By Miguel A Heredia
During the 38th week of the year (September 19th to September 25th, 2022), at least 12 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, and 3 news published by the media with four informing on exploration results, four reporting resources and developments of their properties, four commenting on Mexican issues, two announcing financing issues, and one discussing social issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Enrique Zorrilla, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico stated that Canada has its eyes fixed on Mexico as an investment destination for its mining companies, mainly in exploration expenses to find new gold deposits. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Finance, Mexico values its lithium deposits in Sonora at USD $602,000M. In Mexico, only 33% of mines have access to a computer with an Internet connection to reduce accidents. On a striking difference with last week news releases, only Vizsla Silver Corp., posted drilling results in Mexico on the fourth week of September, 2022. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Tocvan and its JV partner Colibri announced the next steps to be conducted at both the Pilar and the El Picacho projects. In Sinaloa, Prismo provided an update of its ongoing drilling program being conducted at its Palos Verdes project. In Durango, Regency entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the El Tablon claims. ON MINING, no relevant news. ON FINANCING, Tocvan announced that it has filed to extend the expiration date of 1,244,668 common share purchase warrants by six months (The Pilar project, Sonora). Barksdale closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $2M and issued a total of 4,622,917 units at a price of $0.48 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2.22 (San Javier project, Sonora). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Oroco announced the commencement of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. Galore provided an update on the exploitation activities carried out at its Duraznillo mine in Zacatecas. Golden Tag reported positive metallurgical results from the Fernandez Zone at its San Diego project, Durango. Vizsla reported results from 13 new drill holes targeting the Cruz Negra Vein located in the western portion of its Panuco project in Sinaloa. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, no relevant news. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Almaden signed new and expanded cooperation agreements with the two communities closest to its Ixtaca project, Puebla.
ON MEXICO ISSUE
- Enrique Zorrilla, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico stated that Canada has its eyes fixed on Mexico as an investment destination for its mining companies, mainly in exploration expenses to find new gold deposits. He declared that 35% of the capital invested by that country goes to the mining sector.
- According to a recent report by the Ministry of Finance, Mexico values its lithium deposits in Sonora at USD $602,000M. Although Mexico does not currently produce the metal, the finance ministry estimated that Sonora’s reserves could add about 0.3% to potential GDP in the medium term. While the ultra light white metal is usually extracted from rock or brine deposits, lithium in Sonora is mostly trapped in clays, from which it has not yet been extracted on a commercial scale.
- In Mexico, only 33% of mines have access to a computer with an Internet connection to reduce accidents. Ericsson revealed that the use of tools such as telemetry, satellite geolocation, wireless sensors and remote operation help improve mining operations, because with them and with the speed of the 5G network, information can be obtained practically in real time.
- On a striking difference with last week news releases, only Vizsla Silver Corp., posted drilling results in Mexico on the fourth week of September, 2022. Details are shown in the table below:
ON EXPLORATION
- Tocvan Ventures Corp., and its JV partner Colibri Resources Corporation announced the next step to be conducted at both the Pilar and the El Picacho projects in Sonora. At the El Picacho, Tocvan plans to initiate a maiden drill program targeting the San Ramon prospect. The plan for the Pilar is to commence bulk sampling of trench material to be processed in a local heap leach facility; to complete 2,000m of infill drilling and 3,000m of step-out and exploration drilling; to proceed with the permitting and development requirements for establishing a bulk test mine on-site; and to update the technical report.
- Prismo Metals Inc., provided an update of its ongoing drilling program being conducted at its Palos Verdes project, Sinaloa. The Company has drilled approximately 560m in two core holes of a planned minimum of 2,000m drill program, with the second hole currently in progress. Both holes have intersected several vein structures. Palos Verdes project is contiguous to the Panuco silver-gold project of Vizsla Silver Corp.
- Regency Silver Corp., entered into an option agreement to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the El Tablon claims located only 26km from the historical Tayoltita mining district in the state of Durango. The property covers a total of 7,200 hectares and contains numerous artisanal workings and tunnels, which explored many of the veins and veinlets that exist within the concession area. In order to exercise the option, Regency Silver must pay USD $50K on receipt of exchange acceptance, issue a total of 1M common shares and pay back taxes and mining filings on or before March 31, 2024. Regency Silver must also pay a USD $1M bonus upon a NI 43-101 resource being published, which estimates the El Tablon Claims contain a minimum of 70M Oz AgEq or M Oz Au in the measured or indicated categories.
ON MINING
- No relevant news.
ON FINANCING
- Tocvan Ventures Corp., announced that it has filed to extend the expiration date of 1,244,668 common share purchase warrants by six months. The Warrants are exercisable into common shares of the Company at a price of $0.75 per common share. The Warrants were issued pursuant to a non-brokered private placement of 1,244,668 units at a price of $0.60 on March 30, 2021. The Warrants were set to expire September 30, 2022 and will have an amended expiry date of March 31, 2023. All other terms and conditions of the Warrants, including the exercise price, remain the same (The Pilar project, Sonora).
- Barksdale Resources Corp., closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $2M and issued a total of 4,622,917 units at a price of $0.48 per Unit for gross proceeds of $2,219,000. The net proceeds from the offering will be used to advance the company’s mineral projects and for general corporate and working capital purposes (San Javier project, Sonora).
ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT
- Oroco Resource Corp., announced the commencement of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the North and South Zones of its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. Additionally, the company mobilized two rigs more to the project, bringing to six the total number of drills conducting infill and step-out drilling in the North Zone and South Zone.
- Galore Resources Inc., provided an update on the exploitation activities carried out at its Duraznillo mine in Zacatecas. “Immediately following the execution of the Exploitation Agreement with Oztoc Metals Corporation and the successful removal of the former tenant, Oztoc’s team has been evaluating and remediating the Duraznillo mine site. After conducting several processing trials, Oztoc determined that in order to achieve better production levels, a new and much improved processing system needed to be installed. Oztoc has purchased this equipment and is awaiting its arrival to begin operations, which should take place within the next two to three months”.
- Golden Tag Resources Ltd., reported positive metallurgical results from the Fernandez Zone at its San Diego project, Durango. According to the metallurgical results, the endoskarn mineralization found at the Fernandez Zone is amenable to conventional flotation techniques; 76% of the Ag and 84% of the Pb were recovered to a bulk concentrate containing 51% Pb, 4700 g/t Ag, 3.11% Zn, 5.27% Cu, and 2.23 g/t Au; Cu and Au recoveries within the bulk concentrate had significant improvements over previous test work; and 84% of the zinc was recovered to a concentrate grading 47% zinc.
- Vizsla Silver Corp., reported results from 13 new drill holes targeting the Cruz Negra Vein located in the western portion of its Panuco project in Sinaloa. Drilling highlights include hole NP-22-274 with 413 g/t Ag, 1.99 g/t Au, 0.2% Pb, and 0.3% Zn (541 g/t AgEq) over a true width (TW) of 2.09m, including 2,490 g/t Ag, 2.85 g/t Au, 0.6% Pb, and 0.9% Zn (3,287 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.26m, plus 258 g/t Ag, 1.54 g/t Au, 0.01% Pb, and 0.2% Zn (357 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.88m; hole NP-22-262 with 289 g/t Ag, 2.38 g/t Au, 0.8% Pb, and 0.7% Zn (486 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.65m, including 741 g/t Ag, 5.88 g/t Au, 0.3% Pb, and 1.3% Zn (1,165 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.20m, plus 168 g/t Ag, 16.42 g/t Au, 0.9% Pb, and 3.3% Zn (1,476 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.65m, including 181 g/t Ag, 19.70 g/t Au, 1.1% Pb, and 3.8% Zn (1,748 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.46m; hole NP-22-290 with 76 g/t Ag, 2.6 g/t Au, 0.6% Pb, and 6.2% Zn (491 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 2.85m; hole NP-22-293 with 481 g/t Ag, 1.2 g/t Au, 0.02% Pb, and 0.02% Zn (535 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 0.76m; and hole NP-22-298 with 297 g/t Ag, 1.78 g/t Au, 0.3% Pb, and 1.2% Zn (456 g/t AgEq) over a TW of 1.60m. Vizsla also reported that it acquired a new claim that connect the northwest and southeast extents of Cruz Negra which are situated on pre-existing Vizsla claims and represent approximately 400m of new potentially mineralized vein strike to explore.
ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES
- No relevant news.
ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Almaden Minerals Ltd., signed new and expanded cooperation agreements with the communities of Zacatepec and Santa Maria Zotoltepec, the two communities closest to its Ixtaca project, Puebla. “These agreements set out the terms of the Company’s continued support of local communities’ human right to water through the immediate improvement of local water infrastructure, and establish a basis for longer term cooperation, once the Ixtaca project is permitted. In Zacatepec, the Company has reaffirmed its agreement with the “Irrigation Group of Small Producers from Zacatepec A.C.” to construct an agricultural water reservoir and related pumping and drip irrigation system to support local farming. In Santa María Zotoltepec, the Company has signed an agreement with the “United Ejidatarios for the Sustainable Development of Santa María Zotoltepec, A.C.” in which the Company will make an immediate contribution in order to support the construction of a similar agricultural reservoir and pumping and drip irrigation system with similar characteristics to the one built at Zacatepec, and ongoing contributions to support an agro-technological package aimed at sustainable plant nutrition and soil enrichment”.
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 grossular garnet exo skarn in a prospect in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Photo by Miguel A Heredia.