Economía

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of December, 2019

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By Jorge Cirett

During the 50th week of the year (December 9th to December 15th, 2019), at least 18 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Bacanora Minerals lithium deposit in Sonora is considered the biggest resource of the metal in the world, according to Francisco Quiroga, Mining sub-secretary. Camimex calls to maintain the competitivity of the mining sector, as it is being threatened by a environmental tax proposal. Newmonts Goldcorp´s Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas is to lift Mexican gold production in 2020, according to BNamericas. Camimex invited the secretary of the environmental agency (SEMARNAT), Victor Manuel Toledo to visit one of the mining units, for him to review what sustainable mining is. He will also be visiting Hermosillo and Ures, meeting with authorities of the municipalities affected by a toxic leak on 2014. ON EXPLORATION, in Chihuahua, Mammoth Resources updated on exploration efforts by partner Centerra at its Tenoriba project; Kootenay Silver released good drilling results on its Columba property. ON MINING, Alamos Gold and Golden Minerals released results for the third quarter 2019. GoGold released results on the year ending in September 2019. ON FINANCING, Advance Gold closed the second tranche of its private placement for gross proceeds of $42 K. Azure Minerals announced the receipt of A$467 K of VAT back taxes (dating to 2016) from the government. Tamino Minerals is planning to become “Pink Current” very soon on the OTC. Odyssey Marine Exploration obtained commitments for up to $4.2 M.   ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Candelaria Mining released results on 15 new holes from the Mirador mine at the Altagracia project in Oaxaca. Pan American Silver announced an initial resource estimate, on the polymetallic  skarn deposit at La Colorada, of 72.5 M tonnes @ 44 gpt Ag, 0.17% Cu, 2.02% Pb, 4.40% Zn, remaining open in most directions, and containing over 100 M Oz Ag. Defiance Silver updated on exploration efforts at its San Acacio project in Zacatecas and at its Tepal project in Michoacán. Prime Mining released surface road cut and trench assays from its Guadalupe de los Reyes project in Sinaloa. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Tamino Minerals has signed a LOI on the Ofelia property, in Sonora. Discovery Metals informed Eric Sprott now owns 21% interest in the company. Newmont Goldcorp announced a deal with the Cedros community on water resources. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. A mining gathering was held in Banamichi, Sonora. The Asociación de Mineros de Sonora celebrated its 40th anniversary. The first “Comité de Desarrollo Regional para las Zonas Mineras” was created in Sonora, to recommend the use of the Mining Fund in certain infrastructure projects in mining areas. Dr. Vagón, Grupo Mexico’s health itinerant clinic was at La Junta, and soon to be moved to the nearby Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, both in Chihuahua. The Consorcio Minero Benito Juárez and the Fundación Bécalos Televisa delivered 120 scholarships to excellency students. A fair was held in Tayoltita, Durango, to bring awareness of the mining work and environment to inhabitants and family members of mine workers. Minera Media Luna is showing a strong support for education in Guerrero, with shcolarships, internships and support to local schools. The Sonora miners association (AMSAC) signed an agreement with the Consejo Regulador del Bacanora, to source agave saplings on its greenhouses to the agave growers. The Mexican gray wolf has left the list of extinct species in the wild, moving to the category of species on extinction risk.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • The lithium deposit in Sonora is the major project of its type in the World, according to Francisco Quiroga, Sub-Secretary of Mining, on an interview by a journalist known country wide. He cautioned on not hurrying up to celebrate, as the lithium still has to be extracted, and be metallurgically separated of the other minerals present in the ore (In this project, unlike other, lithium is contained in a clay). This project is assumed to have 243 M tonnes of lithium, surpassing the Thacker Pass deposit in Nevada, the second lithium deposit, with reserves of 179 M tonnes of lithium. The deposit is co-owned by the English company (not Canadian, as stated in the note) Bacanora Lithium and the Chinese Ganfeng Lithium, and located in the Bacadehuachi municipality (tens of kilometers from the Campo Verde Protected Natural Area and the Chihuahua border).
  • Camimex calls for maintaining the competitivity of the Mining Sector in Sonora. The call was made by Karen Flores, Camimex head, on the first Universitary Mining Gathering held in Banamichi, Sonora. She called for a proposal to tax mining operations on environmental grounds to be repelled. Such tax would transform Sonora in one of the more expensive places to mine, in an industry that is already heavily regulated and taxed. According to the authorities, mining in 2018 provided more than 46 billion pesos (US$2.36 billion) in taxes, 9,000 billion pesos (US$461 M) in rights and more than 4,500 billion pesos (US$230 M) in resources for the Mining Fund.
  • Newmont Goldcorp’s Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas is to lift Mexican gold production in 2020, when production by other big players is to decline. The combined production by the three biggest producers in Mexico, Fresnillo, Newmont Goldcorp, and Alamos Gold should reach 1.59 M Oz Au, above the 1.22 M Oz Au mines in 2019. This is a 30% increment year on year, achievable if the companies reach their mid-point guidelines. According to BNamericas this figure is more than half the 3.15 M Oz Au to be produced by more than 20 companies in Mexico. Fresnillo’s production reached 923 K Oz Au in 2018, expects to produce 885 K Oz in 2019, 785 K Oz in 2021 and 665 K Oz in 2022; the decline motivated by the end of production at the Noche Buena mine and less production at Herradura. Meanwhile, Peñasquito expects to produce 575 K Oz Au in 2020 , and a little bit more in 2021, before production starts to decline due to lower grades. Alamos Gold expects to produce 150 – 160 K Oz Au during 2019 in Mulatos, while the Chanate mine is to produce only 5 K Oz. Minera Frisco and Agnico Eagle have seen their gold production dwindle in 2019, while Torex Gold reached 138 K Oz Au produced during the third quarter, and the company expects to sell 430 K Oz Au this year. Leagold also is to increase production at Los Filos, expecting to double on the 200 K Oz Au forecasted for this year.
  • Camimex invited Victor Manuel Toledo, secretary of the environment and natural resources (SEMARNAT) to visit one of the mining units, for him to review what sustainable mining is. Earlier in the day, in the morning presidential conference, Toledo stated that Semarnat is not against mining: “For Semarnat there is not good or bad mining, revisions have to be on a case by case basis, and confirm through inspection its adherence to norms”.
  • Victor Manuel Toledo, secretary of the environment and natural resources (SEMARNAT) is to be in Hermosillo in December 18th for the presentation of a book on the toxic leakage of 2014, and in Ures to meet with affected parties and authorities of municipalities within the Rio Sonora basin.
  • Alberto Orozco, president of the Sonora Mining Cluster, praised the visit that Victor Manuel Toledo (Environmental Secretary) is to make next week to a mining unit in Sonora. Orozco stressed the presence in Sonora of companies highly involved in the social and economic development of the producing regions in a sustainable manner. He also pointed that the Sonoran mining production is 36% of the national production, contributing with 18% of the State gross domestic product.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Mammoth Resources Corp. updated on exploration efforts at its Tenoriba project, funded by partner Centerrea Gold Inc.. Field logistics have been set, all historical geologic data compiled for Centerra’s review and interpretation and a 3D model is under preparation; all un-assayed core was sent for analysis, and the previous drill program permit is being closed, and a new one is to be prepared. Strong argillic, argillic and minor vuggy silica is present on volcanic rocks on a 4 to 6 Km long belt, with geophysics re-processing pointing to a larger target than previously envisaged, and a new 30 line-Km survey is being planned. A large soil anomaly highlights the eastern part of the corridor. Mammoth is working on community consultation processes with the two ejidos (communal lands) involved.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. released results from six holes drilled at its Columba project in Chihuahua. Highlighted intervals comprise: 25.85 m @ 200 gpt Ag (including 11.5 m @ 415 gpt Ag, which includes 4.0 m @ 721 gpt Ag, which includes 1.9 m @ 982 gpt Ag) in silicified breccias in proximity to a lithological contact; 6.25 m @ 67 gpt Ag (including 2.09 m @ 172 gpt Ag); 3.0 m @ 314 gpt Ag (including 0.63 m @ 776 gpt Ag); 59.8 m @ 48 gpt Ag (including 9.57 m @ 146 gpt Ag); 6.63 m @ 103 gpt Ag and 1.0 m @ 124 gpt Ag. Several of the intercepts are in quartz veins in rhyolite, as quartz stockworks and as quartz-barite veins.

ON MINING

  • Alamos Gold Inc. released some production figures for 2019, including data on its Mexican production. At Mulatos, in Sonora, during the first nine months of this year 20 K tonnes per day were stacked @ 0.92 gpt Au, with a recovery of 67%, to produce 108 K Oz Au at cash cost $772 and a mine-site AISC of $861. Production from the Mulatos district is expected to total 150-160 K Oz Au in 2020, with ore mined from the Mulatos, El Victor and San Carlos open pits, as well as new production from Cerro Pelon. “A total of $7 million has been budgeted at Mulatos for exploration in 2020 which includes 14,000 m of drilling focused in the Mulatos near-mine, Carricito and La Yaqui Grande areas. A number of regional exploration targets have been identified in 2019 from the property-wide VTEM geophysical survey that was completed in late-2018. A focus of the 2020 regional exploration program will be to further evaluate these targets through systematic mapping, sampling, and ground geophysics”.
  • Golden Minerals Co. released results for the third quarter 2019. During the period Golden reported revenue of $1.9 M related to the lease of Velardeña’s oxide mill and costs of $0.6 M related to the services provided under the terms of the lease, for a net operating margin of $1.3 M. Exploration expenses were $0.9 M, Velardeña care and maintenance $0.4 M, administrative expenses $0.7 M for a total loss of $1.8 M for the quarter. Last October Golden entered into an agreement with Magellan Gold Corp. to sell the company’s option to earn a 100% interest in the Santa Maria and Las Marias exploration properties in Chihuahua. Cash and cash equivalents of $2.9 M by the end of the period.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. announced financial results for the year ending 2019. During the last quarter period the company acquired the Los Ricos project in Jalisco, for share consideration of $5.4 M and cash $4.5 M, of which $3.9 M is payable over three years. During the period the company sold 1 M Oz Ag and 8,752 Oz Ag, produced 1.78 M Oz AgEq, had income of $8.1 M at an AISC of $14.82 per Oz AgEq and cash cost $11.80 per OZ AgEq, a gain of $11.8 M on the sale of the Santa Gertrudis project royalty and has a net working capital of $13.1 M.

ON FINANCING

  • Advance Gold Corp. closed the second and final tranche of the private placement previously announced, for gross proceeds of $42 K (Tabasqueña, Zacatecas).
  • Azure Minerals Ltd. announced that the Mexican tax office has paid this week the amount of MX$6.19 M, approximately A$467 K. This is the interest component from a previous payment, bringing the total received by Azure to A$1.23 M. The payments are the result of the successful resolution of the company’s legal action for the recovery of IVA (the equivalent to GST, or VAT) dating to the 2016 financial year. A fee of 15% is payable to the legal and tax advisors involved (Alacrán, Sonora).
  • Tamino Minerals Inc. is planning to become Pink Current very soon on OTC markets, abiding to OTC disclosure lines. As of the end of September 2019, the company has 370.6 M shares, of which Pedro Villagran holds 138.8 M and Joseph Berry 33 M.
  • Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. obtained commitments for up to $4.2 M in funding in two separate arrangements. A group of existing shareholders is to provide up to $2 M in funding ($539 K already submitted) as advance against a portion of multi-million dollar payment Odyssey expects to receive within the next six months, related to a previously completed ship-wreck project. In addition, “a term sheet has been executed and definitive agreements are being drafted with the group that has already committed up to $6.5 million in non-recourse legal funding for the NAFTA action for up to an additional $2.2 million” (Bay of Ulloa, Baja California Sur).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Gold Resource Corp. released drill results from 15 holes from the Mirador mine area in the Altagracia project in Oaxaca. The Mirador mine is 16 Km NW from the Company’s Aguila project and processing facilities. Highlighted results comprise: 9.21 m @ 0.24 gpt Au, 260 gpt Ag (including 0.73 m @ 0.58 gpt Au, 1,085 gpt Au); 1.38 m @ 4.39 gpt Au, 1,455 gpt Ag; 1.08 m @ 1.81 gpt Au, 2,190 gpt Ag; 5.99 m @ 1.04 gpt Au, 206 gpt Ag (including 1.54 m @ 2.02 gpt Au, 590 gpt Ag); 3.72 m @ 1.44 gpt Au, 910 gpt Ag (including 1.0 m @ 2.84 gpt Au, 2,610 gpt Ag); 2.67 m @ 1.10 gpt Au, 354 gpt Ag.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. announced an initial mineral resource estimate for the large polymetallic deposit discovered in 2018 at La Colorada mine in Zacatecas. The inferred mineral resource is 72.5 M tonnes @ 44 gpt Ag, 0.17% Cu, 2.02% Pb, 4.40% Zn, remaining open in most directions and containing 102 M Oz Ag, 3.2 M tonnes of Zn, 1.5 M tonnes of Pb, and 121 K tonnes of Cu. Most of this mineralization is contained within a larger mineralized skarn 500 m x 600 m, between 600 and 1,700 m of depth. To make the geologic interpretation and resource estimation, 65 drill holes totalling 54,000 m of drilling were utilized.
  • Defiance Silver Corp. updated on exploration efforts to be made at its San Acacio project in Zacatecas. Targeted core re-logging and selective re-assay is on-going and will continue through 2020, while field exploration involves surface geochemistry outside the resource area, systematic underground mapping and sampling and regional targeting are carried out.
  • Defiance Silver Corp. announced OreQuest has been planning an exploration program at Tepal, in Michoacan. The aim is to follow up on high-grade drill results as the 1.42 m @ 25 gpt Au, 565 gpt Ag of last year campaign, which is coincidental with highly anomalous surface geochemistry and an untested chargeability anomaly.
  • Prime Mining Corp. released results from surface exploration at it Los Reyes property in Sinaloa. The trenching program has an advance of 25% with highlighted results of 5 m @ 1.0 gpt Au, 11 gpt Ag; 10.5 m @ 2.0 gpt Au, 18 gpt Ag; 16.5 m @ 2.5 gpt Au, 40 gpt Ag; 36.0 m @ 1.84 gpt Au, 13 gpt Ag; 34.5 m @ 4.2 gpt Au, 21 gpt Ag; 13.5 m @ 1.54 gpt Au, 37 gpt Ag in rod cuts, and 9 m @ 0.92 gpt Au, 22 gpt Ag; 4.5 m @ 2.66 gpt Au, 30 gpt Ag; 13.5 m @ 1.42 gpt Au, 49 gpt Ag; 13.5 m @ 1.59 gpt Au, 28 gpt Ag; 7.5 m @ 1.84 gpt Au, 37 gpt Ag; 16.5 m @ 1.04 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag; 15.0 m @ 5.58 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag in trenches. The company is working with the database of 493 historic drill holes to establish a new 43-101 compliant resource (currently holding 380 K and 155 K Oz Au in the indicated and inferred categories respectively).

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Tamino Minerals Inc. informed it has singed a letter of intent (LOI) on the Ofelia property in Sonora. The LOI terms state four years of staged payments totalling US$1 M plus a 2% NSR, and provides a 90-day term for due-diligence work.
  • Discovery Metals Corp. announced that with the conversion of 3.3 M subscription receipts to shares, Mr. Eric Sprott owns now approximately 21% interest in the company (Cordero, Chihuahua).
  • Newmont Goldcorp. announced that the Peñasquito mine and the nearby San Juan Cedros community (one of 25 neighbouring communities) in Zacatecas, agreed to an infrastructure solution for sustainable water availability for the community. The 30-year water agreement includes additional water wells to supplement the 600 K liters per-day reverse osmosis drinking water plant the company built in 2018.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • A Mining Gathering was held in Banamichi, Sonora, with more than 600 attendees, mostly students, with the purpose of letting them know the opportunities for internships and employment in mining units. Among the attendees were also governors of mining states, the ambassadors of mining countries, Congress representatives, Union leaders, 14 majors and representatives for mining companies, mining associations and mining communities.
  • The Asociación de Mineros de Sonora (Sonora’s Miners Association, or AMSAC) celebrated its 40th The celebration included a series of presentations and a formal dinner. Among the speakers were Francisco Quiroga (Mining Sub-secretary), Karen Flores (Camimex), Ernesto [Ríos (Americas Mining) and Lourdes McPherson (Argonaut Gold).
  • The first “Comité de Desarrollo Regional para las Zona Mineras (Mining Zones Development  Committee) was created in Hermosillo, Sonora. The finality of such committees is to assess and approve investment projects derived from the Mining Fund, incorporating all interest groups. The committee is integrated by:Comite Fondo Minero11The fist session is to be held in February 28, 2020, and the second on August 28, 2020.
  • Dr. Vagón is to be at La Junta, Chihuahua. From the 12 to the 16 of December, 2019. Among the services to be provided are: general consult, dermatology, pediatric care, geriatric care, odontology, chiropractic, physic rehabilitation, optometry, audiometry, mastography, colposcopy, family planning, lab test, diabetics clinic, psychology and nutrition. This itinerant train-mounted clinic has the capacity to Attend 550 persons daily.
  • The Safety, Environment and Social Responsibility Fair San Dimas 2019, was held on December 6 in Tayoltita, Durango. The different departments of the First Majestic mine displayed details on their work on the mining process, in a didactic and entertaining way, to workers, suppliers, municipality and State authorities, as well as their families and local inhabitants. Radio Plata (Silver Radio) was commissioned, the first radio station to be located in the vicinity, is part of the company’s Centro Cultural, where educative, social and cultural activities are to take place.
  • Minera Media Luna is showing a strong support for education in Guerrero. With support from local authorities in Cocula, the Instituto Tecnológico de Iguala, the Universidad Tecnológica Autónoma del Norte de Iguala, the State government, the Instituto Estatal para la Educación de Jóvenes y Adultos de Guerrero and the general population in Cocula, the company has: installed programs for diminishing the educative lag in primary and secondary education; taken 36 students in internships from local universities; supported 86 students through scholarships; invested $500 K pesos along with the Cocula municipality for the hiring of primary education personnel; participated in the Fourth Week of Mining on the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero…. And several other programs in education not posted here for lack of space.
  • AMSAC, the Sonora Miners Association, signed an agreement with the Consejo Regulador del Bacanora (Regulatory Council for Bacanora, a spirits drink). Under this agreement , several mining companies are to grow the needed agave saplings for the production of Bacanora in their green houses, to be transplanted in the field by the agave growers.
  • Minera Peña Colorada presented the “Ilustred Guide to Wildlife in the Minatitlan Microbasin”, at the Feria Internacional del Libro 2019, in Guadalajara, Jalisco. This work was accomplished with the support of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Benemérita Universidad de Puebla.
  • The Mexican gray wolf has left the list of extinct species on the wild, moving to the category of species on extinction risk. This is the result of an international effort among the USA and Mexican governments, with the participation of Grupo Mexico. The declaration comes after 12 liberations and the documentation of 9 successful litters with some 30 puppies on the wild. Grupo Mexico, as well as other mining companies, has an UMA (Environmental Management Unit) that take care and reproduce threatened species.
  • Dr Vagón, Grupo Mexico’s health train, is to be on Ciudad Cuahutémoc, Chihuahua, from December 18 to December 22. The 17 train carriages itinerant clinic has the capacity to attend 600 persons per day, providing for a wide array of services, like diagnostics, ailment prevention, dermatology, odontology, physical rehabilitation, optometry, audiometry, psychology, nutrition, diabetes and chiropractic treatments.

Content like what you have just read can be seen at https://gambusinoprospector.com/ and at LinkedIn’s Mexico Mineral Exploration Group.

On the image below: Sheeted quartz veinlets from an orogenic gold project in Oaxaca. Picture by Jorge Cirett

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The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of August, 2019

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By Jorge Cirett

During the 32nd week of the year (August 5th to August 11th, 2019), at least 36 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. ON MEXICO ISSUES, The president of Mexico announced in a political rally that no more mining concessions are to be granted during his term in office. ON EXPLORATION, In Chihuahua, Kootenay has mobilized a drill rig to its Columba property. In Coahuila, Discovery Metals released high-grade results from underground sampling at Minerva. In Zacatecas, Alien Metals carried out surface sampling at Los Campos, Donovan and San Celso projects; Advance Gold started an IP survey at Tabasqueña. ON MINING, Gold Resource, Premier Gold, Hecla Mining, Golden Minerals, First Majestic, Coeur Mining, Argonaut Gold, Pan American Silver, Avino Silver, Endeavour Silver, Alio Gold, Torex Gold, Fortuna Silver and GoGold reported second quarter production and/or financial results for the second quarter. Mexus Gold poured first gold at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. ON FINANCING, Excellon Resources entered into an agreement with a sole bookrunner for gross proceeds of $10 M. Santacruz Silver granted options to its directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors. Oroco closed a first tranche for $900 K. Impact Silver completed the first series of a round of financing for $2.4 M in gross proceeds.   ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, US Antimony continues mining at Los Juarez, Queretaro. Hecla presented drill results from San Sebastian, Durango. Orla Mining filed the FS on Camino Rojo Oxide project. VVC Exploration approved the construction of a pilot plant on its Northern Mexico Copper project. Minera Alamos received the needed environmental approval for mine construction at Santana, Sonora. Goldplay Exploration compiled all the exploration information on a 6 km trend outside the known resource in San Marcial, Sinaloa ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Discovery Metals filed an early warning report in respect to its holdings in Levon Resources. Tamino Minerals is working to remove the stop sign to become current on the OTC. Minera Alamos reported the retirement from the Board of Directors of Mr. Chester Millar, (a long time player in the Mexican Mining scene). Mako Mining informed the near completion of production from La Trinidad mine in Sinaloa. Chesapeake Gold re-purchased a 1% NSR from Wheaton Precious Metals. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Argonaut Gold engaged in multiple community projects during the second quarter on its operations at San Agustin (Durango), El Castillo (Durango), La Colorada (Sonora) and La Paz (Baja California Sur).

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • No more mining concessions in my term: AMLO. The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, announced this Sunday (August 11th, 2019) in a political rally in Concepcion del Oro, Zacatecas, that under his term no more mining concessions are to be granted. “To give concessions of the mining regions to national and foreign companies was a policy forwarded since the time of (Carlos) Salinas de Gortari, and up to 80 million hectares were delivered for mining exploitation. To grasp it: let’s think in our territory. Mexico has 200 million hectares, and 80 million hectares, about 40 percent of the national territory. Never in History so much of our sovereign soil had been transferred”, he said. He also reiterated that current concessions are to continue, but no new ones are to be delivered. “We are not to cancel (the concessions), but we are not to continue delivering new concessions for mining exploitation. Because it was too much what was delivered. If we analyze it, we are going to conclude that it wasn’t delivered to produce, but to speculate financially ………. With what has been delivered they have to produce. That’s the main purpose and not speculation. What we ask the mining companies is, first, take care of the environment, that no territory is destroyed, not to act as it is done in other countries”. He asked for Mexican miners to be paid as in the United States, or Canada, and that the same environmental rules be applied, also making a call for the salaries of workers to be raised, with the same benefits. (Editor’s note.- All the president arguments can be easily refuted to show that granting mining concessions is, and has been, very helpful for the country and countless of Mexicans. But there is no valid argument to present to the president that on the one hand is calling for more investment, while in the other hand is closing the door to it.)

ON EXPLORATION

  • Kootenay Silver Inc. has mobilized a drill rig to commence a 3,000 m core drill program at its Columba project in Chihuahua. “The first 12 holes of the drill program will be designed to test the F vein where underground development work extended to 200 meter depth and the historic mining occurred”.
  • Alien Metals Ltd. carried out some surface rock sampling at its Donovan, Los Campos and San Celso projects in Zacatecas, results pending.
  • Advance Gold Corp. started a 800 x 500 m 3D induced polarization (IP) geophysical survey on its Tabaqueña project, Zacatecas. The goal of the survey is to assess the depth potential below the near surface mineralized zone that was encountered in the andesites, with the graphitic phyllites below still open at depth.
  • Discovery Metals Corp. released assay results for 112 underground samples from its drill permitted Minerva Ag-Zn-Pb project in Coahuila. Highlighted results from the Minerva mine include 0.4 m @ 8,880 gpt Ag, 8.7% Zn, 43.2% Zn, 2.30% Cu, 0.3 m @ 1,200 gpt Ag, 24.8% Zn, 18.2% Pb, 0.15% Cu; 0.2 m @ 1,340 gpt Ag, 20.8% Zn, 19.6% Pb, 0.11% Cu; 0.9 m @ 517 gpt Ag, 5.7% Zn, 3.3% Pb, 0.07% Cu in veins, 0.3 m @ 1,485 gpt Ag, 8.6% Zn, 32.1% Pb, 0.10% Cu; 0.3 m @ 1,145 gpt Ag, 10.8% Zn, 34.8% Pb, 0.10% Cu; 0.5 m @ 220 gpt Ag, 34.6% Zn, 13.2% Pb, 0.05% Cu; 0.4 m @ 1,050 gpt Ag, 5.8% Zn, 26.4% Pb; 1.4 m @ 131 gpt Ag, 22.2% Zn, 2.7% Pb, 0.04% Cu in mantos. Underground samples from the Concordia area returned 0.7 m @ 848 gpt Ag, 2.7% Zn, 12.5% Pb, 0.24% Cu; 0.8 m @ 320 gpt Ag, nil Zn, 13% Pb, 0.06% Cu; 1.1 m @ 267 gpt Ag, 0.4% Zn, 6.3% Pb, 0.06% Cu in vein and limestone. At Tercia area, samples from a small working in diorite returned 0.5 m @ 226 gpt Ag, 0.2% Zn, 15.5% Pb; 0.5 m @ 181 gpt Ag, 0.2% Zn, 10.0% Pb; 1.3 m @ 124 gpt Ag, 3.2% Zn, 6.1% Pb in breccias (fault zones?).

ON MINING

  • Mexus Gold US. has poured gold at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to mistake for First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). The company recovered gold from its first heap leach pad using its Merrill Crowe gold recovery system. Mexus continues to mine and crush ore for the 2nd lift on heap leach pad #1.
  • Gold Resource Corp. presented production results for the second quarter 2019. At the Oaxaca’s Mining Unit 7,881 Oz Au, 466.5 K Oz Ag, 482 tonnes Cu, 2,304 tonnes Pb, 6,054 tonnes Zn were produced. At the Arista mine 115.8 K tonnes were milled @ 1.87 gpt Au, 92 gpt Ag, 0.40% Cu, 1.96% Pb, 4.77% Zn. At the Aguila open pit mine 8,872 tonnes were milled @ 1.39 gpt Au, 43 gpt Ag. At the Mirador mine 6,737 tonnes were milled @ 1.10 gpt Au, 201 gpt Ag. The company had $7.93 M of cash and cash equivalents by the end of the period.
  • Premier Gold Mines Ltd. reported operating results for the second quarter 2019, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Mercedes, in Sonora, 167.6 K tonnes were milled @ 3.0 gpt Au, 27.2 gpt Ag, recovering 95.9% Au, 35.0% Ag to produce 15,532 Oz Au, 51,354 Oz Ag. Co-product cash cost was $1,053 per Oz Au, and the co-product all-in-sustaining cost was $1,254 per Oz Au. On by-product basis, cash cost was 1,044 per Oz Au and AISC $1,252 per OZ Au. A total of 11,281 m of drilling targeted the Diluvio, Marianas and Barrancas veins “to replace reserves support mine production, test extensions of the main mine trends and to test new geological targets.”
  • Hecla Mining Co. presented second quarter 2019 results, including figure from its operations in Mexico. At San Sebastian, Durango, 463.7 K Oz Ag, 3,547 Oz Au were produced at by-product cash cost $9.22 per Oz Ag and by-product AISC$15.50.
  • Golden Minerals Co. released financial results for the second quarter 2019. An important point on the report is the still to be completed $22 M sale of the Velardeña, Santa Maria and Rodeo properties, as well as the Velardeña mill, to Grupo Autlan. Golden had a net loss of $2.5 M , ending the period with $1.8 M in cash and cash equivalents.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. announced financial results for the second quarter 2019. During the period 3.2 M Oz Ag, 6.4 M OZ AgEq were produced at cash cost $6.84 per Oz Ag, and AISC $ 14.76 per Oz Ag on a consolidated basis from its San Dimas (Durango), Santa Elena (Sonora), La Encantada (Coahuila), San Martin (Jalisco), La Parrilla (Durango), Del Toro (Zacatecas). At the end of the period the company had $94.5 M in cash and cash equivalents.First Majestic production table1
  • Coeur Mining Inc. reported second quarter 2019 financial results, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Palmarejo, in Chihuahua, 447.7 K tonnes were milled @ 2.18 gpt Au, 147 gpt Ag, recovering 87.7% Au, 81.8% Ag, to produce 28,246 Oz Au, 1.73 M Oz Ag at adjusted CAS $741 per Oz Au and adjusted CAS $9.17 per Oz Ag. Production started and is to be ramped up 400 tonnes per day (tpd) at La Nacion deposit.
  • Argonaut Gold Inc. announced its operating and financial results for the second qurter of 2019. At Cerro del Gallo in Guanajuato, Argonaut is advancing on the pre-feasibility study, whereas at San Antonio in Baja California participated in a public information meeting regarding the environmental impact assessment process, while advancing in environmental permitting. At El Castillo, Durango, 2.3 M tonnes of ore @ 0.39 gpt Au, 3.49 M tonnes of waste were moved at a rate of 64 K tonnes per day (tpd) to produce 14,361 Oz Au, 29,791 Oz Ag at cash cost $976 per gold equivalent ounce. At San Agustin (Durango), 1.96 M tonnes of ore @ 0.39 gpt Au, 1.41 M tonnes waste were moved at 37 K tpd to produce 12,684 Oz Au, 43,097 Oz Ag at cash cost $910 per gold equivalent ounce. At La Colorada (Sonora) 1.19 M tonnes of ore @ 0.46 gpt Au, 5.9 M tonnes of waste were moved at 78 K tpd to produce 11,723 Oz Au, 35,485 Oz Ag at cash cost $894 per gold equivalent ounce.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. reported unaudited results for the second quarter 2019, including figures from its Mexican operations. At La Colorada, in Zacatecas, 2.04 M Oz Ag, 1.1 K Oz Au were produced at cash cost $2.82 per Oz Ag and AISC $5.07 per Oz Ag. At Dolores, in Chihuahua, 1.23 M Oz Ag, 28.5 K Oz Au were produced at cash cost $6.87 per Oz Ag and AISC $22.30 per Oz Ag. “Drilling at the La Colorada mine has further defined the skarn mineralization, indicating a high concentration of base metal and silver mineralization over large widths”. By the end of the period the company had cash and shorth-term investments for $138.8 M, and working capital of $793.1 M.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. released consolidated financial results for the second quarter 2019. During the period 200.9 K tonnes were milled to produce 426.1 K Oz Ag, 1,609 Oz Au, 1.14 M Lb Cu, or 599.5 K Oz AgEq, with consolidated cash cost per AgEq ounce of $10.89, and AISC $13.10 per AgEq ounce. At the end of the quarter Avino held $3.4 M of cash, and a working capital of $8.7 M.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. released its financial results for the second quarter 2019. Consolidated production from its Guanacevi (Durango), Bolañitos (Guanajuato), El Cubo (Guanajuato) and El Compas (Zacatecas) mines was 1.06 M Oz Ag, 9,558 Oz Au, or 1.8 M Oz AgEq at an all-in-sustaining cost of $20.90 per Oz Ag net of gold credits. During the period received the final tailings permit for its Terronera project in Jalisco, and reported positive drill results from Bolañitos and Guanacevi.
  • Alio Gold Inc. reported second quarter 2019 results, including figures from its operations in Mexico. At San Francisco, in Sonora, produced 10,230 Oz Au, 5,112 Oz Ag, with a by-product cost of $1,077 per Oz Au and an AISC of $1,079 per Oz Au. In January 2019 Alio stopped active mining in the San Francisco pit and focused on processing the low grade stockpile, which is to continue until the end of the year, after which only residual leaching is to go on.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. announced financial and operating results for the second quarter 2019. At El Limon-Guajes in Guerrero, 145.7 K tonnes per day (tpd) were moved, including 19,890 tpd of ore @ 2.91 gpt Au, with a recovery of 88% Au to produce 113,645 Oz Au at cash cost $605 and AISC $760. The Muckahi mining system is said to be on the way to demonstrate its efficacy by year end. Torex released a maiden underground mineral resource estimate for El Limon Deep of 797 K tonnes @ 5.52 gpt Au, containing 171 K Oz Au as an indicated mineral resource. The company had a cash balance of $131 M by the end of June.
  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. presented consolidated financial results for the second quarter 2019, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Jose, Oaxaca, 271 K tonnes were milled at a rate of 3,045 tpd, grading 273 gpt Ag, 1.78 gpt Au, with a recovery of 91% Ag, 90% Au to produce 2.16 M Oz Ag, 13,204 Oz Au at cash cost $6.20 per Oz Ag and an AISC of $9.3 per Ag Oz. By the end of the period Fortuna held $77.2 M in cash and cash equivalents.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. reported second quarter results 2019. During the period GoGold produced 451 K Oz Ag from the Parral tailings. By the end of June the company had $9.0 M in cash and marketable securities and no debt.

ON FINANCING

  • Excellon Resources Inc. entered into an agreement with Cormark Securities Inc. as sole bookrunner and lead underwriter to buy units of the company for gross proceeds of approximately $10 M (Platosa, Durango).
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. granted 8.5 M stock options options to its directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors (Veta Grande, Zacatecas; Rosario, San Luis Potosi).
  • Oroco Resource Corp. closed the first tranche of the previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $900 K (Santo Tomas, Sinaloa).
  • Impact Silver Corp. completed the first series of the third tranche of the non-brokered private placement previously announced and updated, receiving aggregate gross proceeds of $2.44 M. The company intends to complete a second series of the third tranche for gross proceeds of $554.2 K. Impact has paid $56 K to Infor Financial Inc. and $50 K to Canaccord Genuity Corp. as finders fee (Zacualpan, Estado de Mexico).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • United States Antimony Corp. continues mining in two open pits at Los Juarez mine in Queretaro. At the Puerto Blanco mill in Guanajuato maintenance and improvements are being made to support increased production. At the Puerto Blanco leach circuit the plastic liner and fire assay equipment have been purchased. At the Madero smelter in Coahuila, The caustic leach plant has been tested and is operational to produce gold, silver, and antimony.
  • Hecla Mining Co. added new mineralization by drilling on the Middle and El Toro veins, potentially adding oxide mine life to San Sebastian, in Durango. Near-surface mineralisation has been defined by drilling for over 1,200 m along strike and 160 m of depth. Recent intercepts include 2.40 m @ 874 gpt Ag, 11.5 gpt Au; 1.50 m @ 398 gpt Ag, 1.86 gpt Au; 3.41 m @ 236 gpt Ag, 3.42 gpt Au. “Preliminary engineering studies have begun to evaluate the potential of both open pit and underground mining options at El Toro and drilling in this area is planned to continue through the third quarter.”
  • Orla Mining Ltd. filed a technical report on its Camino Rojo project, Zacatecas. The company previously released the results of the feasibility study (FS) for the oxide part of the mineralized body, which envisages the movement of 44 M tonnes @ 0.73 gpt Au, 14.2 gpt Ag to leach pads, and a recovery of 64% Au, 17% Ag.
  • VVC Exploration Corp. board of directors approved the start of a pilot mine on the Gloria Zones of its Northern Mexico Copper Project (Samalayuca) in Chihuahua. The plan envisions open pit mining and heap leach extraction by electrowinning (SX-EW) starting at 2 K tonnes per day (tpd) of mineralized material, scalable to 4 K tpd.
  • Minera Alamos Inc. received the approval of the environmental impact statement (Manifestación de Impacto Ambiental, or MIA) by SEMARNAT, the regulatory federal environmental agency, rendering the company with the key approvals for the construction of  commercial scale mining facilities at its Santana project in Sonora.
  • Goldplay Exploration Ltd. compiled all the exploration information supporting that its San Marcial project in Sinaloa has a strong precious metal potential, beyond the already defined resource. Five known areas over a 6 km trend include: Nava, with trench sampling of up to 24 m @ 2.1 gpt Au; Chachalaca Micuines, where several rock chip samples returned 1m @ 1.0 – 5.0 gpt Au, and up to 0.9 m @ 13.3 gpt Au; Guacamayo, with a trench interval returning 24 m @ 219 gpt Ag, 0.25 gpt Au; Resource area, on which recent assays of drill holes identified new gold mineralisation outside the resource, with true width intervals (tw) of 1.0 m @ 2.5 gpt Au, 8.4 m @ 0.7 gpt Au, 12 m @ 0.2 gpt Au; Faisanes, where recently a drill hole interval of tw 0.9 m @ 204.6 gpt Au.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Discovery Metals Corp. filed an early warning report in respect of its holdings in Levon Resources Ltd., now beneficially owns or controls 117.1 M Levon Shares, representing all of the issued and outstanding Levon Shares. Discovery did not own or control, directly or indirectly, any shares in Levon prior to the Arrangement. (Puerto Rico, Coahuila; Cordero, Chihuahua).
  • Tamino Minerals Inc. informed that “The company is not planning to complete a REVERSE SPLIT at this moment and is not in the company’s plans to do this.” Furthermore stating that “no dilution is guaranted” as its latest DTCC Share Position Report shows that the company has 149.8 M common shares in the float. The company is also working on preparing financial statements in order to remove the stop sign to become current on the OTC Markets (El Volcan, Sonora).
  • Minera Alamos Inc. reported the retirement from the Board of Directors of Mr. Chester Millar. Mr Millar (born 1927) was involved in multiple heap leach mining projects in Mexico for several decades, and is included in the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame since 2008 (Note by editor.- our sincere thanks and respect to Chester Millar for his contributions to the mining industry in Mexico).
  • Mako Mining Corp. informed gold production from the Trinidad mine in Sinaloa is nearing completion. Mining operations ceased at the end of March, and most of the crushing plant has been moved to another project in Nicaragua. The company has been unsuccessful in receiving any proceeds from the claim due to the damages sustained at La Trinidad from Hurricane Willa in October 2018, and legal actions have commenced against the insurer provider and their reinsurers. “Discussions are underway with the mining contractor for La Trinidad and the Mexican government regarding significant payables still outstanding at our Mexican subsidiary that holds La Trinidad”. Mako believes that the company has properly structured its Mexican subsidiary in a way that these liabilities do not extend outside of Mexico, whereby any proceeds from the sale of the equipment, or success in the insurance litigation, will be for the benefit of Mako. Discussions are proceeding with the mining contractor with the goal of reaching a mutually acceptable settlement. Finally, all other assets held in Mexico are to be sold or liquidated on due course (Note of editor.- From the outside, and with no further information other than what’s on the press release, the remarks on the isolation of the parent company from any litigation while leaving the country with debts outstanding are the kind of practices that make foreign companies easy targets for interest groups on any country. In short, please do not do that).
  • Chesapeake Gold Corp. has exercised an option to re-purchase a one percent (1.0%) net smelter returns royalty (NSR) on its Metates Au-Ag-Zn project, Durango. The NSR was purchased from Wheaton Precious Metals Co., a subsidiary of Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. for US$9.0 M.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Argonaut Gold Inc. engaged in multiple community projects during the second quarter of 2019. Received the nationally awarded Environmental Socially Responsible Company recognition at the El Castillo Complex for the seventh consecutive year, and held an opening ceremony of a new plant nursery at San Agustin (also in Durango). At La Colorada (Sonora), San Juan del Rio (Durango) and San Antonio (Baja California Sur) hosted a Children’s Day celebration. At La Colorada (Sonora) assisted, in collaboration with the State of Sonora Secretariat of Education and Culture, with the rehabilitation of educational facilities and donated computers, as well as hosted a women’s community workshop in La Colorada. Finally, hosted a health and wellness community workshop in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Content like what you have just read can be seen at https://gambusinoprospector.com/ and at LinkedIn’s Mexico Mineral Exploration Group.

On the image below: quartz veinlets and quartz filed breccia in metamorphic rocks of a project in Oaxaca. Picture by Jorge Cirett

IMG_1363 - copia

No habrá más concesiones mineras en el sexenio: AMLO.- El Financiero

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https://elfinanciero.com.mx/nacional/no-habra-mas-concesiones-mineras-en-el-sexenio-amlo

11/Agosto/2019

El presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador anunció este domingo que durante su gobierno no se entregarán más concesiones mineras.

Durante un mitin en Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas, aseguró que en 36 años se concesionaron en el país 80 millones de hectáreas, que equivale al 40 por ciento del territorio nacional.

También acusó a los empresarios que sólo utilizaron los permisos para la especulación financiera.

“Concesionar las regiones mineras a empresas nacionales y a extranjeras fue una política que se impulsó desde la época de (Carlos) Salinas de Gortari y se llegaron a entregar 80 millones de hectáreas para la explotación minera. Para tener una idea: pensemos en nuestro territorio. México tienen 200 millones de hectáreas y se entregaron 80 millones de hectáreas, como el 40 por ciento del territorio nacional. Nunca en la historia se había enajenado tanto suelo patrio”, dijo.

Reiteró que se mantendrán las concesiones, pero que no se entregarán nuevas.

“No vamos a cancelarlas, pero ya no vamos a seguir entregando nuevas concesiones para la explotación minera. Porque fue mucho lo que se entregó. Si lo analizamos vamos a llegar a la conclusión que no se entregó para producir, sino para especular financieramente”, dijo.

“Ya con lo que entregaron tienen para producir. Ese es el propósito principal y no la especulación. Lo que pedimos a las empresas mineras es, primero, que se cuide el medio ambiente, que no se destruya el territorio, que no actúen como se hace en el extranjero”, añadió.

Pidió que a los mineros mexicanos se les pague como se hace en Estados Unidos o Canadá y se apliquen las mismas normas ambientales.

Hizo un llamado a que se vaya aumentando el salario de los trabajadores, y que haya los mismos beneficios.

Como la ha dicho en otros mítines, López Obrador advirtió que las organizaciones no gubernamentales no recibirán presupuesto público.

“Realizaban trabajo de intermediación. Se supone que entregaban los apoyos a la gente y no era así. Se quedaban con el presupuesto o con una buena cantidad del presupuesto, se entregaban los apoyos y -si acaso- compraban despensas, repartían frijol con gorgojo y se quedaban con la mayor parte del dinero que recibían”.

México ‘pierde brillo’ para invertir en minería por la inseguridad

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http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/economia/mexico-pierde-brillo-para-invertir-en-mineria-por-la-inseguridad

El atractivo de México para la inversión en el sector minero perdió brillo en el último año afectado por la inseguridad que prevalece en el país y la incertidumbre sobre su sistema legal y por su régimen fiscal, según mostró la última encuesta anual del Instituto Fraser sobre atractivo a la inversión en el sector minera.

En el indicador de atractividad de la inversión, México bajó al sitio 44 desde el 50 que ocupó del año anterior y en el Índice de Percepción de Políticas (IPP), México cayó al sitio 49 desde el 53 un año antes.

Highlights on the Second Week of October, 2017. Mineral Exploration in Mexico

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During the 41st week of the year (October 9th to October 15th, 2017), at least 24 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, including seven quarterly reports. ON MEXICO ISSUES: The Secretaría de Economía announced the liberation of over 195 K hectares of ground for staking. ON EXPLORATION: Eight companies disclosed exploration efforts during the week: In Sonora, Azure Minerals is about to start drilling its Oposura and Sara Alicia projects; Canuc Resources released underground and surface rock sampling results from its San Javier project; Colibri Resource released an exploration update of its Evelyn project; Silver Viper is drilling its Clemente project. In Sinaloa Chesapeake Gold commenced a 5,000 m drilling program focused in two prospects on its Yarely project. In Coahuila, Discovery Metals received the environmental permit to drill five of its projects; Silver Bull Resources released the results from the first two underground holes to test high grade structural feeders at its Sierra Mojada project. ON MINING: Endeavour Silver, Capstone Mining, Leagold Mining, Great Panther Silver, Alamos Gold, Gogold Resources and Alamos Gold reported preliminary third quarter results. Torex Gold signed a 25 year land agreement with the Puente Balsas Sur Ejido, needed for the exploration and operation of its Media Luna project in Guerrero. Telson Resources received the environmental permit for mine and related infrastructure on its Tahuehueto project in Durango.  ON FINANCING: Colibri Resources settled a $10 K debt by issuing shares to one of its directors. Sierra Metals entered into an open market agreement with a consortium to raise up to $55 M on the NYSE market. Fortuna Silver’s CEO bought approximately US$430 K shares of the company in the open market. Oroco Resources intends to complete a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $600 K. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT: Fortuna Silver released exploration results from its San Jose property in Oaxaca, including high-grade drilling results. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES: No Relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • The Secretaría de Economía (Bureau of Economy) released the long due and eagerly awaited second release of previously held land of 2017, ground that is now going to be open for mining concession applications. Over 44 K hectares of reduced land (from eleven concessions), 131 K hectares of abandoned concessions (95) and almost 20 K hectares of cancelled concessions (96) are to be available in one month for staking by individuals and corporations.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Azure Minerals Ltd. is about to start drilling at its Oposura and Sara Alicia projects in Sonora. The environmental permit has been granted for both projects. At Oposura a total of 7,000 m of drilling is planned in 120 holes on a 1,400 by 400 m area. At Sara Alicia geological mapping, rock chip channel sampling, gridded soil sampling, and initial target identification has been completed. A zone of high grade gold and cobalt with samples of up to 39 g/t Au and up to 6% Co has been identified and is to be drill tested with 5-6 holes for a total of 450-500 m of diamond core.
  • Canuc Resources Corp. reported high grade silver and gold from recent sampling of underground workings, and from the surface of the Carranza breccia zone at its San Javier project in Sonora. “Road construction, trenching and drill platform preparation have been completed and surface mapping and sampling are ongoing.” The focus is on the breccia zones found at the intersections of the two fault trends. Results include 0.5 m @ 10.3 g/t Au, 250 g/t Ag; 0.5 m @ 8.0 g/t Au, 246 g/t Ag; 1.23 m @ 6.0 g/t Au, 174 g/t Ag; 1.2 m @ 10.5 g/t Au, 220 g/t Ag; 1.6 m @ 9.5 g/t Au, 150 g/t Ag; 1.6 m @ 11.3 g/t Au, 100 g/t Ag; 0.9 m @ 5.1 g/t Au, 17,200 g/t Ag; 1.3 m @ 1.9 g/t Au, 6,230 g/t Ag; 1.4 m @ 2.0 g/t Au, 2,395 g/t Ag; 0.7 m @ 1.6 g/t Au, 150 g/t Ag; 2.5 m @ 1.1 g/t Au, 600 g/t Ag; 3.0 m @ 1.2 g/t Au, 470 g/t Ag.
  • Chesapeake Gold Corp. commenced a 5,000 m diamond drill program at its 68,000 has Yareli project in Sinaloa. The phase I program is to focus on the Central and Loretos prospects. “At Central prospect Initial drill holes will test the four subparallel north – northwest trending stockwork structures up to one kilometre in length and associated extensive breccia bodies..” At Loretos three widely spaced holes are planned to test the west side of a “V” shaped IP anomaly which is over 3 km long and one km wide.
  • Colibri Resource Corp. released a report on its 506 hectare Evelyn project in Sonora. Geological and structural mapping, as well as rock chip sampling were conducted. The property is underlain by Jurassic rhyolites, andesites and sandstones. Prospects highlighted include the Mine Working shear zone, the Cerro Rojo Fault and the Quartz Vein Swarm. Of 74 samples collected, 33 returned values greater than 0.1 g/t Au.
  • Discovery Metals Corp. received drill permits for five of its projects from the Mexican environmental regulator, SEMARNAT. These permits cover the La Kika, Renata, Santa Rosa, La Minerva, and Jemi-Rare projects in northern Coahuila.
  • Silver Bull Resources Inc. provided the results from two drill holes of its underground drill program targeting high-grade structures at its Sierra Mojada project in Coahuila. The first hole intersected 7 m @ 121 g/t Ag, 0.52% Cu, including 2 m @ 376 g/t Ag, 3.0% Cu. The second hole intersected 25.5 m @ 294 g/t Ag, 0.96% Cu, including 11.5 m @ 486 g/t Ag, 1.13% Cu and 4 m @ 966 g/t Ag, 2.0% Cu, with the hole entering and ending in an unmapped working. The results confirm the East-West continuity of the first of three structures to be drilled.
  • Silver Viper Minerals Corp. is performing a 2,000 m drilling program at its Clemente project in Sonora. The diamond drilling is designed to target the down dip projection of the steep dipping quartz shear vein and adjacent quartz veining observed in accessible historical mine workings.

ON MINING

  • Endeavour Silver Corp. reported production results for the third quarter 2017. At Guanaceví in Durango, 74.6 K tonnes were produced at a rate of 811 tonnes per day (tpd) @ 250 g/t Ag, 0.57 g/t Au and recoveries of 87.2% Ag, 89.5% Au, to produce. 522.9 K Oz Ag, 1,224 Oz Au. At Bolañitos, in Guanajuato, 114.5 K tonnes were produced at a rate of 1,245 tpd @ 85 g/t Ag, 2.15 g/t Au and recoveries of 81.1% Ag, 82.4% Au, to produce 253.8 K Oz Ag, 6,523 Oz Au. At El Cubo in Guanajuato, 133.6 K tonnes were produced at a rate of 1,452 tpd @ 135 g/t Ag, 1.35 g/t Au and recoveries of 83.7% Ag, 83.3% Au, to produce 485.4 K Oz Ag, 5,901 Oz Au. In July the production decision was made on El Compas project in Zacatecas. In August were received the permits for the mine and plant at Terroneras, Jalisco. Pending are the permits for the waste dumps and tailings areas.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. signed a long term, common land lease agreement with the Puente Sur Balsas Ejido for the use of the land required for the exploration, construction and mining of minerals at its Media Luna project in Guerrero. The 25 year agreement can be revoked at the company’s discretion, with one year’s notice.
  • Telson Resources Inc. received the environmental permit (MIA) authorizing the construction of a mineral processing facility, related mining facilities, plus infrastructure and necessary underground development at its Tahuehueto project in Durango.
  • Capstone Mining Corp. announced production results for the quarter terminating at the end of September 2017. At Cozamin higher throughput than planned saw 223.8 K tonnes mined from underground and 223.4 K tonnes processed at a rate of 2,429 tpd, averaging 1.98% Cu, 0.8% Zn, 0.08% Pb, 42 g/t Ag; recoveries stood at 96.1% Cu, 65.7% Zn, 7.0% Pb, 79.7% Ag, to produce 15,688 tonnes of Cu concentrate, 2,463 tonnes of Zn concentrate and 20 tonnes of lead concentrate.
  • Leagold Mining Corp. disclosed Q3 2017 gold production at the Los Filos mine in Guerrero. During the period the Los Filos mine produced 47,766 Oz Au.
  • Great Panther Silver Ltd. released production results for the third quarter 2017. At the Guanajuato Mine Complex in Guanajuato, 76.1 K tonnes were milled @ 155 g/t Ag, 2.54 g/t Au; with recoveries of 89.8% Ag, 88.1% Au, to produce 341.6 K Oz Ag, 5,471 Oz Au. At Topia in Durango, 18 K tonnes were milled @ 362 g/t Ag, 0.97 g/t Au; with recoveries of 91.1% Ag, 67.1% Au, to produce 191.2 K Oz Ag, 377 Oz Au.
  • Alamos Gold Inc. reported production for the third quarter 2017, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Mulatos (including La Yaqui) 36,300 Oz Au were produced, and 14,900 Oz Au at El Chanate, both in Sonora.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. announced production for the quarter terminated at the end of September 2017. At its Parral tailings operation 353.4 K Oz Ag were produced. An improvement on the recoveries by changing agglomeration and heap parameters can be seen in the graphic below.
  • Hecla Mining Co. reported preliminary production results for the third quarter 2017, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Sebastian in Durango, the mill operated at 397 tpd to produce 880.9 K Oz Ag, 8,199 Oz Au.

ON FINANCING

  • Colibri Resources Corp. has issued shares in the amount of $10,000 to settle an outstanding indebtedness due to Ed Stringer, a director of the company (Evelyn, Sonora).
  • Sierra Metals Inc. entered into an open market Sale Agreement with Jefferies LLC, C. Wainwright & Co, LLC Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and Noble Capital Markets Inc., on which the company may during the term of the agreement sell common shares in the NYSE up to the amount US$55 M in gross proceeds. No common shares will be offered or sold in Canada (Cusi and Bolivar mines, both in Chihuahua).
  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. announced that Jorge A. Ganoza, CEO of the company increased his equity position in Fortuna by acquiring 131,800 common shares on the open market, valued at close to US$430 K. (San Jose, Oaxaca).
  • Oroco Resource Corp. intends to complete a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $600 K of gross proceeds (Xochilapa, Guerrero).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. updated exploration efforts at its San José mine in Oaxaca, where four rigs are testing the Trinidad-Bonanza-Stockwork complex, the Trinidad North Extension and the sub-parallel Victoria vein (formerly Ocotlan vein). Relevant estimated true width intercepts (TW) comprise 4.1 m @ 247 g/t Ag, 1.8 g/t Au; 21.0  m @ 153 g/t Ag, 0.9 g/t Au; 3.6 m @ 281 g/t Ag, 1.2 g/t Au; 4.5 m @ 356 g/t Ag, 3.5 g/t Au; 3.7 m @ 1,106 g/t Ag, 6.3 g/t Au in the Victoria vein, and 6.7 m @ 218 g/t Ag, 1.3 g/t Au; 2.2 m @ 195 g/t Ag, 1.1 g/t Au; 2.2 m @ 195 g/t Ag, 1.1 g/t Au at the Trinidad/Bonanza veins and Stockwork.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • No Relevant News.

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, secondary copper minerals around a quartz veinlet with oxidized sulfides, which is cutting an intrusive rock on a prospect of the Durango Altiplano. Photo by Jorge Cirett.

BlackCopper

Esto le debe el SAT a mineras canadienses

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http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/este-es-el-monto-que-el-sat-le-debe-a-mineras-canadienses.html

Goldcorp, McEwen Mining y Alamos Gold son algunas de las mineras canadienses a las que el órgano tributario no les ha devuelto impuestos, por lo que funcionarios de ese país presionan a México para que solucione el problema.

El Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT) retiene más de 360 millones de dólares en devoluciones de impuestos a seis mineras canadienses, incluyendo 230 millones de dólares a Goldcorp, según fuentes y documentos oficiales vistos por Reuters, un hecho que eleva la tensión entre el gobierno y las firmas que operan en el país.

En una serie de reuniones, funcionarios canadienses han presionado a México para que solucione el problema, que afecta la capacidad de inversión en operaciones y es particularmente difícil para las mineras y exploradores más pequeños con escasez de efectivo, dijeron personas familiarizadas con el asunto.

Presentan iniciativa para deducir gastos en exploración minera

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https://opinionsonora.com/2017/04/06/presentan-iniciativa-para-deducir-gastos-en-exploracion-minera/

Ciudad de México.- Los Diputados del PRI por Sonora presentaron ante el pleno de la Cámara de Diputados la iniciativa propuesta por la Gobernadora Claudia Pavlovich, que busca deducir gastos en exploración minera con la adición de un párrafo al artículo 33 de la Ley del Impuesto Sobre la Renta; en tribuna, el Diputado Ulises Cristópulos, destacó que la Gobernadora Pavlovich está comprometida con el impulso al desarrollo económico de Sonora y México, por ello propone darle un empuje al crecimiento de la industria minera a través del restablecimiento de la deducibilidad de los gastos pre operativos de exploración.

Mexico Heads East for Mining Investment

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http://www.mineriamexico.com/mexico-heads-east-for-mining-investment/

Despite the vast unexplored potential of Mexico’s metal and mineral deposits, foreign investment in the sector has long been dominated by two countries. Of the 267 foreign mining enterprises registered on the Mexican Geological Survey (SGM), 173 are from Canada and 44 are from the US. While bilateral relations with the former go from strength to strength, the isolationist rhetoric coming from the latter’s President Elect is tempting Mexican policy-makers to look elsewhere in the search for foreign investment. And it seems they have identified China as their number one target.

“We are putting massive efforts into diversifying our sources of foreign investment, and China represents a huge window of opportunity for us,” Mario Alfonso Cantú, General Coordinator of Mining at the Ministry of Economy, told Mexico Mining Review in June 2016. “We have already visited the country on numerous occasions to hold talks with two multi billion-dollar private equity funds that see Mexico as a bright star in their Latin America portfolio.”

El 74% de la minería en México está en manos de empresas candienses

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http://www.economiahoy.mx/mercados-eAm-mexico/noticias/7443911/03/16/Mexico-Chile-y-Peru-se-disputan-durante-2016-las-inversiones-en-mineria-de-America-Latina-.html

El 74% de las concesiones de exploración minera en México, se encuentra en manos extranjeras. Concretamente, canadienses. Siete grandes compañías dominan el negocio del oro y otros metales. Según el último informe del también canadiense Instituto Fraser, México perdió el atractivo para la inversión minera global en 2015, cayendo 13 puestos hasta el puesto número 37 de 109 países entre los que destacan Chile y Perú en América Latina, que adelantan con el primer y segundo lugar al país azteca.