXP $140K to the Red Cross Delegation of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacan. Fresnillo plc., supported workshop members of the El Obligado Community in Fresnillo, Zacatecas who make face masks for the population of nearby communities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Compañía Minera Cuzcatlán (Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.) declared that it has complied in due time and form with more than MXP $600M for the total federal taxes caused, corresponding to the 2020 annual fiscal year. The payment from an effective tax rate to the mining sector of 45%is one more sample strict adherence to legality and government mechanisms that promote the socio-economic development of the country (San Jose mine, Oaxaca).

ON EXPLORATION

  • One World Lithium Inc., announced that a drill crew will be mobilizing to its Salar del Diablo project in Baja California, to drill a third diamond drill hole. DDH-3 will be located approximately 50Km to the south of DDH-2.
  • Colibri Resource Corporation, informed that it will commence a 3D IP survey at its Evelyn project in Sonora. The 3D IP survey will be focused on the Sahuaro and Cerro Rojo targets and will cover an area of approximately 6 square km. The Company is planning a drill program to test currently defined mineralized trends and structures, to evaluate the emerging geological and structural model for the property, and to test results of the IP survey.
  • Heliostar Metals Limited released first pass sampling and mapping results from its Cumaro project in northern Sonora. Heliostar identified a silicified structure with pyrite and returned 1m channel sample grading 390 g/t Ag, and remains open to expand. Additionally, eleven channel and rock samples returned values >1 g/t Ag in a coherent anomaly that cover an area of 500m by 600m, being this area the extension of the Dos Amigos vein into the eastern block. This mineralization indicates a robust silver endowment and shows the potential for high grades in the eastern block of the El Picacho district.
  • Ridgestone Mining Inc., announced encouraging results from geophysical surveys and follow-up work on its Rebeico project. The IP survey outlined a strong IP high chargeability anomaly of 1,400m north-south and 800m east-west at the south portion of the Alaska vein, at depths of 250 to 300 metres below surface, progressively increasing in width and intensity toward the south.
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc., reported drill results in the Benjamin vein zone at its El Tigre project in Sonora. Significant drill intersects were encountered in hole ET-21-204 with 140 g/t Ag, 0.12 g/t Au, 0.08% Cu, 3% Pb, and 8.5% Zn (519 g/t AgEq) over 14.2m, including 273 g/t Ag, 0.14 g/t Au. 0.18% Cu, 5.5% Pb, and 17 % Zn (1,013 g/t AgEq) over 5.6m; hole ET-21-206 with 181 g/t Ag, 0.07 g/t Au, 0.05% Cu, 0.6% Pb, and 1.8% Zn (267 g/t AgEq) over 12.3m, including 1,034 g/t Ag, 0.18 g/t Au, 0.29% Cu, 2.7% Pb, and 8.8% Zn (1,443 g/t AgEq) over 2m; and hole ET-20-199 with 222 g/t Ag, 0.05 g/t Au, 0.09% Cu, 0.5% Pb, and 1.7% Zn (305 g/t AgEq) over 7.7m, including 699 g/t Ag, 0.11 g/t Au, 0.2% Cu, 2% Pb, and 7% Zn (1,016 g/t AgEq) over 1.1m.
  • Vizsla Silver Corp., provided results from eighteen holed collared along the Napoleon Vein corridor at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. The company estimated from 54 drill holes, an average vein true width of 4m, a weighted average grade of 155 g/t Ag, 2.74 g/t Au, 0.5% Pb, and 1.3% Zn (441 g/t AgEq), and mineralization extends over 300m in length, 300m  deep, and remains open north, south, and at depth. The best drill intercept was encountered in hole NP-21-80 with 469 g/t Ag, 5.84 g7t Au, 0.5% Pb, and 1.2% Zn (1, 027 g/t AgEq) over a true width (TW) of 4.61m, including 1, 321 g/t Ag, 15.1 g/t Au, 1.3% Pb, and 2.6% Zn (2, 740 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 1.51m.
  • Alien Metals ltd., reported encouraging dump/floats sampling results from its New Andromeda concession adjacent to its San Celso property in Zacatecas. Highlights include 734 g/t Ag, 0.44 g/t Au and 0.6% Zn; 163 g/t Ag, 0.42 g/t Au and 1.9% Zn; 488 g/t Ag; 270 g/t Ag; and 180 g/t Ag and 0.13% Zn. “The samples are all composed of quartz and carbonate dominant vein material with varying amounts of sulphides, hence they are very similar to the mineralization seen in the San Celso vein systems to the north”.  
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp., completed geological and structural mapping at its El Cristo project located immediately to the northwest of the Veta Grande deposit. The Veta Grande vein has reported historical production of over 200 M Oz Ag in the region. The geological and structural mapping identified at least eight veins to date which are associated with a sigmoidal zone of extension that is at least 800 m wide, over a strike length of at least 4 km extending the previous reported strike length of 2.5 to 3.0km. Zacatecas Silver has commenced an extensive soil sampling program to assist with location of veins beneath cover of thin soils. “The cumulative strike length of all veins at El Cristo is at least 12 km long. El Cristo an extremely prospective system with numerous high value targets at vein intersections, splays and flexures. Veins display multiphase and brecciated textures, indicative of multiple mineralizing events. Zacatecas Silver is planning an aggressive rock-chip and channel sampling program to better define the silver-base metal grade distribution of the outcropping veins, to ensure that the highest value targets are drill tested”.
  • Advance Gold Corp., started a drilling program at its Saldivar lithium salar project in San Luis Potosi to test near surface lithium grade distribution of the salar for bulk sampling preparation. The drilling program will be carried out on a grid basis using 100m spacing with holes drilled down to 50m. The company also plans to drill deeper in one of the holes to test the depth to bedrock.

ON MINING

  • Endeavor Silver Corp., reported production results from its Mexican mine operations. The table below shows figures for Q1, 2021 by mine:
  • GoGold Resources Inc., presented Q1, 2021 production and financial results from its Parral Tailings project in Chihuahua. GoGold produced 302.9K Oz Ag, 3,208 Oz Au, and 192.6K Lb Cu (551.2K Oz AgEq), generating free cash flows exceeding USD $5.5Mthis quarter.
  • Magna Gold Corp., reported year end 2020 financial results from its San Francisco mine in Sonora. The company sold 20,235 Oz Au and 9,188 Oz Ag. Magna reported metal revenues of USD $37M, net cash flow provided by operating activities of USD $9.4M, net cash provided by financial activities of USD $9.4M, and income from mining operations of USD $1.9M. “The Company is setting guidance expectations for gold production during 2021 of between 55K to 65K Oz Au. The Company expects to have the San Francisco Mine fully commissioned before the end of Q2 2021”.
  • Mexus Gold US announced its plans to blast at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. The blasts will produce 10K tonnes of 2.2 g/t Au, and Mexus expects to be producing gold from this material within 30 days of the blast.
  • Telson Mining Corporation reported Q1, 2021 production and financial results from its Campo Morado mine in Guerrero. Telson milled 174.4 K tonnes of 1.1 g/t Au, 116 g/t Ag, 1% Pb, and 3.9% Zn with metallurgical recoveries of 21%, 41%, 27%, and 74% respectively. To produce 11 tons of Zn concentrate and 1.9 tonnes of Pb concentrate. The company reported revenues of $10.04M from Zn concentrates and $1.9M from Pb concentrate for total revenues of $11.9M.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc., presented Q1, 2021 production results from its El Limon-Guajes Mine Complex in Guerrero.  The company produced 129K Oz Au from an average underground ore mined of 1, 360 tonnes per day and an average open pit ore mined of 15,090 tonnes per day, and an average plant throughput of 12,340 tonnes per day. Torex provided full year production guidance for 2021 of 430K to 470K Oz Au.

ON FINANCING

  • Aura Minerals Inc., announced a clarification with respect to its payments of a dividend of USD $0.38 per common share, as previously announced by the company on March 15, 2021 (Aranzazu mine, Zacatecas).
  • Canuc Resource Corporation, granted 6M incentive stock options to officers, directors, employees, and consultants. 3.5 M of these options will vest immediately. The remaining 2.5 M options will vest 12 months from April 2nd, 2022. The stock options have an exercise price of $0.35 and a three-year term, expiring on April 2nd, 2024 (San Javier project, Sonora).
  • Capitan Mining Inc., announced a non-brokered private placement for net proceeds of CAD $3.2M from 16M common shares at a price of CAD $0.20 per share. Capitan Mining plans to use the net proceeds to advance drilling and work programs at Peñoles property in Durango, as well as for working capital and general corporate expenses.
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd., entered into a bought deal private placement financing agreement for gross proceeds of $ 8M at a price of $0.59 per unit. Net proceeds will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes (Plomosas project, Sinaloa). 
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd., announced a private placement for gross proceeds of up to CAD $14.1M (Zimapan mine, Hidalgo).
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc., granted 750K stock options to its CEO at an exercise price of $0.05 per share and an expiry date of April1, 2026. The stock options will vest 1/3 on the date of the grant, 1/3 on the first anniversary of the grant and the final 1/3 on the second anniversary of the grant (El Mezquite project, Sonora).   
  • Tarachi Gold Corp., commenced to trade on the OTCQB Venture Market under the ticker symbol “TRGGF” (Magistral Mill and Tailings project, Durango). 

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Almadex Minerals Ltd., announced its intention to drill at least three of its Mexican mining properties in 2021, and discussed plans for El Cobre and Ixtaca properties located in Veracruz and Puebla respectively. At El Cobre, Veracruz, Almadex previously reported  an indicated resource containing 748K Oz Au and 221M Lb Cu (47.2 M tonnes grading 0.49 g/t Au, 0.21% Cu and 1.4  g/t Ag) and an inferred resource containing 860K Oz Au and 254 M Lb Cu (64.2M tonnes grading 0.42 g/t Au, 0.18% Cu and 1.3 g/t Ag).  Almadex looks forward to further developments at this high potential project. At Ixtaca, Puebla, a FS reported a proven and probable reserve containing 1.38M Oz Au and 85.1M Oz Ag (73.1M tonnes grading 0.59 g/t Au and 36.3 g/t Ag). The Ixtaca project is currently in the mine permitting phase, which has taken longer than expected. Almaden has recently noted the exploration potential remaining at the Ixtaca project and the Company looks forward to the results of the Ixtaca exploration programs over the course of 2021.
  • Consolidated Zinc Limited, reported that mill and flotation circuits commissioning commenced over Easter at its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. It also announced that the tailings dam earthworks is completed, laying of the impervious liner is 70% complete, and the power supply installed, commissioned, and operated.  
  • Prime Mining Corp., released drill results from el Zapote South, Noche Buena, and San Miguel East deposits from its ongoing 15,000m phase 1 drill program at its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. At El Zapote South deposit, significant mineralized drill intercepts have been encountered at hole 21ZAP-04 with 8.95 g/t Au and 74 g/t Ag over 4.5m; hole 21ZAP-03 with 0.76 g/t Au and 33 g/t Ag over 13m, including 1.66 g/t Au and 41 g/t Ag over 4.6m; and hole 21ZAP-08 with 1.96 g/t Au and 63 g/t Ag over 18.7m, including 2.44 g/t Au and 85 g/t Ag over 7.2m. At Noche Buena deposit, hole 21NB-02 encountered 3.17 g/t Au and 141 g/t Ag over 2.9m within a broader zone of 39m with 0.7 g/t Au and 29 g/t Ag; and hole 21NB-03 with 1.12 g/t Au and 30 g/t Ag over 6m. At San Miguel deposit, hole 2SME-01 intersected 1 g/t Au and 131 g/t Ag over 4.5m. Zapote-South, Noche Buena and San Miguel East deposits are three of eight known deposits that comprise the current mineral resource at Los Reyes property.
  • Sonoro Gold Corp., reported results from 12 RC holes drilled at its flagship property Cerro Caliche in Sonora. Highlights include hole SCR-223 in the north western extension of Buena Suerte zone with 0.6 g/t Au over 74.67m, including three intervals of 1.52m with 3.67 g/t Au; hole SCR-222 in the Buena Vista northwest extension of Japoneses zone with 2.04 g/t Au over 15.24m, including 3.15 g/t Au over 6.1m; hole SCR-227 in the northern extension of Japoneses zone with 1.74 g/t Au over 3.05m, including 2.54 g/t Au over 1.53m; and hole SCR-225 at El Colorado zone with 1.16 g/t Au over 7.62m, including 2.31 g/t Au over 3.05m.
  • VanGold Mining Corp., filed a PEA for combined El Pinguico-El Cubo projects in Guanajuato. Results of the PEA analysis were previously announced in the Company’s news release dated February 16, 2021. The company also announced that it obtained permits for El Pinguico road expansion. New route will lessen impact on the Calderones Community. “This road will become El Pinguico’s major thoroughfare for production, exploration, administration, and for safely purposes. The Company anticipates it will reduce driving time between the destinations from 40 minutes to 10 minutes, significantly reducing costs and wear on vehicles”. 

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Discovery Metals Corp., announced name change to Discovery Silver Corp. The company´s common shares will commence trading under the TSX Venture Exchange under its current ticker symbol “DSV” and on the OTCQX where its ticker symbol will change from “DSVMF” to “DSVSF” from April 14, 2021, pending final regulatory approvals from the TSXV and FINRA (Cordero project, Chihuahua).
  • Equinox Gold Corp., completed the acquisition of Premier Gold Mines Limited and the spin out of i-80 Gold Corp. (Los Filos mine, Guerrero and Mercedes mine, Sonora).
  • Gatos Silver Inc., appointed Rodrigo Monroy as General Counsel effective April 1st, 2021, and strengthens its executive management team (Los Gatos mine, Chihuahua).
  • Minaurum Gold Inc., engaged Digital Marketing Firm to assist with online communication to the company, with the goal of increasing market awareness. Minaurum will pay to the Digital Marketing Firm a fee of CAD $64K for six months. The company also granted 3,825,000 common share stock options to Directors, Officers and Consultants. The options are exercisable at a price of $0.52 from a period of ten years from issue date (Alamo Silver project, Sonora).
  • Compañía Minera Autlán, S.A.B. de C.V., reported that, with the prior favorable opinion of the Corporate Practices Committee and approval of its Board of Directors, in a session of February 24, 2021, it was resolved that Pedro Rivero González will assume the General Management of the company as of April 5, 2021 (Molango mine, Hidalgo).
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd., announced that the acquisition of the Zimapan assets, together with the USD $17.6 M loan facility from Trafigura Mexico, S.A. de C.V., are now expected to close on or before April 16, 2021.
  • Tarachi Gold Corp., appointed a new member to its Board of Directors and announced the change of Auditor (Magistral Mill and tailings project, Durango).
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc., announced that it received from Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (“SEMARNAT”) the MIA, a key environmental permit for its Media Luna project in Guerrero. The MIA allows Torex to execute construction activities to access its Media Luna deposit in Guerrero.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Arcelor Mittal México SA de CV, delivered a donation of MXP $140K in the framework of its 2021 annual collection to the Red Cross Delegation of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán. ”Arcelor Mittal has made annual donations without interruption. since 2008 to the delegational Red Cross, in addition to collaborating with the worthy institution in different ways: through donations in its annual collections, in kind when necessary, such as the provision of equipment and various supplies, the delivery of an ambulance in 2016 and the repair of three ambulances last year, in addition to the support with facilities for their training”.
  • Fresnillo plc., supported workshop members of the El Obligado Community in Fresnillo, Zacatecas who make face masks for the population of nearby communities. The workshop workers are also suppliers of face masks for the Directorate of Engineering and Construction Department of Industrias Peñoles (DIC). To date, they have sold around 3,000 masks, the same that meet the specifications dictated by the World Health Organization.

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, a magnetite-rich Fe skarn manto in a prospect in Chihuahua, Mexico.  Photo by Miguel A Heredia.

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