During the 20^th week of the year (May 15^th to May 21^st, 2017), at least 27 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, In Chihuahua Kootenay has begun drilling at La Cigarra, whereas Levon started drilling at Cordero. In Zacatecas Alset has sent the first drill samples for assay and Defiance commenced a drill program at San Acacio. In Veracruz Mexican Gold announced one high grade gold drill intercept  at Las Minas.  ON MINING, Fortuna presented financial results 2016. Mexus keeps advancing to production at Santa Elena in Sonora. ON FINANCING, three companies announced private placements, or increased placements for $7.8 M. One company completed and offering to reduce paid interest on outstanding notes for 300 M. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Alio announced a PFS on its Ana Paula project in Guerrero, while Almaden Minerals presented a PFS, on Ixtaca, in Puebla. Consolidated Zinc continues drilling to get a resource on its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, SilverCrest Metals began trading at the OTCQX® Best Market, Fortuna is getting up to date with its SEC filings, Mexican Gold has bought two more concessions at its Las Minas project in Veracruz and Colibri received confirmation that it is to resume trading on May 18^th.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No relevant news.

ON EXPLORATION

• Kootenay Silver Inc. has initiated a 7,500 m drill program at its La Cigarra project in Chihuahua. The program is to focus on the expansion of the current mineral resource by first targeting an 800 m expanse between Las Venadas and Las Carolinas zones.
• Levon Resources Ltd. starts a 5,000 m core drilling campaign at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. The holes are being drilled in the Cordero felsic dome complex in the central portion of the resource, looking for better grades near the surface.
• Alset Minerals Corp. has completed one drill hole and five auger holes at La Salada, the first of seven salars to be drilled in Zacatecas. Soil and brine samples were collected and sent for assay.
• Mexican Gold Corp. announced that step-out drilling at the Cinco Señores zone, in its Las Minas project in Durango, has indicated a potential parallel mineralized zone. One hole intersected 2.0 m @ 10.8 g/t Au, 42 g/t Ag, 2.8% Cu.
• Defiance Silver Corp. commenced a drill program at its San Acacio property in Zacatecas, with the aim to expand the current deposit. Previous drilling at Esperanza intersected 12.7 m grading 297 g/t AgEq, and at Almaden 8.3 m @ 278 AgEq. A third target to be tested is the Quartz-Pyrite Breccia. Previous drilling includes intercepts of 17.0 m @ 110 g/t Ag, 0.1 g/t Au (including 8.1 m @ 222 g/t Ag, 0.2 g/t Au); 16.7 m @ 101 g/t Ag, 0.75 g/t Au (including 3.2 m @ 419 g/t Ag, 0.8 g/t Au); 10.1 m @ 100 g/t Ag, 0.56 g/t Au. These intercepts display lead and zinc values of up to 1.9% and 4.6% respectively.

ON MINING

• Fortuna Silver Mines Ltd. presented full year 2016 financial results, with a net income of $17.8 M on revenue of $213 M. At San Jose in Oaxaca 273 K tonnes were milled (3,103 tonnes per day, TPD) @ 225 g/t Ag, 1.69 g/t Au, recovering 92% Ag, 92% Au, to produce 1.82 M Oz Ag, 13,660 Oz Au at cash cost $1.85 and all-in sustaining cost $6.73 per silver ounce, net of by-product Au credits.
• Mexus Gold US. has completed two holding ponds and a heap leach pad, commenced a cyanide drip system on the heap and started the Merryl Crowe recovery system at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to mistake with First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). Smelting the first 250 pounds of precipitate is the next step to be accomplished in May.

ON FINANCING

• Geologix Explorations Inc. intends to carry a private placement for proceeds of up to $1 M (Tepal, Michoacan).
• Mexican Gold Corp. announced an increase on its private placement, from $1.5 M to $1.8 M (Las Minas, Veracruz).
• New Gold Inc. announced that it has completed its offering of $300 million aggregate principal amount of 6.375% Senior Notes due 2025, intending to use the net proceeds to fund the redemption of its outstanding $300 million 7.00% Senior Notes due 2020 on or about June 3, 2017.
• Southern Silver Exploration Corp. announced a private non-brokered placement intended to raise $5 M (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
• Fortuna Silver Mines Ltd. announced that “The Company will not be proceeding with the brokered private placement announced on April 4, 2017 and April 27, 2017”.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Alio Gold Inc. announced the pre-feasibility study (PFS) results on its Ana Paula project in Guerrero. The report defines 13.4 M tonnes @ 2.36 g/t Au as proven and probable mineral reserves, containing 1.02 M Oz Au. The scope of the PFS involves an open-pit with a mine life of 7.5 years to produce 868 K Oz Au on an 85% recovery rate. A capital cost of $137.2 M and an NPV of $223 M and IRR of 34% after tax at $1,250/oz Au. “Mineralization occurs in the complex breccia, granodiorite, monolithic breccia, hornfels and limestoneshale. The bulk of the high grade mineralization at Ana Paula is centered on the complex breccia domain which is surrounded by a high-grade mineralized halo, mainly granodiorite. “
• Almaden Minerals Ltd. has filed the pre-feasibility study (PFS) on its Ixtaca project in Puebla.
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. is drilling to determine the full scope and geometry of the Carola South and Tres Amigos zones, both with high-grade zinc recent results, as both areas are to be included in the upcoming resource update.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• SilverCrest Metals Inc. has begun trading on the OTCQX^® Best Market under its existing ticker symbol “SVCMF”, operated by OTC Markets Group, providing a better platform to reach U.S. investors (Las Chispas, Sonora).
• Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. has filed its 2016 annual financial documents, complying with SEC requirements. The company still has to file the Q1 2017 financial statements, and is planning to comply by May 24^th, 2017.
• Mexican Gold Corp. Acquired two mining concessions at its Las Minas project in Veracruz. The company paid $150 K plus VAT for 100% interest on the properties, while the previous private owner is to retain 1.5% NSR, of which 0.5% can be purchased by $500 K. The Pueblo Nuevo concession covers 97.5 has with several historical underground mines, including one with 21 levels. The veins in marble and diorite are 100 to 300 m in length, and 0.50 to 3.0 m in width. Of three samples collected, one returned 11.99 g/t Au, 41 g/t Ag, 1.3% Cu over 1 m and one other 0.2 m @ 28 g/t Au, 14 g/t Ag. The 43 hectares La Luz concession covers an area prospective for skarn mineralization akin to the adjacent Las Minas area.
• Colibri Resources Corp. has received confirmation from the TSX Venture Exchange that its shares will resume trading on May 18^th.

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 below, incipient brecciation sealed by oxidized sulfide in a volcanic rock, Central Chiapas. Photo by Jorge Cirett.