Exploration

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of February, 2026

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Quartz Vein

By Miguel A Heredia

During the 9th week of the year (February 23th to March 01st 2026), at least 33 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, and 1 news publish by the media, with ten disclosing deals and corporate issues, eight informing on exploration results, eight reporting resources and development of their properties, three communicating production results, three announcing financing rounds, and two commenting on Mexican issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, According to an analysis of S&P Mining Intelligence, the Mexican Mining Policy may affect Mexico-USA Critical Minerals Plan. Minaurum Silver, Silverco, Heliostar, Capitan Silver and Axo Copper reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the fourth week of February, 2026. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Barksdale informed that it is reviewing a sample collection program to assay historic core drill samples, and Riverside released assays and exploration results at its Ariel project. In Chihuahua, Mammoth identified potential draw point locations for small-scale gold-silver and pilot leach testing at its Tenoriba project. In Durango, Pinnacle provided an update on its El Potrero project; Mithril reported progress of its ongoing exploration activities at La Dura and Copalquin projects and Capitan Silver released assays from nine RC holed drilled at Cruz de Plata project. In Jalisco, Axo Copper provided an update on its exploration plan at La Huerta project. In Guerrero, J2 Metals reported high grade Ag-Au-Sb results from the due diligence visit to its Sierra Plata project. ON MINING, Aura reported Q4 and full year, 2025 production and financial results (Aranzazu mine, Zacatecas). Endeavor announced Q4 and full 2025 results from their Mexican operations. ON FINANCING, Regency Silver closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $4,247,500 (Dios Padre project, Sonora). Questcorp closed the first tranche of its upsized non-brokered private placement, increasing the total offering from CAD $2.22M to CAD $2.62M (La Union project, Sonora). Algo Grande closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $6.52M (Adelita project, Sonora). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Oroco commenced its Phase 2 drill program at its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. Kootenay informed that a three-dimensional induced polarization (3D-IP) and Audio-Magnetotelluric AMT) geophysical survey has initiated at its Columba project in Chihuahua. Minaurum filed a NI43-101 Technical Report, Mineral Resource Estimate on its Alamos Silver project in Sonora. Silverco released the final assay results from the 2025 drilling program at its Cusi mine in Chihuahua. Minaurum announced the mobilization of six rigs to accelerate its ongoing Phase II, 50,000m resource expansion drilling program at its Alamo Silver project in Sonora, and released additional results. GoGold informed that it has advanced the development of its Los Ricos South project in Jalisco. Heliostar released results from the ongoing drilling program at its Ana Paula project in Guerrero. Axo Copper provided an update on its exploration plan at its recently acquired San Antonio Gold project in Sonora.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Pinnacle signed an amendment agreement with the vendor of El Potrero project, Durango. GR Silver informed that it qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market and granted stock options to certain external consultants (Plomosas project, Sinaloa). Goldgroup completed the sale of Pinos project in Zacatecas. Bear Creek announced that the Supreme Court of British Columbia approved the plan of arrangement with Highlander Silver (Mercedes mine, Sonora). Silverco announced that Nuevo Silver has completed the purchase of the La Negra mine in Queretaro. Canasil announced the appointment of Fabian Espinoza as Exploration Manager, Mexico (Nora project, Durango). GR Silver announced it will present at PDAC 2026 Convention (Plomosas project, Sinaloa). Highlander and Bear Creek completed business combination (Mercedes mine, Sonora). Santacruz granted stock options to a firm leader in investor relations and capital marketing advisory (Zimapan mine, Hidalgo). Silver Storm announced that it will be attending visitors of the PDAC 2026 Convention at its booth (La Parrilla mine, Durango). ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, No relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • According to an analysis of SP Global Market Intelligence, the Mexican Mining Policy may affect Mexico-USA Critical Minerals Plan. Mexico is among the largest producers of six of the 60 minerals it imports from the United States, but the 2023 mining reform could limit the attraction of new investment. The agreement on critical minerals recently reached with the United States represents an opportunity for Mexico to boost its mining sector. Despite the agreement, President Sheinbaum has reiterated that no new mining concessions will be granted, nor will the strict 2022 law be modified, which could limit the attraction of new investments and the development of new projects.
  • Minaurum Silver Inc., Silverco Mining Ltd., Heliostar Metals Ltd., Capitan Silver Corp., and Axo Copper Corp., reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the fourth week of February, 2026. Details are shown in the table below:

ON EXPLORATION

  • Barksdale Resources Corp., informed that it is reviewing a sample collection program to assay historic core drill samples and core from 2021 Barksdale drilling program for gold content. During the 2021 drill campaign, Barksdale encountered three broad intercepts of gold, including 1.97 g/t Au over 27m in hole SJ21-04; and two 21m intervals of 0.55 g/t Au followed by 1.57 g/t Au in hole SJ21-05.
  • Riverside Resources Inc., reported new assay results and exploration updates from its Ariel project in Sonora. Highlights include high-grade mineralization from veins in the northern Maria Luisa area, with values of up to 320 g/t Ag, 5.4% Pb, and 0.66 g/t Au. The company also completed detailed geological mapping and alteration mineral studies using spectral analysis to identify minerals associated with porphyry copper and high-sulphidation systems. In addition, a regional geophysical dataset was analyzed to prioritize drilling within permitted areas. Riverside expanded its land position through the acquisition of adjacent mineral concessions, consolidating the Ariel project into a single, drill-ready property covering 1,640 hectares. The work has further refined two principal target styles: a porphyry copper target and an epithermal target interpreted as the upper portion of a porphyry system.
  • Mammoth Resources Corp., identified potential draw point locations for small-scale gold-silver and pilot leach testing at its Tenoriba project in Chihuahua. Geologists analyzed thousands of surface samples and drill results, combined with geological and geophysical data, to pinpoint promising several draw point within the Carneritos area, with average gold grades ranging from about 0.97 g/t to 3.86 g/t. The target that shows high surface grades averaging 3.86 g/t gold has not been drilled yet. Next plans of the company are to carry out a field validation of the selected draw points; estimate size and tonnage; run metallurgical tests, and drill to define resources.
  • Pinnacle Silver and Gold Corp., provided an update on its El Potrero project in Durango, as its progresses towards a production decision. Key developments include the rehabilitation of historic mine workings and the preparation of drill stations, with a a total of 2,423m of drilling across 107 holes planned. The company also has applied for an environmental permit for surface drilling; completed a second round of metallurgical testing to optimize gold and silver recoveries, and finalize a feasibility study to extend a powerline to the project site. In addition, further community agreements are expected following the recent signing of a one-year agreement with the Ejido El Carmen.
  • Mithril Silver and Gold Limited reported progress of its ongoing exploration activities at La Dura and Copalquin projects in Durango. A high-resolution LiDAR survey revealed a 1.5 km by 300m structural corridor with multiple historic mine shafts, adits and prospecting pits, identifying a high-priority key drill target. Ongoing drilling at Target 1 aims to update resources, while promising early results at Target 3 are guiding future exploration. The company is integrating LiDAR, magnetic surveys, and sampling data to prioritize areas for resource expansion and district-wide development.
  • Capitan Silver Corp., released assays from nine RC holed drilled at Cruz de Plata project in Durango., and initiated core drilling at the property, focused on extending the new high-grade silver zone at the Jesus Maria trend proximal to the Peñoles Fault. Two more rigs are expecting to arrive in the coming weeks and will target several priority drill targets in addition to testing deeper mineralization along the Jesus Maria Silver Trend. RC Drilling highlights are shown in the next table:
  • Axo Copper Corp., provided an update on its exploration plan at La Huerta project in Jalisco. Drilling at La Huerta project is ongoing, with the current objective of testing the down-dip extension at Las Marias, through a series of planned holes ranging from approximately 350m to 450m in length. Recent assay results from La Huerta include an intercept of 2.26% Cu and 6 g/t Ag (2.34% CuEq) over 11.4m, including 3.69% Cu and 9 g/t Ag (3.81% CuEq) over 4.2m in hole LHCC-25-043.
  • J2 Metals Inc., reported high grade Ag-Au-Sb results from the due diligence visit to its Sierra Plata project in Guerrero, with a peak of 12.8 g/t Au and 3.1Kg Ag/t (60.49 g/t AuEq) from the waste dumps of the San Miguel mine. The company plans to conduct follow-up mapping, geochemistry, and magnetic geophysics to explore the property.

ON MINING

  • Aura Minerals Inc., reported Q4 and full year, 2025 production and financial results (all currency is expressed in US dollars). In Q4, 2025, the company produced at its Aranzazu mine in Zacatecas, a total of 18,878 Oz AuEq and sold 18,068 Oz AuEq at cash and AISC of $ 1,228 and $1,732 per Oz AuEq sold respectively. Aura also reported some financial numbers from its Aranzazu mine, including revenue of $66.54M and EBITDA of $40.99M. Full year 2025 production was 83,140 Oz AuEq and Aura sold 82,328 Oz AuEq at cash and AISC of $1,156 and $1,569 per Oz AuEq sold respectively. The company declared and approved the payment of a dividend of USD $0.66 per common share (approximately $55.1M).
  • Endeavor Silver Corp., announced Q4 and full 2025 results from their Mexican operations. The next tables show figures by mine for both periods:

ON FINANCING

  • Regency Silver Corp., closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $4,247,500 by selling 16, 990,000 units at a price of CAD $0.25 by unit. Net proceeds will be used to support the ongoing drilling at Dios Padre project, in Sonora.
  • Questcorp Mining Inc., closed the first tranche of its upsized non-brokered private placement of 11,100,000 units at a price of CAD $0.2 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD $2.22M, and then it amended and restated to 13,100,000 units at a price of CAD $0.20 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD $2.62M. Part of the gross proceeds will be used for exploration work at La Union project in Sonora, as well as general working capital purposes.
  • Algo Grande Copper Corp., closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement of 10,037,020 shares at a price of CAD $0.65 per share for gross proceeds of CAD $6.52M.  Net proceeds will be used to fund the next phase of exploration at its Adelita project in Sonora, focused on a Phase II drilling program.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Oroco Resource Corp., commenced its Phase 2 drilling program at its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. The program will consists of infill and confirmation drilling to refine de geological and grade model to support the upgrade of the mineral resource classifications in the project’s South Zone. The company also announced that it will undertake complementary Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) hydrological, geotechnical and metallurgical programs intended to advance project engineering and reduce technical risk at Santo Tomas project.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc., informed that a three-dimensional induced polarization (3D-IP) and Audio-Magnetotelluric AMT) geophysical survey has initiated at its Columba project in Chihuahua. It will cover over 1,250 hectares to aid in discovering additional mineralized zones, and is expected to take approximately eight weeks to complete. The geophysical survey aims to enhance understanding of subsurface structures and mineralization, complementing ongoing drilling efforts that have already delineated significant silver-lead-zinc- resources. The combined geophysical data will help refine drill targets, support resource expansion, and guide future exploration, all as part of Kootenay’s broader plan to advance the project and increase silver-lead-zinc resource estimates.
  • Minaurum Silver Inc., filed a NI43-101 Technical Report, Mineral Resource Estimate on its Alamos Silver project in Sonora to announce results from its resource-expansion drill program in the Europa, Promontorio and Travesia vein zones.
  • Silverco Mining Ltd., released the final assay results from the 2025 drilling program at its Cusi mine in Chihuahua. Drilling highlights at San Miguel Zone include hole CU-25-45 with 0.22 g/t Au, 500 g/t Ag, 1.6% Pb, and 3% Zn (548 g/t AgEq) over 3.9m, including 0.63 g/t Au, 1,265 g/t Ag, 3.6% Pb, and 6% Zn over 1,348 g/t AgEq, plus 0.34 g/t Au, 293 g/t Ag, 1.7% Pb, and 3.1% Zn (370 g/t AgEq) over 13.6m, including 1.18 g/t Au, 1,1015 g/t Ag, 0.3% Pb, and 0.7% Zn (980 g/t AgEq) over 1.3m; hole CU-25-43 with 0.27 g/t Au, 137 g/t Ag, 2.1% Pb, and 3.2% Zn (236 g/t AgEq) over 12m, including 0.58 g/t Au, 198 g/t Ag, 4.5% Pb, 6.7% Zn (417 g/t AgEq) over 3.1m, plus 0.08 g/t Au, 54 g/t Ag, 2.6% Pb, and 4.1% Zn (181 g/t AgEq) over 3.1m; and hole CU-25-58 with 0.7 g/t Au, 239 g/t Ag, 13.1% Pb, and 15.7% Zn (803 g/t AgEq) over 3.7m.
  • Minaurum Silver Inc., announced the mobilization of six rigs to accelerate its ongoing Phase II, 50,000m resource expansion drilling program at its Alamo Silver project in Sonora, and released additional results. The company will continue step-out drilling on vein zones with established resources at Europa and Promontorio-Travesia, while initiating resource-definition on several additional veins, including San Jose, Quintera, Cotera-Pulpito, and Minas Viejas. Drilling highlights are shown in the table below:
  • GoGold Resources Inc., informed that it has advanced the development of its Los Ricos South project in Jalisco. Key activities include detailed underground mine design, plant engineering, and equipment procurement underway. The company has selected contractors for underground mining, secured key equipment like a SAG grinding mill and working out power, and water supplies, and is preparing for construction once permits are received. Plant designs for processing and tailings are over halfway done. With a robust financial position of approximately USD $250M, GoGold is well-positioned to move towards production, aiming to benefit the local community and stakeholders through economic investments.
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd., released results from the current drilling program at its Ana Paula project in Guerrero, which is focused on converting inferred ounces to higher confidence classifications, as well as support the ongoing Feasibility Study. Drilling results are shown in the next table:
  • Axo Copper Corp., provided an update on its exploration plan at its recently acquired San Antonio Gold project in Sonora. It announced that it will commence an initial 25,000m drill program to expand and upgrade existing resources through infill drilling, as well as to drill additional 5,000mto test new exploration targets along strike of known deposits. Sapuchi deposit is a top priority and is considered a potential starter pit due to oxide mineralization and existing infrastructure. Additional exploration targets include El Tigre, with strong surface gold results and historic workings. It consists of a 1.5km by 0.5km mineralized corridor, located along strike and immediately west of the Golfo de Oro resource. Initial drilling (~5,000 m) will test strike continuity and vertical extent, with scalability contingent on results.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Pinnacle Silver and Gold Corp., informed that it amended payment terms for the El Potrero project in Durango. The original payment of USD $750K due on February 21, 2026 will be split into three equal portions. The new payment schedule will comprise payments of US$250,000 on each of February 24, May 24 and August 24, 2026.  All other cash payments and share issuances remain the same.  
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd., informed that it qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. GR Silver will trade under the symbol “GRSLF”. The company also granted incentive options to certain external consultants to purchase up to 750,000 common shares. These options are exercisable for a period of five years at a price of CAD $0.465 per share. On the other hand, GR Silver entered into a consultant agreement with Redwood Empire Financial Communications LLC to receive investor relations services commencing January 1, 2026 and ending on December 31, 2026 (Plomosas project, Sinaloa).
  • Goldgroup Mining Inc., completed the sale of Minera Apolo SA de CV, which owns all the issued and outstanding shares of Minera Catanava SA de CV.  Apolo and Minera Catanava collectively hold a 100% interest in the Pinos project in Zacatecas, which comprises 30 contiguous mining concessions totalling 3,816 hectares. Goldgroup sold the project to a private arm´s length British Columbia company in consideration of USD $5M in stages payments, with USD $2.45M paid on signing, USD $550K paid on closing and USD $2M to be paid within six months following the closing, which paymrent is secured by a promissory note.
  • Bear Creek Mining Corporation announced that the Supreme Court of British Columbia approved the plan of arrangement with Highlander Silver under the Business Corporations Act. It will enacts Highlander to acquire all the issued and outstanding common shares of Bear Creek as previously announced (Mercedes mine, Sonora).
  • Silverco Mining Ltd., announced that Nuevo Silver Inc., has completed the purchase of the La Negra mine in Queretaro, and is proceeding with its proposed acquisition of Nuevo Silver. The company continues to negotiate a definitive agreement, pending due diligence, board approval, and regulatory clearances. The upcoming steps involve finalizing the acquisition process and obtaining all necessary approvals.
  • Canasil Resources Inc., announced the appointment of Fabian Espinoza as Exploration Manager, Mexico (Nora project, Durango).
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd., announced it will present at PDAC 2026 Convention from February 26th to March 04th, 2026 (Plomosas project, Sinaloa).
  • Highlander Silver Corp., and Bear Creek Mining Corporation completed business combination under Division 5 of Part 9 of the Business Corporations Act and the concurrent closing of the debt settlement agreements between Highlander Silver and each of Royal Gold, Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiary, International Royalty Corporation, and Equinox Gold Corp., (Mercedes mine, Sonora).
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd., granted 45,000 stock options at an exercise price of CAD $17.18 to a firm leader in investor relations and capital marketing advisory (Zimapan mine, Hidalgo).
  • Silver Storm Mining Ltd announced that it will be attending visitors of the PDAC 2026 Convention at its booth (La Parrilla mine, Durango).

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • 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, float of a quartz vein in an intermediate sulphidation epithermal vein-breccia system in Chihuahua, Mexico. Photo taken by Miguel A Heredia.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of February, 2025

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Quartz-FeOx stockwork veining

By Miguel A Heredia

During the 7th week of the year (February 10th to February 16th 2025), at least 30 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, with ten reporting resources and development of their properties, seven announcing financing rounds, six disclosing deals and corporate issues, four communicating production results, two informing on exploration results, and one commenting on Mexican issues.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, Silver Tiger, Impact Silver, and Kootenay the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the second week of February, 2025. ON EXPLORATION, IN Sonora, Minaurum announced the latest drill results from its drill program at its Alamos Silver project. In Chihuahua, Kootenay released results from eleven holes drilled at its Columba project.  ON MINING, Sierra Madre reported record monthly production results from its Guitarra mine in Estado de Mexico for the month of January, 2025. First Majestic announced 2025 production and cost guidance for their Mexican mining operations. GoGold released Q1, 2025 production and financial results (Parral Tailing project, Chihuahua). Agnico reported Q4 and 2024 full year production results from their Mexican operations. ON FINANCING, Capitan Silver announces a revision to the warrant acceleration right related to its private placement financing warrants (Cruz de Plata project, Durango).  Defiance Silver closed first a second tranche and then a third and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $1,560,600 and CAD $975K respectively (San Acacio property, Zacatecas). Oroco announced that its previously announced non-brokered private placement is now oversubscribed (Santo Tomas project, Sinaloa). Colibri closed a first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $140,400 (Pilar and EP project, Sonora). Reyna Silver closed a second tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD $1,607,992.50 (Batopilas project, Chihuahua). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Sonora Desert completed the compilation of the geophysical dataset and outlined the results of geophysical analyses from its Cuatro Hermanos project in Sonora. Tocvan and its JV partner Colibri announced that a total of 1,122m has been drilled in ten drill holes at its Pilar project in Sonora. Hecla reported year-end mineral reserves and resources for its San Sebastian mine, Durango. Apollo provided an update of its recently acquired Cinco de Mayo project, Chihuahua. Silver Tiger released drilling results from its El Tigre project in Sonora.  Impact Silver reported underground drilling results from the Kena Vein South in its producing mine in the Zacualpan mining district, Estado de Mexico. Zacatecas Silver designed a new drill program for its silver projects in Zacatecas. Agnico Eagle provided and update on year-end 2024 mineral reserves and mineral resource, 2024 exploration results and 2025 exploration plans.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Guanajuato Silver announced the receipt from the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) of approval for graduation from Tier 2 Issuer Status to Tier 1 Issuer Status (El Cubo and Pinguico Mine Complex, Guanajuato). Infinitum Copper announced the resignation of a member of its Board of Directors (La Adelita project, Sonora). SilverCrest received court approval for arrangement with Coeur Mining (Las Chispas mine, Sonora). Tocvan granted stock options to officers, directors and consultants (Pilar project, Sonora). Heliostar announced that it has successfully repaid a USD $5M acquisition loan just three months after securing it to purchase gold assets in Mexico from Florida canyon. Coeur reported that it has completed the acquisition of SilverCrest (Las Chispas mine, Sonora). ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY,  no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc., Impact Silver Corp., and Kootenay Silver Inc., reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the second week of February, 2025. Details are shown in the table below:

ON EXPLORATION

  • Minaurum Gold Inc., announced the latest drill results from its drill program at its Alamos Silver project in Sonora. This drilling campaign is targeting the highly prospective Promontorio vein. Drilling highlights are shown in the table below: 
  • Kootenay Silver Inc., released results from eleven holes drilled at its Columba project in Chihuahua. Drilling highlights are shown in the table below:

 ON MINING

  • Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd., reported record monthly production results from its Guitarra mine in Estado de Mexico for the month of January, 2025.  The company shipped a total of 349.38 dry metric tonnes of concentrate with an additional 45.81 tonnes in inventory. Provisional weighted average Ag grade of concentrate shipments was 2,429 g/t, gold averaged 32.124 g/t.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp., announced 2025 production and cost guidance for their Mexican mining operations. Figures are shown in the table below:
  • GoGold Resources Inc., released Q1, 2025 production and financial results (Parral Tailing project, Chihuahua). The company produced 226.3K Oz Ag, 3.2K Oz Au, 271K Lb Cu, and 360.6K Lb Zn (551.4K Oz AgEq) at adjusted cash and AISC of USD $19.33 and USD $22.45 per Oz AgEq respectively. GoGold also announced financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2024 with record revenue of USD $19.1M on the sale of 626K Oz AgEq at an average realized price of USD $30.51 per Oz Ag. It also reported cash of USD $76M and cash flow from operations of USD $7.9M.
  • Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., reported Q4 and 2024 full year production and results from their Mexican operations (all currency is expressed in US dollars). At Pinos Altos, Chihuahua, in Q4, 2024 the company milled 381,000 tonnes of 1.58 g/t Au to produce 18.6K Oz Au at a production cost of  $2,435 per Oz Au and a total cash cost of $1,921 per Oz Au. For the 2024 dull year, Agnico milled 1,707,000 tonnes of 1.69 g/t Au to produce 88.4K Oz Au at a production cost of $1,902 per Oz Au and a total cash cost of $1,530 per Oz Au. At La India, Sonora, the company produced in Q4, 2024, over 3.4K Oz Au at a production cost of $3,045 per Oz Au and total cash cost of $1,835 per Oz Au. On the 2024 full year, it produced 24.6K Oz Au at a production cost of $2,025 per Oz Au and a total cash cost of $1,945 per Oz Au. The company reported revenue of $61.47M for Pinos Altos, Chihuahua and $9.26M for La India, Sonora.  Agnico provided three-year production guidance and expects to produce at Pinos Altos, Chihuahua between 75-85K Oz Au in 2025 and 2026, and between 85-95K Oz Au in 2027. Production guidance for 2025 is to mill 1,350,000 tonnes with an average grade of 1.96 g/t Au. 

ON FINANCING

  • Capitan Silver Corp., Mining announces a revision to the warrant acceleration right related to its private placement financing of up to 13,250,000 units at CAD $0.40 per unit, totaling up to CAD $5.3M. Each unit consists of one common share and one common share purchase warrant, exercisable for one share at CAD $0.50 for 12 months. The Company can accelerate the expiry of the warrants with a notice if the closing price exceeds CAD $0.50 and following a significant property acquisition announcement. Closing is set for February 17, 2025, pending regulatory approvals (Cruz de Plata project, Durango).
  • Defiance Silver Corp., closed first a second tranche and then a third and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement of 7,803,000 units at a price of CAD $0.20 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD $1,560,600 for the second tranche, followed 4,875,000 units at a price of CAD $0.20 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD $975K for the third and final tranche. In total, the company issued 16,339,000 units for aggregate gross proceeds of CAD $3,267,800. Gross proceeds will be used for exploration and general working capital purposes (San Acacio property, Zacatecas).
  • Oroco Resource Corp., announced that its previously announced non-brokered private placement is now oversubscribed due to strong investor demand. As a result, the company is no longer accepting new subscriptions and now intends to close the offering, subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (Santo Tomas project, Sinaloa).
  • Colibri Resource Corporation closed a first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of 5,616,000 units at a price of $0.025 per unit for gross proceeds of $140,400.  Net proceeds are expected to be used as follow: approximately 20% for upcoming exploration expenses at Colibri’s highly prospective precious metals projects in Mexico, including the Pilar Gold Project & the EP Gold Project in Sonora, 65% for arm’s length creditors including payment of interest expenses on outstanding loans and up to 15% to non-arm’s length parties as reimbursement for expenses paid on behalf of the Company by the non arm’s length parties.
  • Reyna Silver Corp., closed a second tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of 21,439,900 units at a price of CAD $0.075 per unit for gross proceeds of CAD $1,607,992.50. Gross proceeds will be used for ongoing exploration, maintenance and development of the company´s properties and general working capital and corporate purposes (Batopilas project, Chihuahua).
  • Barksdale Resources Corp., announced on February 14, 2024, the extension of its convertible debenture´s maturity date to December 31, 2025, with the conversion price reduced to $0.12 per share. The debentures have a remaining principal amount of $1.5M and all other terms of the debentures remain unchanged. The company issued 1,684,931 units to creditors to settle 151,644 in accrued interest, with each unit priced at $0.09 and including warrant for future purchase at $0.12. Additionally, Barksdale issued 8,000,000 share purchase warrants as an extension fee, valid until December 31, 2025. The company continues to advance its base metal projects in North America, including the San Javier project in Sonora, Mexico.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Sonoran Desert Copper Corporation completed the compilation of the geophysical dataset and outlined the results of geophysical analyses from its Cuatro Hermanos project in Sonora, focusing on resistivity and induced polarization (IP) data. Key findings include the identification of deep shear zones that may serve as channels for sulphide-rich mineralizing fluids, enhancing the potential for copper and molybdenum mineralization. The updated geophysical profiles suggest the presence of mineralization linked to these shear structures, with nearby drillholes indicating increasing copper grades toward these anomalies.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp., and its JV partner Colibri Resource Corporation announced that a total of 1,122m has been drilled in ten drill holes at its Pilar project in Sonora. It was reported that samples for first three drill holes have been sent to lab for analysis and that an initial review of drill core indicates key structures and favourable rock characterization has been encountered. Tocvan and Colibri are advancing plans for up to 50,000 tonnes bulk sample/pilot facility.
  • Hecla Mining Company reported year-end mineral reserves and resources for its San Sebastian mine, Durango. The company reported indicated resources for San Sebastian-Oxide of 1,233,000 tonnes with grades of 205 g/t Ag and 3.11 g/t Au for a total of 8.15M Oz Ag and 121K Oz Au contained, while for San Sebastian-Sulfide it reported 1,164,000 tonnes with grades of 165 g/t Ag, 0.31 g/t Au, 2% Pb, 3.1% Zn, and 1.3% Cu for a total of 6.2M Oz Ag, 15K Oz Au, 52.64M Lb Pb, 80.42M Lb Zn, and 34.14M Lb Cu contained. Hecla reported inferred resources for San Sebastian-Oxide of 2,163,000 with grades of 221 g/t Ag and 1.87 g/t Au for a total of 15.36M Oz Ag and 134K Oz Au contained, while for San Sebastian-Sulfide the company reported 326, 000 tonnes with grades of 134 g/t Ag, 0.31 g/t Au, 1.7% Pb, 2.6% Zn, and 0.9% Cu for a total of 1.39M Oz Ag, 4K Oz Au, 12.7M Lb Pb, 18.86M Lb Zn, and 6.92M Lb Cu contained.
  • Apollo Silver Corp., provided an update of its recently acquired Cinco de Mayo project, Chihuahua. Recently, on February 3, 2025, a new pro-development executive for the Ejido Benito Juarez, owner of the surface rights covering the Cinco de Mayo claims, was officially certified after winning an election by majority and an approximate margin of 2:1. This change is significant as it opens opportunities for economic proposals regarding the project’s continued development, which aims to include community investments aligned with Apollo´s plans for the site. The company is keen to restore social license and build relationships in the region, which has not been feasible for the past decade due to local governance challenges.
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc., released the first assays from the drilling program being conducted from underground drill pads targeting the high-grade Vein, Sulfide and Shale results at its El Tigre project in Sonora. Drilling highlights includes holes ET-24-627 and ET-24-626, whose results are shown in the table below:
  • Impact Silver Corp., reported underground drilling results from the Kena Vein South in its producing mine in the Zacualpan mining district, Estado de Mexico. Drilling highlights include holes MPZ-UG-005-24 with 597 g/t Ag, 1.15 g/t Au, 0.8% Pb, and 0.6% Zn over 2.77m, plus 338 g/t Ag, 0.87 g/t Au, 0.4% Pb, and 1.7% Zn over 0.35m, plus 1,460 g/t Ag, 0.04 g/t Au, 0.3% Pb, and 0.7% Zn over 0.55m,and  plus 298 g/t Ag, 0.03 g/t Au, 0.1% Pb, and 0.04% Zn over 1.35m; hole MPZ-UG-006-24 with 195 g/t Ag, 0.05 g/t Au, 0.2% Pb, and 0.5% Zn over 3.70m, including 611 g/t Ag, 0.17 g/t Au, 0.6% Pb, and 1.3% Zn over 0.90m; and hole MZP-UG-007-24 with 519 g/t Ag, 0.54 g/t Au, 0.2% Pb, and 0.4% Zn over 0.75m.
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp., designed a new drilling program for its silver projects in Zacatecas, aimed at expanding existing mineral resources and following up on previously identified high-grade silver intercepts. Key areas of focus include the Panuco Deposit, which has shown high-grade silver results, and the El Cristo Vein System, which has many unexplored targets. In addition, the company has identified two additional high-priority exploration targets: San Gil Breccia and Muleros zones. San Gill Breccia Zone, located in the southern part of the main Zacatecas concessions, about two kilometers southwest of the Veta Grande vein. It features intense brecciation and quartz veining, along with abundant iron oxides after sulfides, and  Muleros Zone, situated south of Panuco and north of El Cristo, this vein system extends over a three-kilometer strike length and consists of three main veins: the South Vein, North Vein, and El Rosario Vein.
  • Silver Storm Mining Ltd., announced a significant update to its mineral resource estimate at its La Parrilla mine in Durango. Key highlights include a 107% increase in indicated mineral resources, growing from 5.2M Oz AgEq to 10.8M Oz AgEq; a 58% increase in inferred mineral resources, from 10.3M Oz AgEq to 16.3M Oz AgEq; approximately 90% of the indicated and 85% of the inferred resources comprise sulphide mineralization, 10% of the indicated and 15% of the inferred mineral resource tonnage is oxide mineralization, with silver accounting for 66% of the indicated and 69% of the inferred gross metal value; the modeling of 23 additional mineralized structures, indicative of further potential; and the total exploration cost was recorded at USD $0.22 per Oz AgEq discovered. Silver Storm is optimistic about future drilling results and its strategic position to potentially resume operations, given the substantial increase in mineral resources and a fully permitted processing plant.
  • Agnico Eagle Mines Limited provided and update on year-end 2024 mineral reserves and mineral resources, 2024 exploration results and 2025 exploration plans. The company reported proven + probable reserves for their Mexican operations. For Pinos Altos, Chihuahua, it reported 433K Oz Au @ 1.94 g/t Au and 8.5M Oz Ag @ 38 g/t Ag, and for San Nicolas, Zacatecas (50%) 672K Oz Au @ 0.4 g/t Au and 37.7m Oz Ag, 1.32 B Lb Cu @ 1.12% Cu, and 1.74 B Lb Zn @ 1.5% Zn.  Agnico also reported mineral resources for their operations. Measured + Indicated (M+I) resources reported for Pinos Altos, Chihuahua were 741K Oz Au @ 2.09 g/t Au and 16M Oz Ag @ 47 g/t Ag, and Inferred resources were 58K Oz Au @1.67 g/t Au and 1.33M Oz Ag @ 39 g/t Ag; for San Nicolas, Zacatecas (50%), 20K Oz Au @ 0.19 g/t Au, 1.2M Oz Ag @ 11 g/t Ag, 87.4M Lb Cu @ 1.18% Cu, and 48.4M Lb Cu @ 0.8% Zn (M+I), and 10K Oz Au @ 0.13 g/t Au, 7.35M Oz Ag @ 9 g/t Ag, 51.8 B Lb Cu @ 0.94% Cu, 34.4M Lb Zn @ 0.6% Zn (Inferred); for La India, Sonora, 89K Oz Au @ 0.52 g/t Au and  464K Oz Ag @ 3 g/t Ag (M+I resources); for Tarachi, Sonora, 361K Oz Au @ 0.58 g/t Au (M+I) and 4K Oz Au @ 0.52 g/t Au (Inferred); for Chipriona, Sonora, 326K Oz Au @ 0.92 g/t Au, 35.6M Oz Ag @ 101 g/t Ag, 38.7M Lb Cu @ 0.16% Cu, and 205.3M Lb Zn @ 0.8% Zn (M+I) and 21K Oz Au @ 0.66 g/t Au, 2.7M Oz Ag @ 87 g/t Ag, 2.63M Lb Cu @  0.12% Cu, and 15.8M Lb Zn @ 0.7% Zn (Inferred); for El Barqueño, Jalisco, 331K Oz Au @1.16 g/t Au, 1.34M Oz Ag @ 5 g/t Ag, 36.7M Lb Cu @ 0.19% Cu (M+I) and 351K Oz Au @ 1.13 g/t Au, 22.7M Oz Ag @ 99 g/t Ag, 51.5M Lb Cu @ 0.2% Cu (Inferred); and for Santa Gertrudis, Sonora, 563K Oz Au @ 0.91 g/t Au (M+I) and 1.43M Oz Au @ 2.36 g/t Au. Agnico also provided its 2025 exploration program and corporate development guidance. At Pinos Altos, Chihuahua, the company expects to spend USD $3.8M for 19,600m of capitalized and expensed exploration drilling. On Mexico Regional, it expects to spend USD $17.6M.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd., announced the receipt from the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) of approval for graduation from Tier 2 Issuer Status to Tier 1 Issuer Status. The company will commence trading as a Tier 1 Issuer on February 14, 2025 (El Cubo and Pinguico Mine Complex, Guanajuato).
  • Infinitum Copper Corp., announced the resignation of a member of its Board of Directors (La Adelita project, Sonora).
  • SilverCrest Metals Inc., received court approval for arrangement with Coeur Mining Inc., whereby Coeur will, among other things, indirectly acquires all of the issued and outstanding SilverCrest shares.  (Las Chispas mine, Sonora).
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp., granted 1,675,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.50 per share to officers, directors and consultants. All options issued will expire February 11, 2030 (Pilar project, Sonora).
  • Heliostar Metals Inc., announced that it has successfully repaid a USD $5M acquisition loan just three months after securing it to purchase gold assets in Mexico from Florida Canyon Gold Inc. Being debt-free will enable Heliostar to reinvest all profits from operations into growth initiatives, focusing on increasing production and developing new resources in 2025 (La Colorada mine, Sonora).
  • Coeur Mining Inc., reported that it has completed the acquisition of SilverCrest Metals Inc. Coeur acquired all the outstanding common shares of SilverCrest, with SilverCrest shareholders receiving 1.6022 Coeur common shares for each SilverCrest common share (Las Chispas mine, Sonora)

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • 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 above, a quartz-FeOx stockwork veining with chrysocolla stains from an IOCG system in a project in Sonora, Mexico. Photo taken by Miguel A Heredia.

Estrategia Nacional de Industrialización y Prosperidad Compartida

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Recientemente el gobierno presentó su Estrategia Nacional de Industrialización y Prosperidad Compartida. En la imagen de arriba pueden ver la última página del documento, que se refiere a la minería. Resaltan el plan para modificar la Ley Minera para permitir la exploración por particulares, la inclusión de Manifestación de Impacto Social para “todo” y la reducción de tiempos en la Manifestaciones de Impacto Ambiental (MIAs).

Aquí el documento completo:

2024-Diciembre, Plan MéxicoDownload

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of April 2024

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By Jorge Cirett                                             

During the 15th week of the year (April 8th to April 14th, 2024), companies working in Mexico posted at least 29 press releases. Two companies released exploration results in their properties, while eight companies released production results for Q1 2024. Seven companies announced financing rounds for a total of C$18.4 M, one granted stock options, one more made a significant draw on its debt facility and one more is listing in the FSE. Three companies released drilling results from their advanced properties, one on new technical reports needed for its properties, and one more on the incoming drilling program. One company announced the appointment of a director. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the Northern Miner wrote that Mexico’s Supreme Court is likely to strike down the mining reforms by the current government. A federal court rejected the legal defense on the cancellation of the Sonora Lithium project concessions. ON EXPLORATION, Minaurum Gold reported metallurgical test results on Alamos; Silver Spruce obtained the drilling permit for the second round of drilling at Diamante. ON MINING, Fortuna Silver, Aura Minerals, Guanajuato Silver Company, Endeavour Silver, Orla Mining, GoGold Resources, Torex gold and Gatos Silver presented production results for Q1 2024. ON FINANCING, Kootenay Silver launched a “best efforts” public offering to raise up to C$5 M. Oroco Resource granted stock options. Silver Spruce announced a private placement to raise C$500 K. Silver Storm raised C$6.1 M. Endeavour Silver drew US$60 M from its US$120 M senior secured debt facility. Vortex Metals is to complete a non-brokered private placement to raise C$1.45 M. Prismo Metals listed its shares in the FSE. Tocvan Ventures is to raise C$2.25 M. Regency Silver upsized its non-brokered private placement to C$993.7 K. Silver Viper raised C$2.1 M on the closing of the first tranche of its financing round. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Pan American Silver presented drilling results from La Colorada Skarn infill drilling in Zacatecas. Prime Mining released drilling results from Los Reyes, in Sinaloa. Defiance Silver is to prepare new technical reports for Tepal and San Acacio projects, in Jalisco and Zacatecas respectively. Goldgroup presented the first update on its operations and drilling results at Cerro Prieto, in Sonora. Centenario Gold is preparing to drill Eden, in Sinaloa. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Vizsla Silver announced an appointment to the board. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Henry Lazenby on the Northern Miner wrote that Mexico’s Supreme Court could strike down the president’s mining reforms next week. Here is the link to read on the nightmarish situation in Mexico under the current government for the mining industry: https://www.northernminer.com/news/mexicos-supreme-court-could-strike-down-presidents-mining-reforms-next-week/1003866150/
  • The federal court rejected an amparo filed by Bacanora Lithium owned by the Chinese company Ganfeng Lithium to reverse the cancellation of its mining concessions in Sonora by the Ministry of Economy’s (SE) General Mining Directorate in September 2023.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Minaurum Gold Inc. reported preliminary metallurgical testing results from composite core samples taken at the Promontorio and Europa targets at its Alamos silver project in Sonora. “Six separate composites were prepared including 3 from core samples at the Europa vein zone and 3 from core samples at the Promontorio vein zone. For each vein zone, the 3 composites were comprised of 1/4 cores corresponding from sample intervals with silver assays in ranges 150-250 g/t silver (low grade), 250-450 g/t silver (medium grade), and >450 g/t silver (high grade)”. Reported Au recoveries ranged from 46% to 96.5%, averaging 77.4%; Ag recoveries ranged between 68.2% to 94.3%, averaging 85.4%; Pb recoveries ranged from 21.3% to 82.2%, averaging 63.7%; Cu recoveries ranged between 43.5% and 81.87%, averaging 61.2%. Samples were processed at the Tecnológico de Metalurgia in Hermosillo and the Servicio Geológico Mexicano (SGM) lab in Chihuahua.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. along with partner Colibri Resource Corp. announced the approval of its Informe Preventivo by SEMARNAT (Environmental authority) for the second drill program at the Diamante project in Sonora. “Colibri will manage the planned 1,000 metre diamond drilling program from a select group of the permitted drill targets”.

ON MINING

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. reported production for the first quarter of 2024, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Jose, in Oaxaca, 181.1 K tonnes were milled at an average rate of 2,182 tpd, grading 147 gpt Ag, 0.90 gpt Au, recovering 88.73% Ag, 86.76% Au, to produce 4,533 Oz Au, 759.1 K Oz Ag during the period. “The San Jose Mine has less operational flexibility in 2024 compared to 2023 due to the reduced and more dispersed Mineral Reserves associated with the Trinidad deposit. Production areas contain lower head grades and a higher presence of ferrous oxides in the upper levels, which impacted recoveries by approximately 2 percent in the quarter. The operation is experiencing cost pressures, mainly driven by a continued appreciation of the Mexican peso. The Company conducts regular assessments and trade-offs between maintaining operations and a care and maintenance option”.
  • Aura Minerals Inc. announced preliminary production results from its mines, including figures from Aranzazu, in Zacatecas. During the period Aranzazu produced 25,001 Oz AuEq. “Production was 5% lower compared to Q4 2023 and 5% above Q1 2023 at constant metal prices, due to mine sequencing…”
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. announced selected financial information and consolidated production results for 2023. During the year the company mined 600.3 K tonnes, milling 593.8 K tonnes to produce 1.76 M Oz Ag, 16,967 Oz Au, 3.55 M Lb Pb, 3.87 M Lb Zn, at cash cost $18.22 per Oz AgEq and an AISC of $22.91. Guanajuato Silver produced 74% more Ag, 52% more Au, 164% more Pb and 100% more Zn than in 2022. At the end of the period the company had cash and cash equivalents of $1.96 M and negative working capital of $18.44 M (El Cubo, Valenciana Complex, San Ignacio in Guanajuato; Topia in Durango).
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. reported Q1 2024 production of 1.46 M Oz Ag, 10,133 Oz Au, or 2.3 M Oz AgEq. At Guanaceví, in Durango, 115 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 1,263 tpd, grading 402 gpt Ag, 1.25 gpt Au, recovering 89.9% Ag, 89.2% Au, to produce 1.33 M Oz Ag, 4,124 Oz Au. At Bolañitos, in Guanajuato, 106.8 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 1,174 tpd, grading 42 gpt Ag, 1.94 gpt Au, recovering 86.2% Ag, 90.2% Au, to produce 124.3 K Oz Ag, 6,010 Oz Au.
  • Orla Mining Ltd. provided an interim operational update for Q1 2024. During the period 1.94 M tonnes of ore were mined and 872.6 K tonnes of waste moved at its Camino Rojo Oxide mine in Zacatecas, with a strip ratio of 0.45, stacking 1.8 M tonnes at an average rate of 19,597 tpd, grading 0.82 gpt Au, to produce 33,223 Oz Au. At the end of the period Orla had a $118.1 M cash position, with a total debt of $88.4 M, resulting in a net cash position of $29.7 M.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. reported production for Q1 2024 of 138.7 K Oz Ag, 2,184 Oz Au, 93 tonnes Cu, 92 tonnes Zn, or 375.7 K Oz AgEq at its Parral tailings operations. “With the SART Zinc circuit commissioning completed, this marks the first quarter where Parral produced a saleable zinc product.”
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. reported Q1 2024 gold production of 115,494 Oz at its El Limón Guajes surface and underground operations in Guerrero. Average gold recovery at the processing plant was 90.7%, the highest to date. Throughput averaged 13,118 tpd.
  • Gatos Silver Inc. announced production results for Q1 2024 at its Cerro Los Gatos mine in Chihuahua. During the period 292.1 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 3,210 tpd, grading 284 gpt Ag, 3.99% Zn, 1.77% Pb, 0.28 gpt Au, recovering 88.8% Ag, 61.4% Zn, 89.2% Pb, 52% Au, to produce 2.37 M Oz Ag, 15.8 M Lb Zn, 10.1 M Lb Pb, 1,390 Oz Au (or 3.7 M Oz AgEq) in lead and zinc concentrates.

ON FINANCING

  • Kootenay Silver Inc. entered into an agreement with Red Cloud Securities Inc. to act as lead agent and sole bookrunner in connection with a “best efforts” public offering for gross proceeds of up to C$5 M (Columba, Chihuahua).
  • Oroco Resource Corp. granted 6.23 M stock options to 33 directors, officers, employees and consultants at an exercise price of $0.75 per share (Santo Tomás, Sinaloa).
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. announced a private placement to gather gross proceeds of up to C$500 K (Pino de Plata, Chihuahua).
  • Silver Storm Mining Ltd. closed the second and final tranche of its oversubscribed non-brokered private placement offering for gross proceeds of C$4.63 M, including C$3 M investment from current significant shareholder Eric Sprott.  In aggregate the total gross proceeds in the two tranches added to C$6.1 M (La Parrila, Durango).
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. announced the first drawdown of $60 M of the $120 M senior secured debt facility for the development of the Terronera mine in Jalisco. The key terms of the contracts include forward sales amounting to 68,000 Oz Au that have been executed at $2,325 per Oz, representing 55% of planned gold production on the first three years of operations, no silver hedge requirements and forward purchases of US$45 M equivalent Mexican peso over the remaining construction period at $16.56 per US dollar.
  • Vortex Metals Inc. intends to complete a non-brokered private placement for total gross proceeds of C$1.45 M (Riqueza Marina, Oaxaca).
  • Prismo Metals Inc. announced the listing of its shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE). Prismo Metals shares are also cross listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange and on the OTCQB in the United States (Los Pavitos, Sonora).
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. arranged a non-brokered private placement with a lead order from an institutional investor for C$1.5 M. The company will complete a concurrent private placement for up to C$750 K to other eligible investors for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2.25 M (Pilar, Sonora).
  • Regency Silver Corp. announced that it has closed a further C$215.2 K of a previously announced non-brokered private placement of $C800 K, upsizing it to a total of C$993.7 K (Dios Padre, Sonora).
  • Silver Viper Minerals Corp. announced the closing of the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement financing pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (LIFE) previously announced. Under the first tranche the company raised C$2.11 M in gross proceeds (La Virginia, Sonora).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Pan American Silver Corp. released results from the ongoing infill and geotechnical drill program at its La Colorada Skarn project, in Zacatecas. The results from eight drill holes (8,101 m) returned some of the highest-grade intercepts in the project. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 26.85 m @ 127 gpt Ag, 7.2% Pb, 11.1% Zn; 77.85 m @ 568 gpt Ag, 12.4% Pb, 9.6% Zn; 22.50 m @ 1,435 gpt Ag, 31.9% Pb, 20.5% Zn; 372.10 m @ 77 gpt Ag, 3.9% Pb, 5.8% Zn (including 83.85 m @ 172 gpt Ag, 8.5% Pb, 10.5% Zn); 60.00 m @ 80 gpt Ag, 4.0% Pb, 7.0% Zn (including 29.00 m @ 136 gpt Ag, 7.5% Pb, 12.8% Zn); 91.20 m @ 31 gpt Ag, 2.6% Pb, 5.0% Zn; 87.25 m @ 32 gpt Ag, 1.4% Pb, 3.9% Zn; 134.55 m @ 29 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb, 6.6% Zn; 23.15 m @ 57 gpt Ag, 3.3% Pb, 5.6% Zn.
  • Prime Mining Corp. reported expansion drilling results from its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width intervals from 15 holes at the Tahonitas area comprise 7.7 m @ 5.83 gpt Au, 143 gpt Ag (including 1.8 m @ 24.31 gpt Au, 555 gpt Ag; 16.9 m @ 1.21 gpt Au, 60 gpt Ag (including 4.5 m @ 2.41 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag); 0.8 m @ 7.66 gpt Au, 1,260 gpt Ag. These intercepts may support pit expansion to the southeast near surface, and show that the Tahonitas structure mineralization continues for 350 m along strike from the southeast pit crest and enhances the potential to continue discovering high-grade ore shoots within the southeast strike extension and potential high-margin underground feed. Five drill rigs are currently active, and the company is targeting 40,000 m of drilling in 2024.
  • Defiance Silver Corp. announced that the amendment needed on the Tepal project technical report cannot be done, as some of the sections requiring amendments were prepared by persons who are no longer qualified persons. Defiance will be working to prepare a new technical report to replace the current Tepal report. “As for its San Acacio project, work on the preparation of the new technical report is progressing well but has been delayed, notably, due to the site visit availability. The Company now expects to file this new technical report by the mid-May 2024” (Tepal, Jalisco; San Acacio, Zacatecas).
  • Goldgroup Mining Inc. updated on its operations at its Cerro Prieto open pit, heap leach mine in Sonora. Goldgroup commenced mining operations at Cerro Prieto in 2013 with a resource of 8.22 M tonnes @ 0.81 gpt Au, 17.2 gpt Ag, 0.21% Pb, 0.54% Zn, which were mined by mid 2023. Additional mineralization has been mined during subsequent exploration, but not yet included in a published resource calculation. To date Cerro Prieto has produced 117,033 Oz Au, and production continues at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 Oz Au per month. Mining was focused over a strike length of 1.6 Km in several pits, on a near vertical shear zone up to 65 m wide. Highlighted core length intercepts in 2023 include 19.70 m @ 1.03 gpt Au; 5.5 m @ 0.75 gpt Au; 20.98 m @ 1.02 gpt Au; 13.20 m @ 2.05 gpt Au; 4.50 m @ 1.16 gpt Au; 1.55 m @ 4.78 gpt Au; 24.96 m @ 0.69 gpt Au; 7.70 m @ 1.35 gpt Au; 17.97 m @ 1.13 gpt Au; 11.80 m @ 0.61 gpt Au; 4.25 m @ 1.07 gpt Au; 7.78 m @ 0.98 gpt Au; 11.67 m @ 1.16 gpt Au; 13.70 m @ 1.15 gpt Au; 13.70 m @ 1.15 gpt Au; 13.20 m @ 1.20 gpt Au; 43.89 m @ 0.43 gpt Au; 9.05 m @ 0.093 gpt Au. The company recently brought back into full service its 2,500 tpd crushing circuit, with an improvement in recoveries to 60% expected. Funding is being sought for a second full crushing circuit to double its current gold production.
  • Centenario Gold Corp. announced the next phase of exploration on the Eden property in Sinaloa. The geological team lead by Alain Charest and Hermilo Mendoza outlined several new targets to drill-test across the Eden property, including the northern extension, the upper and deeper portions of the Buenavista epithermal vein system and other sub-parallel mineralized structures, especially the La Proveedora prospect 1.5 Km east of Buenavista. “The upper 100 meter portion of the Buenavista structure extends directly down dip from where the high grade Au and Ag surface sample as high as 239.9 g/t Au and 1390 g/t Ag were obtained”. Quartz textures and alteration minerals at 250 m depth are interpreted as part of the upper level of the epithermal systema, enhancing the probability of further mineralized zones at depth.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Vizsla Silver Corp. announced the appointment of Ms. Suki Gill as an independent director of the company effective immediately (Panuco, Sinaloa).  

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • No Relevant News.

On the image below: Quartz-barite-specularite vein on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of February, 2024

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Silica sinter

By Miguel A Heredia

During the 6th week of the year (February 5th to February 11th, 2024), at least 25 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, and 3 news published by the media with eight reporting resources and developments of their projects, six announcing financing issues, five disclosing deals and corporate issues, four commenting on Mexican issues, two communicating production results, two informing on exploration results, and one discussing social issues.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, Analysts announced that Q4, 2023 reports will be disparate on the Stock Market.  President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has presented 20 proposals for constitutional reforms in Mexico. AMLO presented initiative to prohibit open pit mining. Orla Mining, First Majestic, Prismo Metals, and Prime Mining reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the second week of February, 2024. ON EXPLORATION, In Sinaloa, Prismo provided an exploration update on its Palos Verdes project.  In Durango, Silver Dollar acquired from Canasil a 100% interest in the Nora project, and provided a project update. ON MINING, Argonaut announced that it will report Q4 and year-end 2023 production and financial results of their Mexican operations on March 6, 2024. GoGold released Q1, 2024 production and financial results from its Parral Tailings project, Chihuahua. ON FINANCING, Capstone and Orion closed its previously announced CADS $431M bought deal offering (Cozamine mine, Zacatecas). Defiance announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to CAD $3M (San Acacio project, Zacatecas). Kootenay increased the size of its previously announced non-brokered private placement to $3.5M (Columba project, Chihuahua). Sonoro announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to CAD $1M (Cerro Caliche project, Sonora).  Regency Silver extended the closing its private placement (Dios Padre project, Sonora).  Zacatecas Silver upsized and closed its previously announced private placement from $1.8M to $2.5M (Zacatecas Silver project, Zacatecas). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Luca Miningprovided an update progress at its Tahuehueto property in Durango. Avino presented the results of the Pre Feasibility (PFS) for its Oxide Tailings project at its Avino mine operation in Durango. Sierra Madre provided an update on La Guitarra mine in the State of Mexico. Heliostar announced that it is evaluating test mining scenarios for its Ana Paula project, Guerrero in 2024. Orla concluded its 2023 Camino Rojo Sulphides Infill program in Zacatecas with strong results.  Prime Mining released results from the 2023 drilling program at the Z-T Area within its Los Reyes project, Sinaloa. First Majestic reported positive exploration results from their San Dimas property in Durango, and Santa Elena property in Sonora. Torex provided a Q4, 2023 update on its Media Luna project in Guerrero.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Capstone announced that it has commenced trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (Cozamin mine, Zacatecas). Colibri appointed Douglas Coleman to its Advisory Board (Evelyn project, Sonora).  Fabled Silver terminated its letter of intent with Kootenay with respect to the proposed acquisition the Mecatona Property, Chihuahua. Luca Mining appointed a new member to its Board of Directors (Tahuehueto project, Durango). Defiance clarified technical disclosures pertaining to its technical reports related to their Tepal project, Michoacan and San Acacio project, Zacatecas. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Fortuna Silver announced its objectives, metrics, and targets to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (San Jose mine, Oaxaca).

ON MEXICO ISSUE

  • Analysts predict that the fourth quarter of 2023 will be a mixed bag for Mexican mining companies due to pressures on costs and falling prices of industrial metals. While some companies may benefit from increasing prices of precious metals like gold and silver, others will also face higher costs. Grupo Mexico has already reported weak financial results due to decreased sales of copper, while the other companies are expected to face similar challenges in 2024 due to China’s economic slowdown. Only Minera Frisco has generated a positive return so far this year among the four mining companies. Autlán is expected to make some sequential improvements due to cost-cutting efforts, but the industry as a whole is predicted to face challenges in the coming year. All of last year, only the companies that are part of the S&P/BMV stock index IPC Grupo México (+37.66%) and Peñoles (+3.58%) had gains on the Stock Market. While the share of Fresnillo, a subsidiary of Peñoles listed on the London Stock Exchange, lost 34.08%, that of Autlán lost 26.43% and that of Frisco lost 9.01%.
  • President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has presented 20 proposals for constitutional reforms in Mexico. One of the proposals is to return the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) to its status as a public, strategic, and nationally important company.  AMLO also proposes to prohibit the extraction of hydrocarbons through hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and to not grant concessions to private companies for open-pit mining activities. However, in the economic budget planned for 2024, the government has contemplated two projects with fracking for MXP $4.63M, according to data from the organization Mexican Alliance against Fracking (AMCF). Currently, of the almost 250 mines that operate in the country, 97 are open pit metal mines and 152 more are underground mines; However, until March 2022, 15,551 mining concessions were registered in the country with validity after 2050. It should be noted that since the arrival of AMLO to the presidency, not a single mining concession has been granted, which has led the sector to have a drop in investment that decreased its participation in the national GDP, from 2.50 in 2021 to 2.46 percent in 2022, while in industrial GDP from 8.78% to 8.63%. The proposed reforms also aim to eliminate “costly and elitist” dependencies and organizations that were supposedly autonomous but disconnected from the interests of the people. Some of the autonomous bodies that could be affected by these proposals include the Comisión Reguladora de Energía (CRE), Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH), and Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica (COFECE). AMLO will submit these initiatives to the Chamber of Deputies for discussion in the current or next legislative session.
  • President Andrés Manuel López (AMLO) presented initiative to prohibit open pit mining. On February 5, on the anniversary of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, AMLO presented an Initiative with a Draft Decree to carry out various reforms, one of these being the prohibition of open pit mining. According to the initiative, addressed to Dip. Marcela Guerra Castillo, President of the Chamber of Deputies, in order to protect the environment and health, we seek to modify art. 27 constitutional to “prohibit both the granting of concessions and the activities of exploration, exploitation, benefit, use or exploitation of minerals, metals or metalloids in the open pit, with the addition that the people who carry out these activities will be sanctioned.” The AMLO project indicates that there are currently around 264 open pit mines in Mexico, and much emphasis is placed on the old vision of predatory mining, leaving aside that for a mine to operate in our country it must have more than a thousand rules and regulations, in addition to having comprehensive closure plans.
  • Orla Mining Ltd., First Majestic Silver Corp., Prismo Metals Inc., and Prime Mining Corp., reported the best drilling intercepts in Mexico on the second week of February, 2024. Details are shown in the table below:

ON EXPLORATION

  • Prismo Metals Inc., provided an exploration update on its Palos Verdes project in Sinaloa.  Following the completion of its third drill campaign with 2,923 meters drilled in 15 holes, and in preparation of the upcoming expanded drill program to be drilled from Vizsla Silver Corp, Prismo completed an alteration and geochemical study that confirmed a downward offset of the mineralized ore shoot defined by drilling to date and that a second blind mineralized shoot may exist to the northeastern portion of the Palos Verdes vein, based on a geochemical sampling which revealed high-grade silver, gold, zinc, and lead values in the vein system.  The best sample from this program assayed 930 g/t silver and 10.55 g/t gold with 15.4% zinc and 4.5% lead (2,605 g/t Ag/Eq) over 0.5m. The company plans to conduct deep drilling from Vizsla Silver’s ground to explore these concepts further.
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc., acquired from Canasil a 100% interest in the Nora project in Durango, and provided a project update. In connection with the acquisition of the Nora property, Silver Dollar encountered certain unresolved discrepancies in verifying the 2020 and 2021 drill results Canasil reported on the Nora property. For gold: of the 157 samples duplicated, Canasil reported 42 samples >1 g/t Au (1.23 – 43.7 g/t) including 18 samples >5 g/t (5.3 – 43.7 g/t), whereas Silver Dollar’s re-assaying yielded only three samples >1 g/t Au (1.04, 1.75, and 2.30 g/t). For silver: of the 157 samples duplicated, Canasil reported 44 samples >200 g/t Ag (133 -1,924 g/t) including 19 samples >500 g/t Ag (504 – 1,925 g/t), whereas Silver Dollar’s re-assaying yielded only three samples >100 g/t Ag (129, 158, and 448 g/t). “The QPs from both companies discussed the situation and recommended a further analytical program be carried out to provide some insight into what may have caused the assay discrepancies. However, Canasil did not have the financial resources to contribute to the recommended program and alternatively offered to waive certain of Silver Dollar’s consideration obligations under the Nora Option Agreement and transfer 100% ownership of the Nora property to Silver Dollar for the consideration that has been provided to date (as detailed below), subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty with Silver Dollar having the right to buy back 1% of the Royalty for $1M. As of the date hereof, Silver Dollar has incurred a total of approximately $134,779 in exploration expenditures on the Nora property, as full consideration for the acquisition thereof. Silver Dollar is not required to provide any further consideration to Canasil to complete the acquisition and the transfer of the Nora concessions to Silver Dollar has been initiated”.

ON MINING

  • Argonaut Gold Inc., announced that it will report Q4 and year-end 2023 production and financial results of their Mexican operations on March 6, 2024.
  • GoGold Resources Inc., released Q1, 2024 production and financial results from its Parral Tailings project, Chihuahua. The company produced 109K Oz Ag, 1,848 Oz Au, and 212.8K Lb Cu (300,260 Oz AgEq). It also reported a revenue of USD $6.8M on the sale of 305,087 Oz AgEq, at a realized price of USD $22.28 per Oz Ag, and an adjusted cash cost and all in sustaining cost of USD $16.83 and USD $24.64 per Oz AgEq respectively ; a net income of USD $192K; and a cash of USD $88.8M.

ON FINANCING

  • Capstone Copper Corp., and Orion Fund JV Limited, Orion Mine Finance Fund II LP and Orion Mine Finance (Master) Fund I-A LP (collectively, Orion) closed its previously announced bought deal offering of common shares of Capstone by a syndicate of underwriters, which consisted of a total of 68,448,000 common shares at a price of CAD $6.30 per common share, which included the exercise in full of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option of 8,928,000 common shares from the company, for aggregate gross proceeds under the offering of CAD $431,222,400 (Cozamine mine, Zacatecas).
  • Defiance Silver Corp., announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to CAD $3M. The offering is priced at $0.10/unit. Each unit shall consist of one common share of the company and one half of one common share purchase warrant. Net proceeds will be used for exploration of the company’s projects and for general working capital purposes (San Acacio project, Zacatecas).
  • Kootenay Silver Inc., increased the size of its previously announced non-brokered private placement to $3.5M, at a price of $0.75 per unit. The net proceeds from the offering will be used for exploration activities, property commitments on the company’s projects, working capital and general corporate purposes (Columba project, Chihuahua).
  • Sonoro Gold Corp., announced a non-brokered private placement offering consisting of up to 22,222,222 units at a price of CAD $0.45 per unit for gross proceeds of up to CAD $1M. Net proceeds will be used to fund the ongoing development of the company’s Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico as well as working capital.
  • Regency Silver Corp., extended the closing its previously announced private placement dated January 17, 2024 (Dios Padre project, Sonora).
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp., upsized and closed its previously announced private placement from $1.8M to $2.5M. The Company will now proceed to immediately close the financing, by way of receiving subscription agreements and funds and intends to close within the next week. The Company intends to use the net proceeds to satisfy ongoing costs associated with its properties as well as general working capital purposes (Zacatecas Silver project, Zacatecas). 

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Luca Mining Corp., provided an update progress at its Tahuehueto property in Durango. The project to increase throughput at the Tahuehueto mill to 1,000 tonnes per day is in the final commissioning stage. The testing of the second ball mill is well advanced and will provide a total installed grinding capacity of 1,250 tonnes per day. Once the second mill is commissioned, production will ramp up and progressively increase to 35,000-40,000 oz AuEq per year.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd., presented the results of the Pre Feasibility (PFS) for its Oxide Tailings project at its Avino mine operation in Durango. Highlights include a NVP of USD $98M (pre-tax) and USD $61M (after-tax) at a 5% discount rate; an IRR of 35% (pre-tax) and 26% (after-tax); a payback period of 2.9 years (pre-tax) and  3.5 years (after-tax); an initial capital cost of USD $49.1M, including a contingency provision in the amount of USD $5.3M; the ongoing sustaining capital cost is USD $5.1M; On-site Operating Costs (OOC) and All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of USD $9.71 and USD $10.23 per Oz AgEq respectively; proven and probable mineral reserves of 6.70M tonnes at a silver and gold grade of 55 g/t and 0.47 g/t respectively; metal recoveries: 77.2% Ag and 74.9% Au; Doré production: Total 9,073,000 Oz Ag and 76,000 Oz Au, life-of-project (averaging 1,008,000 Oz Ag and 8,445 Oz Au per year); and the project will generate USD $52.4M in tax contributions to the local economy and government.
  • Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd., provided an update on La Guitarra mine in the State of Mexico. The company has retained TechSer Mining Consultants Ltd., to complete the Mine Restart Study (MRS), which include an estimation of underground mine material for the Guitarra, Coloso and Nazareno mines and the Los Angeles bulk tonnage deposit. The   MRS is expected to be completed in Q2 of this year. On the other hand, work has been ongoing to determine necessary steps for the potential re-start of production. In accordance with recommendations made by officials with the Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional, SEDENA, improvements to the underground powder magazines have been completed. Finally, all circuits in the processing plant are undergoing maintenance and rehabilitation work which would be required for the resumption of operations. In the grinding circuit, the three ball mills are being relined, all parts of the central drive shaft mechanisms overhauled, and the motors cleaned and tested. A fourth ball mill with limited capacity will not be rebuilt at this time.
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd., announced that it is evaluating test mining scenarios for its Ana Paula project, Guerrero in 2024. The company is exploring the potential to complete the existing underground decline at the Ana Paula deposit in Guerrero, to enable test mining of a bulk gold sample. This would help de-risk the underground plan for Ana Paula while creating a potential pathway to production from test mining in 12 months. The company has initiated a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for completion in H2, 2024, and will continue resource growth drilling. Heliostar is assessing non-equity funding options for this program and has held discussions with potential offtake partners. Multiple scenarios indicate the potential to recover more than 20K Oz Au from a bulk sample from stocks averaging 7-10 g/t Au.
  • Orla Mining Ltd., concluded its 2023 Camino Rojo Sulphides Infill program in Zacatecas with strong results. Drilling highlights of the remaining unreported 14 holes completed as part of the 52 drill holes, 35,070 m infill program are shown in the table below:

“A preliminary underground resource estimate on the Camino Rojo Sulphides is eagerly anticipated to be completed in the second half of 2024. Metallurgy evaluation on the recent phase of Camino Rojo sulphide infill drilling is expected to continue throughout 2024”.

  • Prime Mining Corp., released results from the 2023 drilling program at the Z-T Area within its Los Reyes project, Sinaloa. Highlights of the drilling are shown in the table below:

“Ongoing drilling at Z-T aims to extend the high-grade shoots that remain open at depth, as well as following up on the newly discovered mineralization along strike”.

  • First Majestic Silver Corp., reported positive exploration results from their San Dimas property in Durango, and Santa Elena property in Sonora. At San Dimas, Durango, exploration drilling intersected significant gold and silver mineralization in multiple veins at Sinaloa North-Elia, Santa Teresa, Rosario and Perez Areas. Drilling highlights (true widths reported) include holes ST23-014 with 7.03 g/t Au and 903 g/t Ag (1,466 g/t AgEq) over 0.78m, plus 3.95 g/t Au and 270 g/t Ag (586 g/t AgEq) over 1.86m, plus 2.07 g/t Au and 130 g/t Ag (296 g/t AgEq) over 2.90m, plus 40.40 g/t Au and 2,092 g/t Ag (5,324 g/t AgEq) over 0.91m; hole SIN23-073 with 13.50 g/t Au and 1,007 g/t Ag (2,087 g/t AgEq) over 0.7m, plus 11.83 g/t Au and 758 g/t Ag (1,681 g/t AgEq) over 2.97m: hole PE23-225 with 1.6 g/t Au and 243 g/t Ag (371 g/t AgEq) over 0.77m, plus 14.18 g/t Au and 2,439 g/t Ag (3,574 g/t AgEq) over 1.03m, plus 3.78 g/t Au and 4.21 g/t Ag (723 g/t AgEq) over 7.78m, plus 9.16 g/t Au and 242 g/t Ag (974 g/t AgEq) over 0.84m, plus 1.33 g/t Au and 293 g/t Ag (293 g/t AgEq) over 0.96m; and hole PE23-242 with 7.36 g/t Au and 1,238 g/t Ag (1,826 g/t AgEq) over 2.41m. At Santa Elena, Sonora, the drilling program designed to convert Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves at the Ermitaño mine, cut multiple high-grade intersections of gold and silver mineralization. Drilling highlights (true widths reported) include holes EWUG-23-012 with 7.02 g/t Au and 189 g/t Ag (750 g/t AgEq) over 10.05m, plus 20.95 g/t Au and 311 g/t Ag (1,987 g/t AgEq) over 4.88m, plus 7.99 g/t Au and 187 g/t Ag (826 g/t AgEq) over 2.38m; hole EWUG-23-007 with 4.51 g/t Au and 155 g/t Ag (516 g/t AgEq) over 8.18m, plus 4.33 g/t Au and 88 g/t Ag (434 g/t AgEq) over 3.93m, plus 18.50 g/t Au and 304 g/t Ag (1,784 g/t AgEq) over 1.71m, plus 7.44 g/t Au and 107 g/t Ag (702 g/t AgEq) over 1.32m; and hole EWUG-23-15 with 9.38 g/t Au and 230 g/t Ag (980 g/t AgEq) over 5.23m, plus 3.43 g/t Au and 192 g/t Ag (466 g/t AgEq) over 1.63m.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc., provided a Q4, 2023 update on its Media Luna project in Guerrero.  In Q4 2023, Torex Gold’s Media Luna Project made significant progress towards completion. During Q4 2023, USD $124M was invested in the project, the highest quarterly spend to date. Total spend in 2023 was USD $366.3M, in line with revised annual project guidance of USD $360 to USD $390M. USD $350 to USD $400M has been guided for project capital expenditures in 2024, with quarterly expenditures through Q3 2024 expected to be similar to the level experienced in Q4 2023, before declining as the project nears completion. The project was 60% complete, with detailed engineering at 84% and procurement at 63%. Underground development and construction advanced, with the Guajes Tunnel breakthrough achieved ahead of schedule. Operational readiness activities continued, and the project remained on track for first concentrate production in late 2024 and commercial production in early 2025. Funding has exceeded remaining capital expenditures, and the project execution plan remains unchanged, with only minor adjustments to interim activities.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Capstone Copper Corp., announced that it has commenced trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) (Cozamin mine, Zacatecas). Capstone was admitted to the official list of ASX on January 31, 2024, and will trade under the ticker symbol “CSC” (ASX: CSC).
  • Colibri Resource Corporation appointed Douglas Coleman to its Advisory Board (Evelyn project, Sonora).
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp., terminated its letter of intent with Kootenay Silver Inc., with respect to the proposed acquisition the Mecatona Property, Chihuahua.
  • Luca Mining Corp., appointed a new member to its Board of Directors (Tahuehueto project, Durango).
  • Defiance Silver Corp., clarified technical disclosures pertaining to its technical reports entitled “NI 43-101 Technical Report Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Tepal Project, Michoacan” dated February 24, 2017 with an effective date of January 17, 2017, and its technical report entitled “Technical Report and Resource Estimate, San Acacio Silver Deposit, Zacatecas, Mexico” dated September 26, 2014, with an effective date of April 1, 2014. The company understands it will need to amend the technical reports accordingly.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., announced its objectives, metrics, and targets to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% in 2023 compared to the forecasted emissions in 2030 without intervention measures. The company is committed to supporting the global ambition of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. To achieve the 2030 GHG emissions reduction target, Fortuna plans to implement projects such as providing renewable energy to its operations, providing low-carbon electricity, and constructing and modernizing mine paste fill plants. Fortuna is committed to monitoring the GHG emissions of each of its mines on a monthly basis, reviewing progress against GHG emissions reduction target and its pathway, and assessing potential climate-related risks and opportunities.

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, silica sinter in a low-sulphidation epithermal vein system in a project in Durango. Photo by Miguel A Heredia

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of September 2023

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett                                             

During the 39th week of the year (September 25th to October 1st, 2023), only 11 companies working in Mexico posted news releases (the weekly low record is nine, since 2015). One company reported exploration on one of its properties, while no news on mining were released. Five companies informed on the opening or closing of private placements, their assistance to investor conferences and/or the amendment of credit facilities.  One company presented drilling results from one of its properties and one other an updated mineral resource estimation on one of its mines. The government cancelled nine mining concessions to one company in Sonora. One company updated on results of its annual general meeting and one other informed on modifications to streaming amendments. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the federal government is playing all tricks available on its hat to get the Sonora Lithium deposit under its control, expropriating mining concessions without calling it an expropriation, of what they see as a project with a potential large income revenue and a stepping stone on resources sovereignty. Camimex regards the cancellation infeasible while pointing that exploration expenditure has fallen 40% in recent years. A Labor Panel has been installed under T-MEC to review the US claim against Grupo Mexico in one of its mining units. ON EXPLORATION, In Chihuahua, Kootenay Silver informed four drill holes have been completed at Columba. ON MINING, no relevant news. ON FINANCING, Aztec Minerals closed the final tranche of a private placement for C$639 K, GR Silver was granted an extension for its financing placement, Regency Silver completed the first tranche of an upsized private placement.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Heliostar Metals reported drilling results from Ana Paula, in Guerrero. Guanajuato Silver presented an updated resource estimate for San Ignacio, in Guanajuato. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, the Mexican government cancelled nine mining concessions to Ganfeng’s Lithium in Sonora, in an unscrupulous bid to get its hands on the only defined lithium resource in Mexico. Southern Silver provided an update on results from its AGM. Bear Creek Mining presented two press releases to inform on changes on the two streaming agreements on the Mercedes mine production in Sonora. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Camimex (Cámara Minera de México) regards the cancellation of Ganfenfg Lithium’s concessions in Sonora as not viable. Ganfeng was served in August with the cancellation notice by the government on grounds of lack of investment, which the company denies. The exploration expenditure in México has fallen close to 40% in the last seven years.
  • Ganfeng’s Lithium cancelation of claims in Sonora by the federal government will have to be dealt with in national courts, as Mexico and China do not count with a trade agreement.
  • Marath Bolaños, head of the Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social (Labor Bureau) stated that the Labor Panel under the T-MEC has been formed, to review the controversy between the US government and Grupo Mexico’s San Martín mine in Zacatecas.
  • The president of Mexico indicated that its government is reviewing lithium mining concessions.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Kootenay Silver Inc. updated on drilling progress of their program at Columba, in Chihuahua. Four diamond holes have been completed of the expected 12-15 holes in the 3,000 m program. “Analyses are awaited, however visual confirmation of mineralization and veining typical of D-Vein has been reported by the logging geologists in the holes to date where modeling predicted. Veining and associated stockwork mineralization in drilled length in each hole was observed to measure approximately 5.0 m vein/ stockwork, 8.2 m vein and 23 m stockwork, 10 m vein and 26 m stockwork and 1.0 m vein, 3.0 m stockwork in holes CDH-23-136 through CDH-23-139 respectively”.

ON MINING

  • No Relevant News.

ON FINANCING

  • Aztec Minerals Corp. closed the second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of CAD$639.1 K. Aggregate gross proceeds from both tranches are CAD$1.55 M. Alamos Gold Inc. participated in the financing with $140.6 K (Cervantes, Sonora).
  • Capstone Copper Corp. amended its existing revolving credit facility to increase the aggregate commitments from $600 M to $700 M “and extend the maturity from May 2026 to September 2027. The Amended Credit Facility will bear interest on a sliding scale of adjusted term SOFR plus a margin of 2.000% to 2.875%”. Capstone cash and cash equivalents position by the end of June 2023 was $520 M (Cozamin, Zacatecas).
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. was granted an extension by the TSX Venture Exchange to complete its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $1 M. A first tranche of $329 K in gross proceeds was closed on August 10, 2023 (Plomosas, Sinaloa).
  • Regency Silver Corp. completed the first tranche of a previously announced private placement, which has been upsized to C$1.75 M from C$1.5 M (Dios Padre, Sonora).
  • Vortex Metals Inc. will be participating in the 23rd Investment Conference organized by CM-Equity AG in Munich (Riqueza Marina, Oaxaca).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Heliostar Metals Ltd. reported drilling results from the Ana Paula project in Guerrero. These two infill holes are within the “High Grade Panel” at the deposit, and are the last that are to be included in the resource update planned for November 2023. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 35.9 m @ 8.17 gpt Au (including (11.8 m @ 13.55 gpt Au); 83.6 m @ 8.57 gpt Au (including 63.0 m @ 10.41 gpt Au, which includes 12.0 m @ 18.36 gpt Au); 57.0 m @ 6.03 gpt Au (including 5.0 m @ 45.44 gpt Au); 14.6 m @ 32.98 gpt Au (or 18.60 gpt Au if assays cut to 100 gpt Au).
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. presented a new mineral resource estimate for its San Ignacio mine in Guanajuato. Measured and indicated resources comprise 790 K tonnes @ 123 gpt Ag, 2.10 gpt Au, containing 3.14 M Oz Ag, 53,000 Oz Au, and inferred resources of 2.17 M tonnes @ 127 gpt Ag, 2.27 gpt Au, containing 8.9 M Oz Ag, 158,000 Oz Au. “… an increase of 130% in the measured & indicated category and 283% in the inferred category.”

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • The Mexican government, through the Direccion General de Minas (DGM) cancelled nine mining concessions in Sonora to Ganfeng Lithium, including those where the largest (and so far, the only) lithium deposit in Mexico is located. The company was informed of the cancellation last August, with the government stating that the minimum investment required between 2017 and 2021 was not fulfilled and Ganfeng declaring its compliance above that limit. The company has already filed claims against the resolution at the Economy Secretariat (Secretaría de Economía). Note by editor. – This is one more issue between private capital and the Mexican government, with a president with a world vision from the 1970’s, where the State is to have a ruling fist on all economic activities, and the president a final saying on what is to be done or not.
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. provided a corporate update from the company’s annual meeting. During the meeting seven incumbent directors were elected and the chartered accountants reappointed. Lawrence Page, Robert Macdonald and Killian Ruby were reappointed as president, vice president exploration and chief financial officer respectively. (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Bear Creek Mining Corp. made the final gold delivery pursuant to a gold pre-pay streaming agreement with Nomad Royalty Co. Ltd. which was assumed upon the acquisition of the Mercedes mine, in Sonora, in April 2022. As a result, over 300 additional ounces of gold produced at Mercedes per month will now be fully available for sale by the Company. A promissory with 1368445 B.C. Ltd. was amended to extend the maturity from the end of September 2023 to the end of November 2023.
  • Bear Creek Mining Corp. announced a restructuring of its current stream and debt obligations with Sandstorm Gold Ltd. to improve the Mercedes mine ability to produce free cash flow near term by reducing near-term Au and Ag stream delivery obligations and the refinancing and extensions of Bear Creek’s debt with Sandstorm. Sandstorm will refinance its US$22.5 M convertible debenture into a 5-year convertible promissory note at 7% per year and convertible into Bear Creek shares at C$0.73 per share. “Sandstorm has agreed to make up to US$8 million in additional credit” prior to the end of August 2024. Bear Creek has to complete an equity financing to raise at least CAD$9.5 M.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • No relevant news.

On the image below: Geologist Julio Carcamo on a silicified ridge in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.