Cockade texture
By Miguel A Heredia
During the 42nd week of the year (October 17th to October 23th, 2022), at least 15 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, and 4 news published by the media with six communicating production and financial issues, four reporting resources and developments of their properties, four commenting on Mexican issues, two announcing financing issues, one discussing social issues, one discussing deals and corporate issues, and one informing on exploration results. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Hermosillo, the capital city of the Sonora State, hosted the 14th International Mining Congress in October 18-21, 2022 with the participation of over 5,000 people. The Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX) warned that thefts of output and goods like explosives in the mining industry continue to increase despite the support provided by the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA). According to data from the Ministry of Economy, the Mining Chamber of Mexico (Camimex) and experts, there is a mining collapse in Mexico since 822 mining projects were postponed, 180 foreign capital firms have left the country and there are 25 concessions stopped. GoGold and GR Silver reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the third week of October, 2022. ON EXPLORATION, In Sinaloa, Prismo provided an update on its ongoing drill program conducted at its Palos Verdes project located in the historic Panuco-Copala mining district. ON MINING, Avino, Santacruz, Golden Minerals, American Gold and Silver, and First Majestic reported Q3, 2022 production results from their Mexican mining operations, while Guanajuato Silver announced that it has recommenced mining at its Valenciana Mines Complex in Guanajuato, and provided a 6-month production estimate. ON FINANCING, Sierra Metals announced that it has commenced a process to evaluate and consider the company´s current financial and liquidity position, operational challenges and possible financing and restructuring alternatives that may be available to the company. Barksdale closed the final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $264K, and completed an extension of financial instruments (San Javier project in Sonora). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Avino announced that the installation and commissioning of the dry-stack tailings at its Avino mine in Durango has been completed. GoGold reported the acquisition of the 1,107 Ha Eagle concession covering the northern strike of the Main Deposit on the Los Ricos South property in Jalisco. Equinox released an updated feasibility study (FS) for its Los Filos mine expansion located in Guerrero State. GR Silver presented drilling results and announced the extension of the SE Area Silver Discovery at its Plomosas deposit in Sinaloa. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Avinois conducting community agreements in the nearby towns adjacent to its la Preciosa property in Durango as it is committed to moving this project forward as part of the company´s 5-year growth strategy. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Industrias Peñoles and Fresnillo plc mining companies reiterated their commitment in saving and energy efficiency to continue implementing actions that contribute to the fight against global warming in order to build the mining of the 21st century.
ON MEXICO ISSUES
- Hermosillo, the capital city of the Sonora State, hosted the 14th International Mining Congress during October 18-21, 2022, with the participation of over 5,000 people.
- The Mexican Mining Chamber (CAMIMEX) warned that thefts of output and goods like explosives in the mining industry continue to increase despite the support provided by the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA). The General Director of CAMIMEX, Karen Flores, said that thefts remain a recurrent issue in the sector and highlighted that these crimes are probably perpetrated by organized crime.
- According to data from the Ministry of Economy, the Mining Chamber of Mexico (Camimex) and experts, there is a mining collapse in Mexico since 822 mining projects were postponed, 180 foreign capital firms have left the country and there are 25 concessions stopped. If the policy were to change, 30% more jobs would be created and the contribution to Mexico’s GDP would increase by 0.5%, according to estimates. Mining and metallurgical activity exceeded tourism by 19% in foreign exchange generation. The president of the Association of Mining Engineers, Metallurgists and Geologists of Mexico (AIMMGM), indicated that the uncertainty generated by this administration in the sector has caused a slowdown, which has left investments far from the more than USD $8 billion that were reached in previous years. GoGold Resources Inc., and GR Silver Mining Ltd., reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the third week of October, 2022. Details are shown in the table below:
ON EXPLORATION
- Prismo Metals Inc., provided an update on its ongoing drill program conducted at its Palos Verdes project located in the historic Panuco-Copala mining district in the state of Sinaloa. A total of 1,203m in 4 holes have been drilled to date out of a planned minimum of 2,000m. Drilling has intersected wide structural zones at depth where the Palos Verdes vein is branching into several strands measuring from about 0.5m to 9m in width in andesitic rocks. Core sampling is being completed on the entire structural zone including wall rock with veinlets. Assay results are expected to arrive in early November, 2022.
ON MINING
- Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd., reported Q3, 2022 production results from its Avino mine in Durango. The company milled 162.1K tonnes of 59 g/t Ag, 0.31 g/t Au, and 0.66% Cu with metallurgical recoveries of 92%, 74%, and 89% respectively to produce 285.4K Oz Ag, 1.2K Oz Au and 2.1M Lb Cu (778K Oz AgEq).
- Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd., announced Q3, 2022 production results from its Zimapan mine in Hidalgo. It milled 215,765 tonnes of 79 g/t Ag, 2% Zn, 0.7% Pb, and 0.39% Cu to produce 368.6K Oz Ag, 6.8M Lb Zn, 2.6M Lb Pb, and 1.4M Lb Cu (988.6K Oz AgEq).
- Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd., has recommenced mining at its Valenciana Mines Complex (VMC) in Guanajuato. Cut & fill mining of high-grade epithermal veins at Valenciana is currently focused on the Los Pozos mine area where several mineralized blocks had been previously defined. Mineralized material from Valenciana is currently being transported to El Cubo for processing. The company expects to mine 5,000 tonnes per month at Valenciana throughout the remainder of 2022. “The Cata processing facility is centrally located within the Valenciana Mines Complex and has a production capacity of 36,000 tonnes per month. In November 2021 Cata was placed on care & maintenance by its previous owner. Guanajuato Silver had initially anticipated restarting the Cata mill in 2023, but with the rapid recommencement of mining at San Ignacio and the VMC, the company now expects to restart mineral processing at Cata before the end of 2022. The company also provided a 6-month production estimate. Guanajuato Silver expects to mine 125K-140K tonnes in Q4, 2022 to produce over 760K-985K and over 140K-160K tonnes in Q1, 2023 to produce over 910K-1.15M Oz AgEq.
- Golden Minerals Company announced Q3, 2022 production and financial results from its Rodeo mine in Durango. The company mined 192,545 tonnes and reported that 23,618 tonnes were placed in stockpiles awaiting processing and 121,202 tonnes were placed in low grade stockpiles. Golden processed 47,947 tonnes of 2.6 g/t Au and 10 g/t Ag with metallurgical recoveries of 74.6% and 77.6% respectively., to produce 2,972 payable Oz Au in Dore and 11,907 payable Oz Ag in Dore (3,103 payable Oz AuEq in Dore). The company sold 3,108 Oz Au and 11,609 Oz Ag (3,145 Oz AuEq) at an average realized price before refining and selling costs of USD $1,703.10 per Oz Au and USD $18.72 per Oz Ag.
- Americas Gold and Silver Corporation reported Q3, 2022 production results from its Cosalá operations in Sinaloa. It produced 186K Oz Ag, 3.8M Lb Pb, and 9.4M Lb Zn and announced that silver production from the Cosalá operations for the full year 2022 is expected to be at the lower end of the projected range of 0.7-0.9M Oz Ag, while zinc and lead production are expected to be towards the upper end of the projected ranges of 36 to 40M Lb Zn and 13 to 15M Lb Pb.
- First Majestic Silver Corp., reported Q3, 2022 production results from their Mexican Mining operations (San Dimas in Durango, Santa Elena in Sonora, and La Encantada in Coahuila). Figures by mine are shown in the table below:
ON FINANCING
- Sierra Metals Inc., announced that it has commenced a process to evaluate and consider the company´s current financial and liquidity position, operational challenges and possible financing and restructuring alternatives that may be available to the company. “The company faces liquidity challenges as a result of the recent previously announced suspension of operations at the Yauricocha Mine in Peru, and operating losses and negative cash flows that have accumulated, primarily from the Bolivar and Cusi operations in Mexico”.
- Barksdale Resources Corp., closed the final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement with Teck Resources Limited for gross proceeds of $264K. The net proceeds will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. Barksdale also completed an extension of the maturity date of the secured convertible debentures administered by Delbrook Capital Advisors Inc. by one year until December31, 2023. The debentures have a remaining principal amount of $1.5M and all other terms of the debentures remain unchanged except for the conversion price, which has increased to $0.55 per share from $0.45 per share (San Javier project in Sonora).
ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT
- Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd., announced that the installation and commissioning of the dry-stack tailings at its Avino mine in Durango has been completed. The company chose dry-stack tailings for its environmental, safety and economic advantages, as well as because it reduces the need to extract water from local sources by recycling the water removed from tailings.
- GoGold Resources Inc., reported the acquisition of the 1,107 Ha Eagle concession covering the northern strike of the Main Deposit on the Los Ricos South property in Jalisco by USD $2.1M to be paid over 4 years. As a result of this acquisition, all of the concessions in Los Ricos South are now contiguous. “This offers the potential for an additional bulk tonnage target in Los Ricos South, with continuity from the Main Area and Eagle”.
- Equinox Gold Corp., released an updated feasibility study (FS) for its Los Filos mine expansion located in Guerrero State. Highlights of the FS include an after-tax NVP at 5% discount rate of USD $625M at base case of USD $1,675 per Oz Au; after-tax IRR of 26% at USD $1,675 per Oz Au; 5.4M Oz Au of Proven + Probable Mineral Reserves with grades of 0.65 g/t Au for open pit ore material and 3.94 g/t Au for underground ore material (average grade of 0.86 g/t Au); 7.9M Oz Au of Measured and Indicated Resources (exclusive of Reserves) with grades of 0.71 g/t Au for open pit ore material and 3.65 g/t Au for underground ore material (average grade of 0.75 g/t Au); 3.97M Oz life-of-mine (LOM) Au production, with 360K Oz peak average annual gold production (2025-2030), 280K Oz average annual gold production LOM (2023-2036), 1.22M Oz Au produced from the heap leach with average recovery of 55%, 2.75M Oz Au produced from the CIL plant with average recovery of 88%; 11.83M Oz LOM silver production; USD $993M after-tax LOM cumulative net cash flow; USD $981/ Oz average LOM cash cost; USD $1,081/Oz average LOM AISC; USD $318M initial capital cost to build the CIL plant and associated infrastructure; and 14.5-year mine life with extension potential from Mineral Resources conversion and exploitation success.
- GR Silver Mining Ltd., presented drilling results and announced the extension of the SE Area Silver Discovery at its Plomosas deposit in Sinaloa. Drilling highlights include hole SMS22-16 which identified a wide hydrothermal breccia and stockwork system with multiple high grade Ag intervals such as 112 g/t Ag, 0.06 g/t Au, and 0.1% Zn over 123.1m, including 289 g/t Ag, 0.05 g/t Au, and 0.1% Zn over 13.1m, including 4,680 g/t Ag, 0.57 g/t Au, 0.1% Pb, and 0.1% Zn over 0.4m, and 250 g/t Ag, 0.1 g/t Au, 0.1% Pb, and 0.3% Zn over 27.3m, including 1,351 g/t Ag, 0.3 g/t Au, 0.1% Pb, and 0.2% Zn over 0.3m, and 635 g/t Ag, 0.08 g/t Au, 0.2% Pb, and 0.3% Zn over 6.4m, including 2,203 g/t Ag, 0.17 g/t Au, 0.8% Pb, and 1.4% Zn over 0.5m, and 102 g/t Ag and 2.6 g/t Au over 1.5m; and hole SMS22-14 with 23 g/t Au and 0.06 g/t Au over 10.5m, and 118 g/t Ag, 0.02 g/t Au, and 0.1% Zn over 3.5m, including 1,790 g/t Ag, 0.03 g/t Au, 0.7% Pb, and 2.9% Zn over 0.2m, and 22 g/t Ag, 0.08 g/t Au over 10.9m. The drilling program continues at the SE Area to define the geometry and lateral extents of the mineralization. “The occurrence of Ag anomalous zones on surface along the 1.5km target contact, further SE from the SE Area, provides new targets for the company to continue drilling, aimed at expanding the footprint of mineralization and potentially for incorporation into the planned resource estimation update in Q1, 2023”.
ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES
- Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd is conducting community agreements in the nearby towns adjacent to its la Preciosa property in Durango as it is committed to moving this project forward as part of the company´s 5-year growth strategy.
ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Industrias Peñoles S.A.B. de C.V. and Fresnillo plc mining companies reiterated their commitment in saving and energy efficiency to continue implementing actions that contribute to the fight against global warming in order to build the mining of the 21st century. In accordance with their sustainable development policies, both companies have programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as those from transportation, for which they implemented a strategy to save energy and use clean sources. Peñoles and Fresnillo plc are committed to caring for the environment and seek to achieve, in the near future, the objective of zero significant environmental impacts.
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, cockade texture from a low-sulphidation epithermal Au-Ag vein system in a project in Sinaloa, Mexico. Photo by Miguel A Heredia.