By Jorge Cirett

During the 11^th week of the year (March 14^th to March 20^th, 2022), at least 21 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, only three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, four released quarterly and full year 2021 reports, four informed on financing rounds, three on share granting, repurchase or new market trading, two released new resource estimates, three posted drill results on properties with resources and one informed on the repossession of a property and mining concessions. ON MEXICO ISSUES, five of the top ten silver intercepts on the second week of March were obtained by companies working in Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Rockland Resources recommenced exploration at its Elektra lithium project; Infinitum Copper discovered three new mineralization zones at Adelita. In Zacatecas, Orla Mining is to begin brownfield exploration around Camino Rojo. ON MINING, Avino Silver, Sierra Metals, American Gold and Silver, Orla Mining and Starcore International released quarterly and full year 2021 reports. ON FINANCING, Golden Tag granted stock options to directors, officers employees and consultants. Reyna Gold started trading at the OTCQB Market Exchange in USA. Oroco Resource announced the oversubscription of its previously announced private placement. Silver Tiger closed its financing for gross proceeds of C$23 M. Altaley Mining is to conduct a financing round for up to C$5 M. Minaurum Gold informed on the acquisition of 16% of Infinitum copper shares. First Majestic Silver was approved to extend its share repurchase program to up to 10 M shares.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GoGold Resources released drilling results from El Favor East, at Los Ricos North in Jalisco. Torex Gold Resources released the 2021 resource estimate (4.47 M Oz Au) for El Limon Guajes Complex in Guerrero. Fortuna Silver Mines updated the resource estimate (46.6 M Oz Ag, 296 K Oz Au) to the end of 2021 on its San José mine in Oaxaca. Vizsla Silver reported results from drilling the Cruz Negra vein at Panuco, in Sinaloa. Mithril Resources provided drilling results from Copalquin, in Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Galore Resources regained control of the Duraznillo ranch and the mining concessions on its Dos Santos project in Zacatecas. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• Of the top ten silver intersects released on the second week of March, five were from companies working in Mexico, according to Miner Deck. Vizsla Silver was first with 9.45 m @ 1,559 gpt Ag at Panuco, in Sinaloa, whilst Magna Gold was second with 55.95 m @ 156 gpt Ag at Margarita, in Chihuahua. Prime Mining, Capitan Mining and Avino Silver were also in the list, with their project in Sinaloa and Durango.

ON EXPLORATION

• Rockland Resources Ltd. announced exploration is to initiate at its Elektra project in Sonora. The company is to review the surface and drill information generated in 2017, when 1,762 m were drilled in 16 holes. Best intercepts of that campaign include 33 m @ 1,058 ppm Li and 24 m @ 1,050 ppm Li. The target is a lithium in clays deposit akin to the nearby “Sonora Lithium” property owned by Bacanora Lithium PLC.
• Orla Mining Ltd. is to begin exploration in and around its Camino Rojo mine in Zacatecas. The company is planning to invest $10 M in exploration in Mexico during 2022. The current year drilling program is to infill drill the deposit and reduce the spacing to 50-125m  in the sulfide zone. Last year program returned up to 108 m @ 2.38 gpt Au; 111 m @ 2.63 gpt Au; 58.5 m @ 2.51 gpt Au; 115.5 m @ 2.11 gpt Au; 64.6 m @ 3.04 gpt Au; 55.5 m @ 4.47 gpt Au; 55.5 m @ 4.95 gpt Au. The 2021 regional exploration program included an airborne magnetic survey, an IP survey, soil sampling and direct exploration under cover with 9,146 m of RAB drilling on 284 holes (holes 500 m apart, with 1,000 m line spacing) to sample the bedrock under shallow cover (up to 3 m @ 1.94 gpt Au, 7 km from Camino Rojo). That effort produced several targets that are to be followed-up this year, while target generation still continues.
• Infinitum Copper Corp. announced the discovery of new zones of high-grade copper mineralization on the surface at its Adelita project in Sonora-Sinaloa. Mapping, prospecting and sampling (1,024 channel samples) program identified the Cerro Grande Footwall, Las Trancas and Pericos zones. At Cerro Grande, sampling on a garnet skarn alteration zone returned 7.50 m @ 1.88% Cu, 0.89 gpt Au, 127 gpt Ag, 0.9% Zn. Skarn hosted mineralization is also present at Pericos, estimated at 12 m in width, with results pending. At Las Trancas an oxidized breccia returned 0.5 m @ 3.67% Cu, 1.14 gpt Au, 4.2% Zn, with the structure having been traced for 780 m, and pending results in trench samples. A 14.8 line-km magneto-telluric geophysical survey is to be conducted over the Cerro Grande, Cerro Grande Footwall, Pericos and Las Trancas zones. Drilling is to start in late March.

ON MINING

• Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. released financial results for Q4 and year 2021. At Avino, in Durango, in 2021 the company milled 165.3 K tonnes (103.5 K tonnes on Q4, after normalization of operations) to produce 245.4 K Oz Ag, 3,386 Oz Au, 1.87 M Lb Cu (842.4 K Oz AgEq). Over 15,500 m of drilling were completed in 124 holes during the year. In October of 2021 Avino entered into a definitive agreement with Coeur Mining Inc. to acquire the La Preciosa project, close to the Avino mine “for upfront consideration of $29.7 million on closing and $5 million due within 12 months of closing. Further contingent consideration including cash, royalties and a mineral reserve discovery payment. The transaction is expected to close during Q1 2022”. At the year’s end the company held US$22.3 M in cash.
• Sierra Metals Inc. reported 2021 financial results and 2022 guidance, without specifying figures of production by mine. At Bolivar, in Chihuahua, cash cost was $2.18 per Lb CuEq and the AISC was $4.22 per Lb CuEq. At Cusi, in Chihuahua, cash cost was $16.71 per Oz  AgEq, and the AISC was $28.59. At Bolivar, 13,072 m of drilling were completed, as well as 21,059 m of infill drilling and 4,703 m of brownfield drilling at Cusi. The company held cash and cash equivalents of $34.9 M by the end of the year. “In Q4 2021, the Company announced its increased focus on copper and other steel-making products, including the strategic review process for the silver-producing Cusi Mine in Mexico. As part of this process, the carrying value of Cusi was reviewed. As a result, a non-cash impairment charge of $35 million was recognized for the year”.
• Americas Gold and Silver Corp. reported consolidated financial and operational results for the year 2021. At Cosalá, in Sinaloa, re-started operations in September after a long struggle with an illegal blockade “after reaching an agreement with union representatives and certain Mexican government ministries in July 2021…. Production from the San Rafael mine increased during Q4‐2021 as the normal mining cycle was re‐established.  The Los Braceros processing plant was fed with a combination of over 20,000 tonnes of existing stockpiled ore and new production from the mine.  The milling rate ramped up in tandem with mine production, averaging approximately 1,700 tonnes per day during December 2021 and continuing into 2022”. During the Q4 61 K Oz Ag, 4.2 M Lb Zn, 1.7 M Lb Pb were produced.
• Orla Mining Ltd. announced results for the Q4 and year 2021. During its commissioning year, at Camino Rojo in Zacatecas, 2.06 M tonnes were mined, of which 1.71 M tonnes were processed, 349.4 K placed on the low grade stockpile and further 2.05 M tonnes of waste were moved. The stacked ore grade was 0.74 gpt Au, and the gold produced was 2,422 Oz. “Orla continues to evaluate multiple development scenarios on the Camino Rojo Sulphide Project. The development scenarios being considered to potentially form the basis of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) currently include: (1) an underground mining option, (2) an open pit mining option with processing at a to-be-constructed sulphide facility at Camino Rojo, and (3) an open pit mining option with processing at Newmont’s Peñasquito plant. Based on the additional drilling and testwork to date, all development options remain possible”.
• Starcore International Mines Ltd. filed the results for the third quarter ended January 2022. At San Martin, in Queretaro, 56.7 K tonnes were milled @ 1.46 gpt Au, 21.2 gpt Ag, recovering 88.1% Au, 45.8% Ag, to produce 2.4 K Oz Au, 17.8 K Oz Ag (2,588 Oz AuEq), at an AISC of $1,623 per Oz AuEq.

ON FINANCING

• Silver Bull Resources Inc. granted 3.3 M stock options to various directors, officers, employees and consultants (Sierra Mojada, Coahuila).
• Reyna Gold Corp. announced its common shares started trading on the OTCQB Market Exchange in USA (La Gloria, Sonora).
• Oroco Resource Corp. announced the over subscription of the previously announced private placement (Santo Tomás, Sinaloa).
• Silver Tiger Metals Inc. closed the previously announced bought deal offering of common shares of the company, for gross proceeds of C$23 M (El Tigre, Sonora).
• Altaley Mining Corp. intends to conduct a non-brokered private placement financing, to raise gross proceeds of up to C$5 M. The net proceeds will be used for working capital expenses related to the beginning of mining and milling operations at Tahuehueto, in Durango.
• Minaurum Gold Inc. informed on the acquisition of 6.1 M shares of Infinitum Copper Corp., which represents 16% of Infinitum (Alamos Silver, Sonora; Adelita, Sonora).
• First Majestic Silver Corp. received regulatory consent to extend its share repurchase program, with the ability now to repurchase up to 10 M shares, or 3.8% of the issued and outstanding shares (San Dimas, Sinaloa).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• GoGold Resources Inc. released results from five drill holes at El Favor East, within Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 1.0 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 73 gpt Ag; 1.2 m @ 0.24 gpt Au, 82 gpt Au; 6.0 m @ 0.18 gpt Au, 100 gpt Ag (including 1.1 m @ 0.09 gpt Au, 210 gpt Ag); 1.2 m @ 0.50 gpt Au, 152 gpt Ag; 1.7 m @ 0.90 gpt Au, 257 gpt Ag; 45.5 m @ 0.52 gpt Au, 97 gpt Ag (including 0.9 m @ 13.05 gpt Au, 716 gpt Ag); 5.0 m @ 0.42 gpt Au, 93 gpt Ag; 7.4 m @ 0.36 gpt Au, 107 gpt Ag.
• Torex Gold Resources Inc. reported mineral reserves and resources for the El Limón Guajes Complex in Guerrero, to the end of 2021. Proven and probable reserves of 17.5 M tonnes @ 3.03 gpt Au, containing 1.74 M Oz Au; measured and indicated resources of 21.31 M tonnes @ 3.61 gpt Au containing 2.47 M Oz Au; inferred resources of 2.19 M tonnes @ 3.74 gpt Au containing 264 K Oz Au. During 2021, 529 K Oz Au were processed.
• Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. updated mineral reserve and resource estimates for its San José mine in Oaxaca. Proven and probable reserves stand at 6.16 M tonnes @ 131 gpt Ag, 0.67 gpt Au, containing 17.3 M Oz Ag, 113 K Oz Au; measured and indicated resources stand at 940 K tonnes @ 99 gpt Ag, 0.66 gpt Au, containing 3.0 M Oz Ag, 20 K Oz Ag; inferred resources stand at 6.82 M tonnes @ 120 gpt Ag, 0.74 gpt Au, containing 26.3 M Oz Ag, 163 K Oz Au.  
• Vizsla Silver Corp. reported results from five holes targeting the Cruz Negra vein, at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 0.70 m @ 1,795 gpt Ag, 21.00 gpt Au, 0.2% Pb, 0.5% Zn; 4.45 m @ 34 gpt Ag, 3.26 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 1.0% Zn; 1.65 m @ 1,066 gpt Au, 9.85 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 0.7% Zn; 3.70 m @ 440 gpt Ag, 3.74 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 2.2% Zn; 3.20 m @ 160 gpt Ag, 10.40 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 4.3% Zn.
• Mithril Resources Ltd. provided drilling results from its Copalquin project in Durango. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 6.00 m @ 1.84 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag; 1.00 m @ 1.79 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag; 1.70 m @ 1.77 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag; 2.14 m @ 0.89 gpt Au, 64 gpt Ag in one hole, 4.80 m @ 0.91 gpt Au, 57 gpt Ag; 2.30 m @ 1.75 gpt Au, 135 gpt Ag; 0.55 m @ 5.89 gpt Au, 474 gpt Ag in a second hole, 8.10 m @ 1.64 gpt Au, 106 gpt Ag in a third hole. Exploration work has defined over 7 km of veins in the project, with a major target area identified at La Montura, on strike with El Refugio, whereas Los Pinos area displays strong alteration, gold in soils and early stage drilling results of 0.60 m @ 9.91 gpt Au, 161 gpt Ag.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Galore Resources Inc. announced that “has legally and safely regained possession and control of the Duraznillo Ranch mining operation” at its Dos Santos project in Zacatecas. In January 2018 Galore entered into a mining exploitation agreement with Urbanizaciones y Acabados, S.A. de C.V., but due to a breach in the agreement Galore asked and had to file a demand to recover the Duraznillo ranch and the mining properties. On March 8, 2022, the ranch and the mining properties were peaceful and smoothly repossessed by Galore

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• No Relevant News.

On the image below: Barite-quartz-hematite vein from a project in the Sonoran desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.