During the 24^th week of the year (June 12^th to June 18^th, 2017), at least 19 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the Mexican government released ground for staking for the first time in over two years. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora Millrock and Centerra are to explore the Navidad project, while Canuc released information on the San Javier project. In Chihuahua VVC Exploration obtained a coveted drilling permit, and Harvest Gold disclosed high-grade rock sampling results from Cerro Cascaron. In Guanajuato, Vangold released results from an extensive rockchip program at its Pinguico property.  ON MINING, no relevant news . ON FINANCING, Southern Silver closed the first tranche of a placement, raising $2.5 M. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Mexus Gold announced the arrival of a secondary crusher and the installation of an atomic absorption lab at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Millrock and Western Mining. Entered into an agreement for the purchase of the Navidad property in Sonora. Nyrstar and Telson completed the transaction on the Campo Morado mine sale in Guerrero. San Marco sold to Goldcorp the La Pinta 06 concession in Zacatecas. Discovery Metals is to buy from private owners the La Kika concession in Coahuila.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• The Direccin General de Regulación Minera released the first liberty announcement in more than two and a half years, to liberate ground for staking. The release includes 104 concessions that have been reduced in size, and a new title issued, 43 concessions relinquished by the concessionaires and 40 concessions cancelled by payment defaults. It is hoped the agency now can liberate ground on a steady manner (A bigger release was promised on October of 2015).

ON EXPLORATION

• Millrock Resources Inc. and Centerra Gold Inc. are to explore the recently optioned (see below) La Navidad gold project in Sonora. The 25 K hectares project presents gold mineralization hosted by low-angle faults related to the Magdalena Core Complex, with a zone of faults traced over 2.2 Km and 300-600 m surface width. Historic drill intercepts include 13.2 m @ 2.09 g/t Au; 6.6 m @ 1.34 g/t Au; 3.3 m @ 2.03 g/t Au; 19.5 m @ 0.84 g/t Au; 14.9 m @ 0.66 g/t Au; 8.3 m @ 1.03 g/t Au.
• Mammoth Resources Corp. released results from its surface channel sampling at its Tenoriba project in Chihuahua. At the Moreno zone 11.5 m (true width, or TW) were cut @ 0.64 g/t Au, while at Carnertios (3 km to the ENE) the samples returned 15.5 m @ 0.99 g/t Au and 7.0 m @ 1.28 g/t Au.
• Canasil Resources Inc. informed that the last drilling campaign at its Esperanza project in Zacatecas extends the known well-mineralized envelope on the Esperanza vein over 400 m of strike length and 350 m of depth, open in all directions. Based on alteration in volcanic rocks and geophysics, Canasil has outlined a 5 km long target for further exploration, as well as the presence of four other untested veins.
• VVC Exploration Corp. announced that the SEMARNAT (Environmental Agency) has approved the application for advanced exploration drilling at its Salamayuca copper project in Chihuahua. The program envisages core drilling in up to 53 locations at the site.
• Canuc Resources Corp. released compiled information from work done by the Santa Rosa Silver Mining Corp. on the San Javier project in Sonora, subsequent to 2012. Mineralization appears as vein and vein-breccia zones 1 to 4.5 m in width, alteration zones associated to the margins of felsic to intermediate dykes and quartz-stockwork breccia zones than can be much wider. At Colorado, the silica clay alteration is at least 11 m wide, with 11.2 m returning 284 g/t Ag, while the Carranza zone locally attains 31 m in width, with 11 m returning 283 g/t Ag. Nine prospects are located on a 2.4 km long corridor.
• Harvest Gold Corp. disclosed rock sampling results at Cerro Cascaron project in Chihuahua. At La Cascarita two samples returned 3 m @ 1,170 g/t Ag, 2.7 g/t Au, 1.0% Zn; 1.3 m @ 331 g/t Ag, 0.07 g/t Au, 1.6% Pb. A select sample from the Serpiente Dorada vein returned 826 g/t Au, and six other samples from the main vein field returned between 0.25 and 38.0 g/t Au.
• Vangold Mining Corp. released exploration results from its El Pinguico project in Guanajuato. To date 452 rock samples have been collected from surface and underground locations, results include (no widths provided) 3.4 g/t Au, 450 g/t Ag; 3.8 g/t Au, 331 g/t Ag; 4.1 g/t Au, 354 g/t Ag; 12.6 g/t Au, 1,490 g/t Ag; 5.5 g/t Au, 403 g/t Ag; 4.6 g/t Au, 350 g/t Ag; 9.2 g/t Au, 63 g/t Ag; 13.9 g/t Au, 278 g/t Ag. The program confirms the El Pinguico/El Carmen vein extends to the south, connecting with the La Joya, La Joyita and El Pirul vein systems, extending mineralization 1.5 km from the midpoint of the property.

ON MINING

• No Relevant News.

ON FINANCING

• Southern Silver Corp. closed the first tranche of the previously reported brokered private placement, for gross proceeds of $2.5 M (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Mexus Gold US. announced the arrival of a secondary crusher to its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to mistake with First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora), and reported assays for samples near the Don Julio vein system, reporting results of 8.3; 0.7; 1.9; 5.8; 5.0 ; 1.1; 1.3 g/t Au. The atomic absorption machine has been installed.
• Consolidated Zinc Ltd. announced that two more drill holes at its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua have intersected 1.75 m and 0.80 m of massive and semi-massive sulphide mineralization. Furthermore, 33 rock chip samples were collected over 150 m strike in underground workings, with massive and semi-massive sphalerite and galena mineralization in the Las Espadas area.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Millrock Resources Inc. entered into an option agreement to purchase La Navidad project from a private Mexican firm, Western Mining S.A. de C.V.. To complete the 100% interest purchase, 2.5 M in option payments to Western may be made over a four-year period. An initial payment of 125 K has been made. Three further option payments of 125 K each may be made at annual intervals. A final option payment of $2 M could be made to complete the purchase of the mineral rights. Through its agreement with Millrock, Centerra has the option to earn an 80% interest in La Navidad by funding all the financial obligations in the underlying agreement between Millrock and Western.
• Nyrstar NV. Announced the completion of the sale of its Campo Morado mine in Guerrero to Telson Resources Inc. for a total cash consideration of USD 20 M, and the potential for additional future proceeds through a variable price agreement linked to production from the mine. The Campo Morado poly-metallic mine can process 2,500 tonnes per day, with the mining concessions covering over 12 thousand hectares. During 2014 the mine processed 657 k tonnes @ 1.2 g/t Au, 115 g/t Ag, 4.6% Zn, 1.2% Cu, 0.9% Pb.
• San Marco Resources Inc. entered into an agreement to sell its La Pinta 06 concession in Zacatecas to Goldcorp Inc. for US$225 K and a 1% NSR.
• Discovery Metals Corp. (formerly Ayubowan Capital Ltd.) entered into a mineral exploration and option agreement to acquire the La Kika concession in Coahuila from private vendors. On closing US $45 K are to be paid, and the company is to incur in not less than US $2 M in exploration expenditures, half of which is a firm commitment, and the issuance of an aggregated 1 M shares to the vendors. A 30% royalty on the operating profit of direct shipping operations (for the first 450 K tonnes), or a 2%  NSR otherwise.

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, setting up a geophysical survey in northeastern Chihuahua, circa year 2000. Photo by Jorge Cirett.