Minerals

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Third Week of April, 2021

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By Jorge Cirett

During the 15th week of the year (April 12th to April 18th, 2021), as a sign of the strong current activity, at least 43 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, ten companies posted exploration advances on their properties, seven presented mining related news, six posted on financing or share options (including C$2.35 M, $3 M, C$14.1 M, C$5.6 M and $25 M), eight more on project development or resource definition and three posted on corporate issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Francisco Quiroga, the ex-secretary of Mining has been appointed ambassador in Germany. The Sonora Mining Cluster has two new female counselors. Napoleon Gomez Urrutia and its SNTMMS Union have been condemned to pay US$54 M to some of its affiliates. A new Coordination has been created in the Economy Secretariat to promote mining. The CTM Union opposes the outsourcing reform that would decrease the participation of workers in the profits of mining companies. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Silver Spruce signed a LOI on the Diamante 1 and Diamante 2 projects; Ridgestone announced its exploration plan for the Rebeico property; Tocvan Ventures commenced phase II RC drilling at Pilar; Carlyle Commodities released good drilling results from Cecilia; Orogen informed its Lola and Sarape properties are being drilled by partners; Canuc Resources released information on the first drill hole on the present campaign at its San Javier Au-Ag project. In Chihuahua, Monarca Minerals signed a surface access agreement for its San Jose project; Kootenay Silver updated on drilling of its Columba project. In Sinaloa, Viszla Silver released drilling results from the Napoleon zone at its Panuco project. In San Luis Potosi and Zacatecas Advance Gold released results from auger sampling at several salars. ON MINING, Magna Gold, Fortuna Silver Mines, Sierra Metals, Excellon and First Majestic Silver released Q1 2021 production results. Consolidated Zinc announced the commencement of concentrate production from the recently refurbished plant at Plomosas in Chihuahua. ON FINANCING, Colibri Resources, Sonoro Gold, Santacruz Silver Mining, Heliostar Metals and Candelaria Mining released news on financing (with C$2.35 M, $3 M; $14.1 M, C$4 M and up to $25 M respectively). Defiance Silver completed its uplisting to the OTCQX Best Market ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Equinox Gold commenced the development of the Bermejal underground mine in Guerrero. Xali Gold submitted permit applications for the Mexico Mines Tailings project in El Oro, Estado de Mexico. Gatos Silver presented good drilling results from both extensions of the Cerro Los Gatos deposit in Chihuahua. Fabled Silver Gold released results from drilling at Santa Maria, Chihuahua. SilverCrest Metals released high-grade drilling results from several veins at Las Chispas, Sonora. Almaden Minerals is conducting an induced polarization survey at the Ixtaca deposit in Puebla. GoGold Resources released drilling results from El Favor zone at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Golden Tag Resources released results from drilling at its San Diego property in Durango.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, VanGold Mining closed with Endeavour Silver the acquisition of the El Cubo mine and mill complex in Guanajuato. Silver Spruce Resources signed a LOI with Colibri Resource on the Diamante 1 and Diamante 2 properties in Sonora. Empress Royalty executed a $5 M Silver Stream agreement with Telson Mining. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Francisco Quiroga Fernández, Mining ex-subsecretary was appointed ambassador of Mexico in Germany. Rare in the present administration, he’s a competent professional with experience in the private industry, and more than capable to develop and strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries.  
  • The Sonora Mining Cluster named Silvia Álvarez and Maria López Rosas as new counselors to the organism.
  • The Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalúrgicos y Similares de La República Mexicana (a strong Mining Union) and its leader Napoleón Gómez Urrutia have lost a legal law suit and have been condemned by the Junta Federal de Conciliación y Arbitraje to pay US$54 M. The Union received these funds from the sale of the Cananea mine 15 years ago, and was supposed to deliver that money to the at the time workers of the company in charge. The union failed to deliver the funds to the miners.
  • The Mexican president ordered by decree the creation of the Coordination of Extractive Activities on the Economy Secretariat. Said unit is to coordinate the mining activities of the State and actions to promote national and foreign investments in mining, among other activities.
  • The CTM Union (Confederación de Trabajadores de México) opposes the reform on outsourcing that would lower the amount the miners receive as participation on the company’s annual profits.  

ON EXPLORATION

  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. signed a letter of intention (LOI) on two properties in Sonora, Diamante 1 and Diamante 2 covering 1,057 hectares. Historical assays from samples in the Diamante 1 and Diamante 2 properties, which display epithermal intermediate sulfidation mineralization have returned up to 39.8 gpt Au, 3,460 gpt Ag, 7.3% Pb, 5.6% Zn. Diamante 1 has already six main targets, including the La Prieta-El Aguaje vein system, which runs for 2,000 m averaging 1 m in width. At Diamante 2 The Calton area displays two vein 900 m and 1,100 m in length, ranging from 0.30 m to 1.70 m in width. The El Cumbro-Mezquite Raizudo veins follow a structural trend 900 m long, displaying an average width of 1 meter.
  • Advance Gold Corp. released results from auger drilling sampling at all the salars it recently acquired in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. The 0.5 m to 1 m of depth samples returned highlighted results of up to 650 ppm boron (B), 1.91% Potassium (K) and 620 ppm Lithium (Li). The average grade of the samples was 247 ppm B, 1.17% K and 215 ppm Li.
  • Monarca Minerals Inc. executed and ratified by a Notary Public the surface access agreement with both the Ejido and Colonia on its San Jose silver project in Chihuahua. The company is now to apply for the environmental permit that will allow it to conduct its planned 5,000 m drilling campaign.
  • Ridgestone Mining Inc. announced an exploration plan for its 3,459 hectares Rebeico project in Sonora. The current phase will comprise geologic mapping, sampling and prospecting, with focus on the New Year zone, the Santa Elena outcrop and El Cobre mine.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. announced the start of phase II of its drilling program at the Pilar project in Sonora. The two-stage 4,000 m reverse circulation (RC) drill program will focus first on the “definition and expansion of the Main Zone, which during Phase I returned 94.6-meters at 1.6 g/t Au including 9.2m at 10.8 g/t Au and 38 g/t Ag”, and then to test the new targets across the property.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. reported it has completed 12 core drill holes totalling 1,800 m as part of its 5,000 m campaign at its Columba project in Chihuahua. Kootenay has tested the F vein and is now testing an area east of the J-Z zone.
  • Carlyle Commodities Corp. released the first batch of drill results from the Cecilia project in Sonora. The program consisted of seven holes, of which results have been received for five. The best intercept was 24.2 m @ 1.51 gpt Au. Other core-length highlighted intervals comprise 1.30 m @ 0.69 gpt Au; 5.95 m @ 0.20 gpt Au, 3.10 m @ 0.52 gpt Au; 9.45 m @ 0.23 gpt Au; 1.00 m @ 0.55 gpt Au; 3.45 m @ 0.35 gpt Au; 4.30 m @ 0.29 gpt Au; 6.10 m @ 0.43 gpt Au; 3.00 m @ 0.87 gpt Au. “The first drill program from Carlyle and Riverside was focused on targeting the hydrothermal system identified at two principal elevations: 2,200 m and 1,900 m, respectively corresponding to the San Jose Target and the North Breccia Target…… to test the continuity of the mineralized structures at shallow depth”.  
  • Orogen Royalties Inc. announced the commencement of drilling programs on two of its properties in Sonora. At La Lola, partner Heliostar Metals Ltd. has initiated a 1,500 m drilling program. At the 57.8 square km Sarape project, Orogen and partner Hochschild PLC commenced a planned 3,000 m program. Eight holes will be drilled on 2.5 km of the Sarape vein. “In 2019, nine holes drilled within a 380-metre-long segment of the vein defined a structural dilation zone at 100-350 metres depth (Figure 2). In this zone the vein thickens to 23.6 metres in width..…. A deeper horizon will also be drilled to identify if the grade of the vein improves with depth”.
  • Canuc Resources Corp. informed on drilling advance at its San Javier Ag-Au project in Sonora. The first hole of a planned 6,000 m program was ended at 89.5 m in a fault zone. It intersected brecciated sedimentary rocks with stockwork veining and three intervals of massive magnetite breccia. “The 20-hole program is designed to test at least 4 magnetic features that underlie areas where a 2020 mapping and rock sampling program identified silver, gold and copper mineralization. At surface, the host rocks for three of these features are found to be magnetite breccia”. The program is focused on magnetic anomalies identified by a previous survey.
  • Viszla Silver Corp. released drilling results from step out drilling at the southern extension of the Napoleon prospect at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. The Napoleon vein has been mapped for more than 2.5 km and has four rigs drilling at the time. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 4.46 m @ 890 gpt Ag, 19.99 gpt Au, 0.7% Pb, 1.8% Zn (including 0.92 m @ 3,804 gpt Ag, 91.91 gpt Au, 1.5% Pb, 3.5% Zn); 1.92 m @ 105.9 gpt Ag, 7.28 gpt Au, 0.7% Pb, 2.9% Zn (including 1.45 m @ 131 gpt Ag, 9.39 gpt Au, 0.8% Pb, 3.1% Zn)

ON MINING

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. released production results for the first quarter 2021, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San José, in Oaxaca, 259.8 K tonnes @ 217 gpt Ag, 1.36 gpt Au were milled, recovering 90.8% Ag, 90.5% Au to produce 1.65 M Oz Ag, 10,301 Oz Au.
  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. announced the 2021 zinc concentrate “benchmark treatment charge (TC) has been agreed between the major miners and smelters at US$159.00/t of concentrate, a reduction of 47% from last year’s benchmark treatment charge of US$299.75/t”. Treatment charges in 2020 represented 33% of total operating costs (before by-product credits) being the single largest operating cost (Plomosas, Chihuahua).
  • Magna Gold Corp. informed production levels have benefited from the accelerated stripping program, resulting in month to month growth in gold production, with 3,085 ounces in January, 2,670 ounces in February and 4,030 ounces in March. Magna anticipates the mine will return to full scale commercial production by June of this year, with 2021 guidance in the range of 55,000 to 65,000 Oz Au. During the Q1 2021, 619 K tonnes were mined @ 0.34 gpt Au, with 5.2 M tonnes of waste moved (8.40 strip ratio) to produce 9,785 Oz Au, 8.1 K Oz Ag.
  • Sierra Metals Inc. reported first quarter 2021 production reports, including figures from its Mexican properties. At Bolivar, in Chihuahua, 371.6 K tonnes were processed @ 0.77% Cu, 19.7 gpt Ag, 0.19 gpt Au, recovering 82.8% Cu, 83.6% Ag, 69.6% Au, to produce 5.2 M Lb Cu, 197 K Oz Ag, 1,591 Oz Au (7.3 M Lb CuEq). At Cusi, also in Chihuahua, 76.6 K tonnes were processed @ 15.2 gpt Ag, 0.16 gpt Au, 0.22% Pb, recovering 80.9% Ag, 39.6% Au, 81.5% Pb, to produce 313 K Oz Ag, 155 Oz Au, 298 K Lb Pb (334 K AgEq Oz Ag).
  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. announced the first concentrate from the newly refurbished plant at its Plomosas property in Chihuahua has been produced.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. released Q1 2021 production results from the Platosa mine in Durango. At the site 21,212 tonnes were mined, 21,764 tonnes were milled @ 524 gpt Ag, 5.35% Pb, 6.73% Zn, recovering 89.7% Ag, 81.8% Pb, 74.7% Zn to produce 328.7 K Oz Ag, 2.1 M Lb Pb, 2.4 M Lb Zn, or 516.7 K Oz AgEq.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. produced during the Q1 2021 2.9 M Oz Ag, 23,873 Oz Au, or 4.5 M Oz AgEq from its three mines in Mexico: San Dimas in Durango, Santa Elena in Sonora and La Encantada in Coahuila. The company completed 39,552 m in exploration drilling during the quarter, with 10 rigs at San Dimas, seven rigs at Santa Elena and two rigs at La Encantada.

ON FINANCING

  • Colibri Resource Corp. has closed a non-brokered private placement for CAD$2.35 M in gross profits. (Evelyn, Sonora).
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. has increased its non-brokered private placement to raise an aggregate of $3 M thorough the exercise of over allotment options (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. closed its non-brokered private placement offering, for gross proceeds of CDN$14.1 M (Carrizales, Hidalgo).
  • Defiance Silver Corp. successfully completed an uplisting to the OTCQX Best Market (San Acacio, Zacatecas).
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd. is increasing the size of its C$4 M marketed private placement to raise up to C$5.6 M (La Lola, Sonora).
  • Candelaria Mining Corp. intends to raise up to $25 M to fund exploration activities at the Caballo Blanco district in Veracruz, and the Pinos project in Zacatecas.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Equinox Gold Corp. is commencing development of the Bermejal underground mine at its Los Filos project in Guerrero.
  • Xali Gold Corp. submitted permit applications for the Mexico Mines Tailings project in El Oro, Estado de México. The permits are to allow both the transportation and re-processing of the tailings at a new 25 hectares plant site located 5 Km from the current location. Xali’s is to pay the El Oro municipality an 8%  net profit interest (NPI). The project has an inferred resource of 1.27 M Tonnes grading 2.94 Au g/t, 75.12 Ag g/t, containing 119,900 Oz Au and 3.06 M Oz Ag.
  • Gatos Silver Inc. reported drilling results of delineation drilling at Cerro Los Gatos in Chihuahua. The program has demonstrated continuity in both the southeast and northwest projections of the current reserve. Highlighted true width drill results include: 9.5 m @ 0.11 gpt Au, 51 gpt Ag, 2.1% Pb, 3.1% Zn; 3.4 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag, 5.0% Pb, 9.8% Zn, 0.2% Cu; 5.4 m @ 0.25 gpt Au, 121 gpt Ag, 1.5% Pb, 2.9% Zn; 7.2 m @ 0.14 gpt Au, 106 gpt Ag, 3.5% Pb, 3.4% Zn, 0.1% Cu; 2.6 m @ 0.21 gpt Au, 327 gpt Ag, 9.2% Pb, 3.8% Zn, 0.14% Cu; 12.0 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 44 gpt Ag, 1.1% Pb, 4.0% Zn, 0.15% Cu; 2.8 m @ 0.20 gpt Au, 111 gpt Ag, 1.6% Pb, 3.9% Zn, 1.3% Cu; 1.9 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 132 gpt Ag, 3.2% Pb, 9.9% Zn, 0.4% Cu; 7.2 m @ 0.06 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag, 1.0% Pb, 10.3% Zn, 0.2% Cu; 5.7 m @ 0.17 gpt Au, 152 gpt Ag, 3.0% Pb, 4.4% Zn, 0.30% Cu.
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. released drilling results from its Santa Maria property in Chihuahua. The last sample on the last drill hole returned 75.9 gpt Ag, with 6.4 m of similar material awaiting results. Fabled is making a reinterpretation of previous work and testing the new targets identified. The ongoing 8,000 m drill program has been increased to at least 9,200 m. “This program will be focused underground to delineate the Santa Maria Central Structure with multi underground drill stations being prepared”.
  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. released additional in-fill and expansion drill results s from the Babi Vista vein splay, Babi Vista vein, Granaditas 1 vein, Granaditas 2 vein, and adjacent hangingwall and footwall veins in the Babicanora Area of its Las Chispas Project in Sonora. The results are from 78 holes totaling 29,308 m completed since the last news release for these veins, in areas with mineral resources or in close proximity. Average results for the Babi Vista vein splay comprise 0.91 true width @ 16.12 gpt Au, 1,351 gpt Ag, with individual intercepts of up to 1.04 m @ 185.65 gpt Au, 13,959 gpt Ag. Babi Vista Footwall and Granaditas 1 average 1.04 m @ 12.89 gpt Au, 1,884 gpt Ag, with the highest intercept running 0.40 m @ 114.0 gpt Au, 78,872 gpt Ag (7.89% Ag). The Babi Vista and Granaditas 2 vein average 0.67 m @ 4.56 gpt Au, 414 gpt Ag, while the Babi Vista Hangingwall averages 0.43 m @ 2.55 gpt Au, 249 gpt Ag.
  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. is conducting an induced polarization geophysical survey at the Ixtaca deposit in Puebla. “The work is designed to help define drill targets beneath the area of hydrothermal alteration called the Southeast Alteration (SE) zone and at depth beneath the Ixtaca deposit (“Ixtaca Deeps”). It is hoped that this geophysical survey, along with past survey results, will identify potential zones of veining like those in the Ixtaca deposit. The discovery drill hole in the original Ixtaca deposit area was planned in part based on high resistivity and chargeability results obtained in an earlier IP geophysical survey”.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released results from six diamond drill holes from El Favor area at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 69.3 m @ 108 gpt Ag, 0.49 gpt Au (including 15.3 m @ 392 gpt Ag, 1.76 gpt Au); 9.6 m @ 112 gpt Ag, 0.39 gpt Au; 59.0 m @ 119 gpt Ag, 0.32 gpt Au (including 5.0 m @ 361 gpt Ag, 0.90 gpt Au); 2.8 m @ 110 gpt Ag, 0.16 gpt Au; 16.1 m @ 97 gpt Ag, 0.21 gpt Au; 12.0 m @ 86 gpt Ag, 0.09 gpt Au; 3.2 m @ 204 gpt Ag, 0.15 gpt Au; 7.2 m @ 135 gpt Ag, 0.76 gpt Au; 23.3 m @ 92 gpt Ag, 0.22 gpt Au; 12.9 m @ 254 gpt Ag, 0.81 gpt Au (including 8.2 m @ 392 gpt Ag, 1.25 gpt Au).
  • Golden Tag Resources Ltd. released results from the first three holes of a 4,500 m campaign at its San Diego project in Durango. A hole in the Fernandez zone returned 50.17 m @ 105 gpt AgEq; Another hole intersected 127.3 m of skarn/Fernandez style mineralization, intersecting 35.46 m @ 0.06 gpt Au, 30 gpt Ag, 0.14% Pb, 0.24% Zn, 0.01% Cu (52 gpt AgEq) and 91.84 m @ 0.07 gpt Au, 15 gpt Ag, 0.31% Pb, 0.34% Zn, 0.01% Cu (49 gpt AgEq). Other holes intercepted 1.11 m @ 0.90 gpt Au, 142 gpt Ag, 0.13% Pb, 0.21% Zn, 0.02% Cu; 3.25 m @ 0.02 gpt Au, 237 gpt Ag, 0.41% Pb, 0.82% Zn, 0.08% Cu; 1.10 m @ 0.28 gpt Au, 195 gpt Ag, 1.70% Pb, 1.92% Zn, 0.07% Cu; 2.69 m @ 0.05 gpt Au, 355 gpt Ag, 0.30 % Pb, 0.41% Zn, 0.02% Cu; 8.41 m @ 0.02 gpt Au, 24 gpt Ag, 0.61% Pb, 0.49% Zn, 0.06% Cu.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • VanGold Mining Corp. closed the acquisition of El Cubo mine and mill complex in Guanajuato with Endeavour Silver Corp..  The deal involved the payment of US$7 M in cash plus VAT and the delivery of 21.33 M shares of VanGold and a promissory note for $2.5 M a year from closing. El Cubo has 508 K tonnes grading 194 gpt Ag, 2.44 gpt Au containing 3.17 M Oz Ag, 39,860 Oz Au as indicated resources and 1.45 M tonnes @ 214 gpt Ag, 2.78 gpt Au containing 10 M Oz Ag, 129,900 Oz Au as inferred resources.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. signed a letter of intention (LOI) with Colibri Resource Corp. to acquire up to 50% interest in four concessions in Sonora, comprising two properties, Diamante 1 and Diamante 2 covering 1,057 hectares. The projects are separated by 700 meters, and in close proximity to other Colibri properties. The initial cash payment by Silver Spruce is to be of $75 K (Note.- The details of the deal are lengthy and involve a third party, please take a look to the appropriate press release if interested in it).
  • Empress Royalty Corp. executed the US$5 M silver stream agreement on the Telson Mining Corp. owned Tahuehueto project in Durango. “Empress has now executed the US$5M silver stream agreement on production from Telson’s Tahuehueto project in Mexico. The US$5M Stream is on 100% of the payable silver production from Tahuehueto for the first 1,250,000 payable ounces; thereafter, the percentage will stepdown to 20% of the payable silver production to a maximum of 10 years from first production after which the Stream terminates”.

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 image below:  Disseminated and vein constrained sulfides in a porphyritic intrusive rock in split diamond core from Cerro San Pedro in San Luis Potosi. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of March, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 9th week of the year (March 1st to March 7th, 2021), there were at least 34 press releases by companies working in Mexico. To note, ten companies posted exploration advances on their properties, three presented quarterly results, five posted on financing or share options (for C$2.25 M, C$23 M and C$12 M), three more on project development and six on corporate issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the Zacatecas government is promoting talks between Canadian mining companies and mining concession owners. Mining companies raise US$280 million for Mexican projects. First Majestic initiated and arbitration process under NAFTA against the Mexican government. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Silver Viper presented the highest gold results in drilling to date at La Virginia; Heliostar Metals commenced drilling at La Lola and started exploration at Cumaro and Oso Negro; Tocvan Ventures informed on detailed mapping and sampling at Pilar. Tarachi Gold started the second phase underground drilling campaign at La Dura mine at its Tarachi project. In Chihuahua, Kootenay Silver initiated the second phase drilling at Columba; Mammoth Resources began an IP survey at Tenoriba. Monarca Minerals is seeking a key surface access permit at San Jose. In Sinaloa, Oroco Resource conducted a helicopter magnetic survey at Santo Tomas. In Zacatecas, Zacatecas Silver is to explore the Zacatecas Silver project; Alien Metals commenced drilling at Donovan 2. ON MINING, Endeavour Silver, Fresnillo PLC and Great Panther Mining released quarterly and/or full year 2020 reports. ON FINANCING, One World Lithium, Silver Tiger Metals and Santacruz Silver Mining released news on their financing rounds for C$2.25 M, C$23 M and C$12 M respectively. Zacatecas Silver started trading on the TSX. Candelaria Mining granted options for 1 M shares. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Sonoro Gold released metallurgical tests results from Cerro Caliche. GR Silver released results from one drill hole at Plomosas. Galore Resources released results from five holes drilled in 2019.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Empress Royalty is acquiring a silver stream on production from Telson’s Tahuehueto mine in Durango. Orex Minerals is in a 40-60 joint venture with Pan American Silver to explore the Sandra Escobar project in Durango. Ganfeng´s increased interest (to 50%) in Bacanora Lithium has been authorized by China. First Majestic Silver requested an arbitration procedure under NAFTA regarding a tax dispute with the Mexican government. Silver One Resources completed the sale of three properties to Silverton Metals, which in turn completed its qualifying transaction. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Peñoles, Fresnillo PLC and First Majestic Silver informed on actions and awards received by the companies relating to social responsibilities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • The Zacatecas government is promoting talks between Canadian mining companies and mining concession owners. 
  • Mining companies raise US$480 million for Latin America projects. Gold and silver projects obtained US$194 million and US$121 million respectively. Most of that amount is directed to Mexico (US$280 M), Argentina (US$88.6 M), Brasil (US$42.8 M) and Chile (US$26.7 M). Specific projects financed include Las Chispas (Sonora), San Antonio (Sonora), Tahuehueto (Durango) and Cordero (Chihuahua).
  • First Majestic initiated and arbitration request under NAFTA against the government of Mexico. The request comes after failed attempts by the company to engage in negotiations with the government.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Silver Viper Minerals Corp. reported good drilling results from its La Virginia project in Sonora. Highlighted true width intervals comprise 80.08 m @ 18 gpt Ag, 0.69 gpt Au; 11.89 m @ 363 gpt Ag, 21.2 gpt Au (including 0.3 m @ 738 gpt Au, 10,681 gpt Ag, 6.74% Pb, 7.11% Zn); 28.95 m @ 44 gpt Ag, 0.77 gpt Au; 10.16 m @ 42 gpt Ag, 1.06 gpt Au; 0.92 m @ 231 gpt Ag, 11.80 gpt Au; 2.59 m @ 52 gpt Ag, 0.94 gpt Au; 1.52 m @ 78 gpt Ag, 1.07 gpt Au. “The upper portions of hole LV21-289 (azimuth 090, dip -450 ) encountered mineralized stringer intervals thought to represent the southern projection of the Western Zone. More consistent mineralization was encountered starting at 280 metres down hole, returning a down hole length measuring 130 metres core length with an average grade of 18 g/t silver and 0.69 g/t gold. Beneath this interval, a well mineralized breccia zone was encountered, starting at 424.85 metres down hole for 19.30 metres core length averaging 363 g/t silver and 21.2 g/t gold, and thought to represent the projection of El Rubi structure”.
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. described its Zacatecas Silver Project in Zacatecas. The 7,826 ha Zacatecas Silver property in the Zacatecas district, includes the Panuco deposit and the Muleros, El Cristo and San Manuel-San Gill prospects.  Panuco has an historic resource of 19.47 M Oz Ag in 3.95 M tonnes @ 153 gpt AgEq (136 gpt Ag, 0.01% Pb, 0.11% Zn). At Muleros three veins can be traced for 3 km; El Cristo is the NW extension of the Veta Grande system, same that is reported to have produced over 200 M Oz Ag; San Manuel-San Gill is a relatively unexplored vein system and an 800 m long hematitic breccia is also present.
  • Alien Metals Ltd. announced the commencement of its drilling program at the Donovan 2 copper gold project in Zacatecas. The 2,500 m of drilling is to test targets defined by an IP geophysical survey conducted late in 2020. “Pursuant to the terms of the Earn-in Agreement, Capstone can acquire a 65% interest in Donovan 2 through committed expenditure and cash payments totalling ~US$3.9million. Capstone can move to an 80% interest in the Project through free-carrying Alien to completion of a prefeasibility study”.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. initiated a 5,000 meters core drilling program at Columba, Chihuahua. “The program will focus on step out and infill drilling on impressive results to date in the high-grade F vein and its associated hanging wall vein, a new discovery blind to surface. Focus will then shift to expanding on numerous other high-grade results such as found in holes CDH 20-030 (415 gpt silver over 11.15 meters including 721 gpt silver over 4.07 meters) in the JZ area and CDH 20-082 (1,186 gpt silver over 4.6 meters) in the B Vein”.
  • Oroco Resource Corp. completed the airborne component of a helicopter magnetics survey over the Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. The survey comprised 2,231 line-kilometers with tie-line separations of 50 m and 500 m in east-west and north-south orientations respectively; processed results are to be received within two months. Meanwhile, 3D IP surveys continue on the Brasiles zone. Oroco holds a 61.4% interest that can be increased to 81.0% in the core 1,173 ha of the Santo Tomas project, and a 77.5% interest in 7,808 ha surrounding and adjacent to the core concession.
  • Mammoth Resources Corp. has begun induced polarization/magnetometer surveys to infill most of the 60% of the 6-kilometer trend not covered by the previous geophysical survey at Tenoriba, Chihuahua. A total of approximately 70 line-kilometers are to be completed. 
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd. commenced exploration of its projects in Sonora. An initial 1,500 m drilling program has begun at La Lola, focusing in the up to 40 meters wide La Barra vein and its potential to depth. At Cumaro, will map and sample extensions to veins that have ore grade intercepts on the neighboring SilverCrest’s Picacho property. “Exploration at the Oso Negro project will focus on mapping and sampling outcropping veins that yielded samples up to 2,680 grams per tonne (g/t) silver and 100.5 g/t gold. These veins have never been drilled”.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. informed detailed mapping and sampling of key targets areas have taken place at its Pilar project in Sonora. The aim of the work is to advance these targets to drill ready status, for a phase II drill program. The Main Zone Extension comprises 800 m southeast of the Main Zone, with highly anomalous gold in soils and rock grab samples and an historic hole with a 13.5 m @ 5.6 gpt Au, 22 gpt Ag intercept. The 4-Trench zone is a 600 m trend with highly anomalous gold in soils and rock grab samples and an historic hole intercept of 7.5 m @ 3.3 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag. The project has over 17,700 meters of historic core and RC drilling, with intercepts of up to 61 m @ 0.8 gpt Au; 16.5 m @ 53.5 gpt Au, 53 gpt Ag; 13 m @ 9.6 gpt Au; 9 m @ 10.2 gpt Au, 46 gpt Ag.
  • Monarca Minerals Inc. continues to advance the permitting process for drilling of the San Jose project in Chihuahua (near the USA border). Currently the company is in negotiations with the authorities of communal lands for their permit to proceed with drilling activities in their land.
  • Tarachi Gold Corp. started the second phase of underground drilling at the historic La Dura mine at its Tarachi project in Sonora. “In addition to the underground drilling at La Dura, a surface RC drill rig will be mobilized to the Jabali mineral concession in mid-March to test the 400m-long area between the La Dura mine and the artisanal workings at Zaragoza…”.

ON MINING

  • Endeavour Silver Corp. released its financial results for the Q4 and 2020 full-year. The company operates three mines in Mexico: Guanaceví in Durango, Bolañitos in Guanajuato and El Compas in Zacatecas. The company produced 3.5 M Oz Ag, 37,139 Oz Au (7.1 M Oz AgEq) at cash cost $5.55 per Oz Ag and at an all-in sustaining cost of $17.59 per Oz Ag, both net of gold credits. The year-end balance sheet was $61.1 M, with working capital at $70.4 M and a long term debt of $6.1 M.
  • Fresnillo PLC. Presented its financial results for 2020, a year during which it produced 53 M Oz Ag and 769.6 K Oz Au. At Fresnillo, cash cost stands at $5.9 and AISC at $12.92 per silver ounce; At Saucito, cash cost stands at $0.8 and AISC at $6.94 per silver ounce. At San Julián Veins (Chihuahua), cash cost stands at ($6.0) and AISC at $5.04 per silver ounce; At San Julián DOB (Chihuahua), cash cost stands at $7.0 and AISC at $8.85 per silver ounce; At Ciénega (Durango), cash cost stands at ($276.2) and AISC at $618.32 per gold ounce; At Herradura (Sonora), cash cost stands at $727.9 and AISC at $881.92 per gold ounce; Finally, at Noche Buena (Sonora), cash cost stands at $1,158.5 and AISC at $1,502.92 per gold ounce. Exploration expenses for the year were $107.3 M. Shafts at Fresnillo and Juanicipio are being bored to 1,000 meters of depth; commissioning of Juanicipio is expected for Q4 2021, with a forecasted yearly production of 11.7 M Oz Ag, 43.5 K Oz Au. “the longer-term prospects for gold are good, supported by the potential new mines at Rodeo and Orisyvo”. Cash position at the end of the year was US$1,070 M.
  • Great Panther Mining Ltd. reported consolidated financial results for 2020, including figures from its Topia (Durango) and Guanajuato Mine Complex operations in Mexico. During the period 50,868 tonnes were mined in Mexico, milling 49,498 tonnes @ 270 gpt AgEq. 

ON FINANCING

  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. announced its common shares have begun trading on the TSX Venture Exchange (Zacatecas Silver, Zacatecas).
  • One World Lithium Inc. closed its previously announced C$1.5 M non-brokered private placement with an oversubscription that brought the total in gross proceeds to C$2.25 M. The company granted incentive stock options to certain of its directors, officers, management and consultants (Salar del Diablo, Baja California).
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc. closed it previously announced bought deal offering for gross proceeds of C$23 M. The underwriters were paid a 6% commission on the gross proceeds (El Tigre, Sonora).
  • Candelaria Mining Corp. granted incentive stock options to employees, directors and officers of the company for 1.02 M shares (Pinos, Guanajuato; Caballo Blanco, Veracruz).
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. announced a non-brokered private placement intended to raise up to C$12 M (Zimapan, Hidalgo).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Sonoro Gold Corp. reported on metallurgical studies realized at Cerro Caliche Sonora. Bottle roll tests were realized on sample materials from the Japoneses, Cuervos, El Colorado/Cabeza Blanca and Buena Suerte zones, resulting in 80.3% recoveries for gold and 27.2% for silver.
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. reported high-grade results from one drill hole in the San Juan area at Plomosas, Sinaloa. The highlighted core-length intercept is 5.7 m @ 611 gpt Ag, 0.04 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb, 1.7& Zn, 0.1% Cu (685 gpt AgEq), including 1.7 m @ 1,762 gpt Ag, 0.10 gpt Au, 1.3% Pb, 4.9% Zn, 0.2% Cu and 0.7 m @ 3,755 gpt Ag, 0.03 gpt Au, 2.5% Pb, 9.7% Zn, 0.5% Cu.  
  • Galore Resources Inc. announced the return of field work and the recent receipt of additional assays from five holes of the drill program executed at El Alamo during 2019. A loan from the CEO, Mike McMillan provided the necessary funds for logging and assaying of the 2019 core. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 21.20 m @ 0.69 gpt Au, including 1.20 m @ 8.89 gpt Au; 4 m @ 0.54 gpt Au; 10.21 m @ 1.14 gpt Au, including 1.10 m @ 4.70 gpt Au; 59.85 m @ 0.32 gpt Au, including 3.2 m @ 1.07 gpt Au.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Empress Royalty Corp. is in advanced discussions to acquire a US$5 M silver stream on production from Telson Mining Corp.’s Tahuehueto project in Durango. “The Stream is expected to be on 100% of the payable silver production from Tahuehueto for the first 1,250,000 payable ounces; thereafter, the percentage will step-down to 20% of the payable silver production”.
  • Orex Minerals Inc. entered into an agreement with Pan American Silver Corp. to further explore and develop the Sandra-Escobar Project, in Durango. “The Project is a consolidation of two groups of claims, each controlled by the two Joint Venture participants. Orex and Pan American own a 40% and 60% interest, respectively, in Empresa Minera Sandra-Escobar, S.A. de C.V. (the “Joint Venture Company”), the new joint venture company formed to hold the Project. Orex will be the initial operator of the Project”.
  • Bacanora Lithium PLC. informed the receipt of all relevant approvals and consents from the authorities in the People’s Republic of China and receipt of funds by Sonora Lithium Ltd.. These were conditions for the completion of the increased investment in Sonora Lithium by Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., resulting in Ganfeng owning 50% of the share capital of Sonora Lithium (Sonora Lithium, Sonora).
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. submitted a request for arbitration to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes based on Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trades Agreement (NAFTA). The government of Mexico has refused to engage in negotiations to resolve the dispute. “The Company believes that the Government’s actions are contrary to the terms of the Advance Pricing Agreement, which established the methodology for determining PEM’s revenues and taxes for the 2010 to 2014 fiscal years, and which, according to the Company’s Mexican counsel remains valid in accordance with the Mexican Federal Tax Code unless and until it is nullified by a final instance Court. In addition, the Government of Mexico has refused to participate in the Mutual Agreement Procedures under three international double-taxation treaties signed by Mexico” (San Dimas, Durango).  
  • Silver One Resources Inc. completed the sale of its Mexican silver exploration projects to Silverton Metals Corp.. for $6 M as follows: $1.25 M in cash on closing, issue 4.37 M shares, $750 K in cash at 18 months, $500 K in cash at 24 months and a 1.5% NSR, of which 1% can be bought back by Silverton with a payment of US$500 K for each of the properties (see below).
  • Silverton Metals Corp. (formerly Plymouth Realty Capital Corp.) and Silver One Resources Inc. announced that Silverton has completed its previously announced qualifying transaction with the acquisition of Silver One’s Peñasco Quemado (Sonora), La Frazada (Nayarit) and Pluton (Durango) projects.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Peñoles and Fresnillo PLC informed on actions on biodiversity conservation activities at each of its operations in Mexico.
  • The Ethisphere Institute released a list of 135 companies that have ethics as one of its key directives in the world, which includes two Mexican companies: Grupo Bimbo and Fresnillo, with the latter being one of only three companies from the mining industry.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. received the 2021 Socially Responsible Business Distinction Award (Reconocimiento de Empresa Socialmente Responsable) granted by the Mexican Centre for Philantropy and the Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility. The awards were for its three operating mines: San Dimas (Durango), Santa Elena (Sonora) and La Encantada (Coahuila).

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:  Ricardo Ramonett checking epithermal low sulfidation quartz veining on andesitic tuffs in Sinaloa. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of February, 2021

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By Jorge Cirett

During the 5th week of the year (February 1st to February 7th, 2021), there were at least 47 press releases by companies working in Mexico. To note, seven companies posted exploration advances on their properties, five more informed on various mining items, seven posted on financing or share options, eleven on project development and nine more on corporate issues. ON MEXICO ISSUES, mining production fell 3.1% in Mexico to November 2020, although some metals and States saw an increase. Some projects with development funding include, Las Chispas, San Antonio (both in Sonora) and Avino in Durango. ON EXPLORATION, in Baja California, Comet Resources updated on exploration at its Santa Teresa project. In Sonora, Silver Spruce is to conduct an airborne Lidar survey over its Mezquite and Jackie properties. In Chihuahua, Radius Gold conducted a geophysical survey at Plata Verde; Reyna Silver released high-grade results from trench and rock chip samples at its Batopilas project. In Zacatecas, Alien Metals is to map and sample a new area on its San Celso project. Advance Gold released drill results from Tabasqueña. ON MINING, Santacruz Silver presented quarterly and full year 2020 reports. Golden Minerals poured the first gold at Rodeo. Excellon Resources released high-grade results from exploration and expansion drilling at Platosa. McEwen Mining presented its production guidance for 2021. ON FINANCING, Silver Dollar, Sonoro Gold and Solaris Resources informed on issues related to their shares; Mammoth Resources, Plymouth Realty and Bacanora Lithium announced the closing/opening of financing rounds for $688 K, $7.4 M and $65 M respectively (and $31 M more on Bacanora Lithium shares bought by Ganfeng); Prospero Silver is consolidating shares 3 to 1. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Silver Tiger Metals discovered a new mineralized zone at its El Tigre project. Gold Resource released high-grade underground drilling results from its Don David mine. Silver Dollar completed a reinterpretation of the model at La Joya while selecting new targets. Impact Silver bought a surface drill rig and an underground drill rig to use at Zacualpan. Endeavour Silver updated mineral resource estimates for Guanaceví, Bolañitos, El Compas, Terronera, El Cubo, Guadalupe y Calvo, and Parral properties. Fabled Silver released drill results from Santa María. GoGold informed on drilling results at the La Trini deposit at its Los Ricos North project. Sailfish Royalty described the Gavilanes project. Xtierra released high-grade drilling results on the Victor vein at the Bilbao project. Azucar Minerals released results from one drill hole at the Porvenir zone of the El Cobre project.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Endeavour Silver optioned The Guadalupe y Calvo project to Ridgestone Mining. Mako Mining informed on the sale of La Trinidad to GR Silver Mining. Silvercorp Metals acquired La Yesca project in Nayarit. Bacanora Lithium informed Ganfeng increased its position in Bacanora to 28.88% with the acquisition of US$31 M in shares. SilverCrest Metals released a positive FS for Las Chispas. Almaden Minerals provided a scope on the advancement of the Ixtaca project, given the refusal of development by the permitting authority. Magna Gold announced exploration activities have commenced at Margarita, a second stage of drilling is planned at La Pima and mapping and a geophysical survey are planned for Q4 at Los Muertos. Orla Mining updated on exploration activities on its 163,000 hectares land package. Plymouth Royalty is to acquire the Peñasco Quemado, Pluton and La Frazada projects from Silver One. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Grupo Mexico and Minera Peñasquito informed on actions that benefit the communities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Mining production in Mexico has fallen 3.1% during January to November of 2020, compared with the same period a year before. Gold, zinc and silver production grew by 3.8%, 3.4% and 1.2% respectively, but production in several other commodities fell, like iron pellets (25.9%), coking coal (21.3%), sulphur (15.1%), lead (13.7%), copper (7.3%), gypsum (5.1%).
  • Mexican projects that have received funding for development include Las Chispas in Sonora (SilverCrest, US$120 M), San Antonio in Sonora (Osisko, US$53.5 M) and Avino in Durango (Avino Silver, US$25 M).
  • Mining companies with significant exploration budgets in Mexico include First Majestic Silver, with US$27.6 M, Pan American Silver with US$42 M (not all in Mexico), Fortuna Silver with US$10 M, Alamos Gold with US$9 M, Endeavour Silver with US$8.4 M, Capstone Mining with US$5.0 M.
  • The Gold production in Chihuahua increased 15% in 2020. In November of last year 1,713 kilograms of gold were extracted, only behind Sonora (3,120 Kg) and Guerrero (1,998 kg).

ON EXPLORATION

  • Vizsla Resources Corp. provided results from eight new holes at the Napoleon prospect of the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width results comprise 86 gpt Ag, 18.45 gpt Au, 1.3% Pb, 3.4% Zn (1,909 gpt AgEq), including 0.43 m @ 307 gpt Ag, 101.0 gpt Au, 2.9% Pb, 10.5% Zn (10,019 gpt AgEq); 6.0 m @ 63 gpt Ag, 1.54 gpt Au, 0.2% Pb, 1.2% Zn (237 gpt AgEq), including 1.45 m @ 216 gpt Ag, 5.80 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 3.9% Zn.
  • Advance Gold Corp. released information on drilling at its Tabasqueña project in Zacatecas. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 0.40 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 41 gpt Ag, 2.0% Pb, 2.9% Zn and 0.20 m @ 0.79 gpt Au, 32 gpt Ag, 2.5% Pb, 3.8% Zn.
  • Comet Resources Ltd. provided an update on the Santa Teresa project in Baja California. Comprehensive mapping of historical drill collars, shafts and artisanal workings was conducted, with mapping identifying numerous narrow vein structures at surface. A strong association between pyrrhotite and gold has been noted.
  • Radius Gold Inc. published the results of recent geophysical surveys at its Plata Verde project in Chihuahua. “New IP/Resistivity sections show significant structural zones extending to depth directly below the known large scale historic silver mines”. Radius is now targeting extensions and repetitions of the shallow dipping breccias, stockworks and disseminations within the historic mines, as well as the sub-vertical feeder zones interpreted below.
  • Alien Metals Ltd. informed mapping and sampling is to take place at the Nueva Andromeda claim, adjacent to its San Celso project in Zacatecas. The environmental drilling permit is being awaited.
  • Reyna Silver Corp. released high-grade results from its surface and trench sampling program at its Batopilas project in Chihuahua. Based on ASTER satellite image analysis and structural mapping, 258 trench, rock chip and soil samples were collected. Two new veins were found, one with native silver, typical of Batopilas, and the first gold rich vein in the property. High-resolution hyperspectral imagery shows distinctive alteration mineralogy that coincides with the new and the known veins with additional anomalies. Highlighted channel silver results comprise 42,306 gpt, 18.078 gpt, 6,320 gpt, 2,880 gpt, 2,060 gpt, 1,510 gpt, 989 gpt, 841 gpt, 405 gpt, 400 gpt 310 gpt and two soil samples returning 662 gpt and 305 gpt Ag. Highlighted channel sample gold results comprise 21.40 gpt, 18.35 gpt, 18.30 gpt, 16.90 gpt, 15.40 gpt, 15.20 gpt, 12.90 gpt, 12.40 gpt, 7.82 gpt, 3.77 gpt, 3.24 gpt, 2.03 gpt, 1.03 gpt, 1.02 gpt.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. signed an airborne Lidar survey contract on its El Mezquite and Jackie properties in Sonora. The survey will produce a high resolution digital elevation and surface models topographic map and an orthorectified color aerial photography.

ON MINING

  • Golden Minerals Co. reported the first gold pour from its Rodeo project in Durango. The pour occurred nearly three weeks after the first loads of material were trucked from the Rodeo site to the company’s Velardeña oxide plant for processing.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. released assay results from underground drilling at its Platosa mine in Durango. Relevant exploration and expansion results include core length intervals of 4.2 m @ 741 gpt Ag, 7.5% Pb, 4.8% Zn (including 2.0 m @ 1,153 gpt Ag, 12.3% Pb, 6.1% Zn, 1.7 gpt Au); 2.4 m @ 728 gpt Ag, 21.2% Pb, 17.8% Zn. Some current definition and infill drilling comprise: 2.4 m @ 441 gpt Ag, 6.4% Pb, 10.6% Zn; 2.8 m @ 181 gpt Ag, 5.0% Pb, 6.5% Zn; 2.4 m @ 728 gpt Ag, 21.2% Pb, 17.8% Zn; 4.2 m @ 267 gpt Ag, 7.1% Pb, 14.5% Zn; 4.2 m @ 585 gpt Ag, 3.4% Pb, 3.3% Zn; 4.2 m @ 741 gpt Ag, 7.5% Pb, 4.8% Zn, 0.9 gpt Au.
  • Mexus Gols US. continues to haul and crush mineralized material to be laid on section 2 of the leach pad at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora.
  • McEwen Mining Inc. presented its production guidance for 2021, including from its Mexican operations. At El Gallo, in Sinaloa, the residual leaching operations are expected to produce between 4,500 and 5,900 Oz AuEq. The feasibility study for the Fenix Au-Ag project in Sinaloa was presented recently, with a 51% after-tax IRR, $90.8 M NPV@8% and a 2.9 years payback, with average annual production of 26 K Oz Au in phase 1 and 4.2 M Oz Ag in phase 2.
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. released production results for the Q4 and full year 2020. During the quarter, at Zimapan in Hidalgo 180 K tonnes were processed @ 76 gpt Ag, 0.62% Pb, 2.20% Zn, 0.32% Cu, recovering 67.4% Ag, to produce 297.5 K Oz Ag, 948 tonnes Pb, 2,711 tonnes Zn, 402 tonnes Cu. At Rosario in San Luis Potosí, 21.6 K tonnes were processed @ 71 gpt Ag, 0.18 gpt Au, 0.38% Pb, 1.40% Zn, recovering 87.5% Ag, to produce 43.3 K Oz Ag, 77 Oz Au, 73 tonnes Pb, 244 tonnes Zn. At Veta Grande in Zacatecas, no processing took place during the quarter. For the full year, the company produced 340.9 K Oz Ag, 77 Oz Au, 1,022 tonnes Pb, 2,954 tonnes Zn, 402 tonnes Cu (1 M Oz AgEq).

ON FINANCING

  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. announced its common shares are now eligible for “settlement through the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), a subsidiary of the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. that manages the electronic clearing and settlement of publicly-traded companies in the United States” (La Joya, Durango).
  • Mammoth Resources Corp. was recently granted conditional approval by the TSX Venture Exchange to close its previously oversubscribed $688.5 K gross proceeds private placement financing (Tenoriba, Chihuahua).
  • Plymouth Realty Capital Corp. intends to undertake a non-brokered private financing for gross proceeds of $2 M. Plymouth previously closed a brokered private placement for $7.4 M in proceeds (Peñasco Quemado, Sonora).
  • Prospero Silver Corp. is proposing to consolidate its outstanding common shares on the basis of three to one. “There are currently 5,747,189 Shares issued and outstanding. Following the Consolidation, there will be approximately 1,915,729 Shares issued and outstanding, subject to treatment of fractional post-Consolidation Shares” (Pachuca Southeast, Hidalgo).
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. has granted incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the company to purchase an aggregate of 535 K common shares. (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
  • Solaris Resources Inc. announced that its common shares have been approved for listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (La Verde, Michoacan).
  • Bacanora Lithium PLC made a share placement representing US$65 M in gross proceeds (Sonora Lithium, Sonora).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Discovery Metals Corp. announced the expansion of the higher-grade bulk-tonnage domain at is Cordero project in Chihuahua. Results from 13 diamond drill holes were released, highlighting the next core length intervals: 131.6 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.09 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.1% Zn (118 gpt AgEq) including 37.1 m @ 119 gpt Ag, 0.22 gpt Au, 1.0% Pb, 1.2% Zn (223 gpt AgEq); 85.6 m @ 53 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au, 1.4% Pb, 1.7% Zn (175 gpt AgEq) including 39.9 m @ 93 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, 2.4% Pb, 3.0% Zn (308 gpt AgEq); 126.1 m @ 40 gpt Ag, 0.10 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 1.0% Zn (103 gpt AgEq); 57.6 m @ 41 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 1.8% Zn (134 gpt Ag). Drilling has extended the “strike extent of the higher-grade bulk tonnage domain by approximately 300 m along strike across an estimated lateral extent of approximately 400 m”. 
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc. informed on the discovery of a new mineralized zone on the footwall of the Sooy vein at El Tigre, Sonora. Highlighted core length results comprise 22.2 m @ 1.12 gpt Au, 177 gpt Ag, 0.23% Cu, 1.4% Pb, 2.0% Zn (382 gpt AgEq) including 11.75 m @ 2.02 gpt Au, 305 gpt Ag, 0.39% Cu, 2.3% Pb, 3.6% Zn, which include 6.95 m @ 3.34 gpt Au, 345 gpt Ag, 0.33% Cu, 2.0% Pb, 3.4% Zn. “The decision by the technical team to continue drilling 50 meters past the targeted Sooy Vein has been rewarded by the discovery of a wide zone of high grade mineralization totally unlike the quartz vein ore previously mined at El Tigre”.
  • Gold Resource Corp. released good underground drilling results from its Don David mine in Oaxaca. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 10.85 m @ 9.12 gpt Au, 179 gpt Ag, 0.58% Cu, 3.5% Pb, 7.0% Zn; 11.83 m @ 17.45 gpt Au, 99 gpt Ag, 0.78% Cu, 3.7% Pb, 6.3% Zn; 9.97 m @ 4.43 gpt Au, 88 gpt Ag, 0.35% Cu, 0.8% Pb, 3.2% Zn; 5.87 m @ 1.51 gpt Au, 871 gpt Ag, 0.15% Cu, 0.5% Pb, 1.0% Zn; 3.85 m @ 1.66 gpt Au, 1,046 gpt Ag, 0.14% Cu, 0.3% Pb, 0.4% Zn; 7.06 m @ 0.71 gpt Au, 286 gpt Ag; 9.20 m @ 0.47 gpt Au, 283 gpt Ag.
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. completed the compilation and reinterpretation of historical exploration data on the La Joya project in Durango. Additional targets have been defined by similarities in skarn mineralization to La Colorada recent discovery in nearby Zacatecas, and a study in fault kinematics, geophysical interpretation and the elaboration of a 3D geological and mineralization model.
  • Impact Silver Corp. purchased two core drill rigs to accelerate exploration on its Zacualpan property in Estado de Mexico. The company has started a 10,000 meters drill program utilizing a used underground rig already in its possession, a new surface rig and a new underground rig. Multiple targets on both extensions of current mining areas are to be tested, as well as new exploration targets on the San Ramon, Guadalupe, Mina Grande, Cuchara, Manto America and Alacran areas.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. updated mineral reserve and resources estimates for its properties. Mineral reserves stand at 48.6 M Oz Ag, 472 K Oz Au (86.3 M Oz AgEq), measured and indicated resources at 25.9 M Oz Ag, 222.5 K Oz Au (43.7 M Oz AgEq) and inferred resources at 64.4 M Oz Ag, 283.8 K Oz Au, (87.1 M Oz AgEq).
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. released results from the second drill hole of the 8,000 meters campaign at its Santa María project in Chihuahua. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 6.0 m @ 0.54 gpt Au, 324 gpt Ag including 3.30 m @ 0.90 gpt Au, 561 gpt Ag which includes 1.10 m @ 0.74 gpt Au, 822 gpt Ag and 1.10 m @ 1.06 gpt Au, 621 gpt Ag.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. announced results of drilling at La Trini in Los Ricos North property. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 11.4 m @ 97 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au, including 0.8 m @ 1,214 gpt Ag, 0.25 gpt Au; 8.5 m @ 197 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, including 2.3 m @ 506 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au; 23.5 m @ 64 gpt Ag, 0.81 gpt Au, including 2.8 m @ 283 gpt Ag, 3.30 gpt Au. To date, the results of 96 drill holes at La Trini have been released.
  • Sailfish Royalty Corp. updated on the Gavilanes project in Durango. The 13,594 hectares low-sulfidation epithermal project is 25 km east from First Majestic’s San Dimas property. Historic indicated resources comprise 953 K tonnes @ 165 gpt Ag, 0.09 gpt Au, 0.06% Cu, 0.42% Pb, 0.41% Zn (200 gpt AgEq) whereas inferred resources include 5.4 M tonnes @ 125 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 0.34% Zn (163 gpt AgEq).
  • Xtierra Inc. released results from drilling at the Victor vein on its Bilbao property in Zacatecas. Highlighted true-width intervals in one hole comprise 3.80 m @ 59 gpt Ag, 2.0% Pb, 1.3% Zn, 0.14% Cu; 8.98 m @ 90 gpt Ag, 3.4% Pb, 3.2% Zn, 0.20% Cu, including 2.09 m @ 175 gpt Ag, 6.1% Pb, 0.7% Zn, 0.58% Cu; 4.15 m @ 131 gpt Ag, 6.0% Pb, 8.5% Zn, 0.18% Cu;1.10 m @ 126 gpt Ag, 6.1% Pb, 3.8% Zn, 0.68% Cu. Another hole returned 1.84 m @ 101 gpt Ag, 6.2% Pb, 2.7% Zn, 0.21% Cu; 3.48 m @ 28 gpt Ag, 1.7% Pb, 0.8% Zn, 0.06% Cu.
  • Azucar Minerals Ltd. released results from one more drill hole at the Porvenir zone of the El Cobre project in Veracruz. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 65.0 m @ 0.26 gpt Au, 0.14% Cu, including 10.0 m @ 0.54 gpt Au, 0.29% Cu; a second interval of 25.5 m @ 0.52 gpt Au, 0.30% Cu. “. Drilling planned for the Porvenir Zone has been completed and future drilling on the project will be planned based on a geologic review currently underway and the receipt of outstanding assay results. In the meantime a surface field work program is planned to better define several targets prior to drill testing”.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Endeavour Silver Corp. has granted an option to purchase a 100% interest in its Guadalupe y Calvo project in Chihuahua to Ridgestone Mining Inc.. Under the agreement Ridgestone has to pay over four years US$1.5 M in cash and US$1.75 M in shares, plus US$0.75 M in exploration expenses for a total commitment of US$4 M. Endeavour will retain a 2% NSR, with an option by which Ridgestone could buy back the 2% NSR for US$2 M prior to commencement of commercial production.
  • Mako Mining Corp. informed a definitive agreement has been executed with GR Silver Mining Ltd. on the sale of its subsidiary Marlin Gold Mining Ltd., which owns the La Trinidad mine facilities in Sinaloa, currently being reclaimed. The deal includes nine mining concessions covering 104,094.5 hectares adjacent to GR Silver’s properties. Mako will receive US$50 K in cash, a 1% NSR and the reversal of US$9.35 M in unpaid concession taxes. The 1% NSR can be bought at any time for US$2 M.
  • Silvercorp Metals Inc. has acquired 100% interest in the La Yesca project in Nayarit. The 4,700 hectares project has previous geological mapping, stream sediment and soil surveys and 7,649 meters of drilling in 25 widely spaced holes. Highlighted trench sample results comprise 25.6 m @ 420 gpt Ag, 14.3 m @ 389 gpt Ag, 47.6 m @ 295 gpt Ag and 32.9 m @ 161 gpt Ag, all with combined Pb+Zn credits of up to 3.7%. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 3.3 m @ 744 gpt Ag, 0.1% Pb, 1.4% Zn; 10.0 m @ 977 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 6.5 m @ 725 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb, 1.8% Zn; 5.9 m @ 293 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 1.4% Zn; 2.4 m @ 823 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb, 4.0% Zn; 3.0 m @ 718 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 3.34% Zn; 17.0 m @ 252 gpt Ag, 0.8% Pb, 2.1% Zn. Silvercorp obtained control of the project by acquiring the holding company with a cash payment of US$9.25 M in cash and a 45% interest in the managing company shares to the vendors. “A “discovery payment” of up to $30 million calculated on the basis of US$0.20 per ounce of silver resources as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”), is payable by New Infini to the Vendors subject to certain permitting considerations”.
  • Bacanora Lithium PLC. announced that its partner Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement “in connection with its investment in SLL (“JVA”) following the exercise of its option to increase its stake in SLL from 22.5% to 50% (the “Option”). Completion of the JVA remains conditional upon certain approvals and consents from authorities in the People’s Republic of China”. On a second press release Bacanora informed Ganfeng’s intention to increase its holding in Bacanora, subscribing for gross proceeds of US$31 M. On completion of their investment, Ganfeng will have an ownership level of 28.88%. (Sonora Lithium project, Sonora).
  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. disclosed positive results from a feasibility study for the Las Chispas project in Sonora. The study envisages a 1,250 tpd operation with an initial mine life of 8.5 years, with a base case NPV(5%) of $486.3 M, IRR of 52% and a payback period of one year. An average AISC of $7.07 per Oz AgEq for seven years is among the lowest quartile AISC globally.
  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. provided an update on its intentions for advancing the Ixtaca project in Puebla. Late last year the company was informed that the initial environmental impact assessment on the project did not receive approval from the Mexican federal permitting authority, Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMERNAT).” Almaden remains convinced that the Ixtaca project can be a showcase for modern, responsible mineral development in Mexico. The Company intends to work towards submitting a revised MIA which incorporates additional data presently available to the Company as well as data to be gathered in further field studies”.
  • Magna Gold Corp. announced exploration activities have commenced on its Margarita project in Chihuahua. Magna plans to re-log 5,097 meters of HQ drill core from 35 drill holes, re-sample and sample vein and vein extensions and compile sections and long sections based on the previous drilling. “Magna has contracted topographic map work on the property, as well as the acquisition of Aster satellite images, in preparation for field mapping at Margarita. A survey crew will locate the Margarita drillhole collars to confirm existing data. Field work at Margarita is scheduled to commence in Q1, which will be used to plan a drill campaign that will commence by Q3 2021. The drill campaign will include infill, confirmation and exploration drilling and will be targeted in areas between and down dip from existing drilling”. A second, 2,000 meters phase of drilling is planned in Q3 at La Pima, in Sonora. The drilling is to focus on breccias hosted in limestone. At Los Muertos, also in Sonora, soil and rock chip sampling as well as geology mapping and an induced polarization survey are planned to commence on Q4 2021.
  • Orla Mining Ltd. updated the exploration status of its 163,000 hectares in Mexican properties. A 6,000 meters core drilling program is underway within the Camino Rojo deposit in Zacatecas, and a 5,212 RC drilling campaign was completed in the neighboring Las Miserias, San Tiburcio and Guanamero targets. Nine trenches were excavated at the Las Miserias target, for a total of 140 meters. A directional drilling programmed commenced in Q4 2020 on the down plunge extension of the sulfide zone on the Camino Rojo deposit. A 2,500 meters core drilling program on Fresnillo’s property and integration of the geological resource models with Fresnillo’s drill data (In December 2020 Orla completed a layback agreement with Fresnillo PLC that will allow Orla to expand the Camino Rojo oxide pit onto part of the adjacent Fresnillo’s mining concession. A US$4 M budget has been allocated for these exploration campaigns.
  • Plymouth Realty Capital Corp. received conditional acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange on its qualifying transaction whereby Plymouth will acquire the Peñasco Quemado (Sonora), Pluton (Durango) and La Frazada (Nayarit) projects from Silver One Resources Inc.. Plymouth is to pay Silver One $6 M in cash and shares as follows: 1.25 M in cash and 4.375 M shares on the closing of the transaction, $750 K in cash 18 months onwards and $500 K in cash 24 months after the closing.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Grupo Mexico’s La Caridad power plant  received the certificate “Great Place to Work”.
  • Minera Peñasquito donated medical equipment to the state government in Zacatecas.

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 vein from a low sulfidation epithermal system in Sinaloa. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Third Week of January, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 3rd week of the year (January 18th to January 24th, 2021), there were at least 41 press releases by companies working in Mexico. To note, six companies posted exploration advances on their properties, eight more released quarterly and full year results, six posted on financing or share options, nine on project development and four more on corporate issues, including two company name changes. ON MEXICO ISSUES, several Mexican projects saw significant investment in 2020. World exploration reduced its pace in 2020, with a total of US$8.33 B, of which 21% were spent in Latin America. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Silver Spruce is starting exploration at Jackie; Heliostar is to commence exploration at La Lola, Oso Negro and Cumaro. In Chihuahua, Radius Gold reported drill results from Amalia; Kootenay Silver released results from drilling at Columba. In Sinaloa, Vizsla Resources updated drill results from Panuco; Brigadier Gold released results from drill holes at Picachos. ON MINING, Sierra Metals, Pan American Silver, Hecla Mining, Gatos Silver, Argonaut Gold, Fortuna Silver, Premier Gold and First Majestic presented quarterly and full year 2020 reports. ON FINANCING, Candente Gold and Impact Silver granted stock options. Mexican Gold closed a private placement for $1.4 M. VanGold Mining expanded its placement to $12.6 M. Mammoth Resources increased its financing round to $688.5 K. Sierra Metals made a clarification on its shares. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Gatos Silver is to start exploration on its extensive land package this year. Discovery Metals intends to perform 65,000 m of drilling at its Cordero project. Osisko Development informed on the work to develop its San Antonio Gold project in Sonora. Sonoro Gold reported the remaining assays from its 2020 drilling campaign at Cerro Caliche. First Majestic updated on the development of the Ermitaño project, 4 km from its Santa Elena mine. GoGold Resources released the results of a PEA on the Los Ricos South project. Silver Tiger discovered a new high-grade zone on the Benjamin vein at El Tigre. Mexican Gold released the final assays from its 2020 drill program at Las Minas. Southern Silver Exploration released drill results from Cerro Las Minitas.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Candente Gold changed name to Xali Gold Corp.. Megastar Development changed name to Madoro Metals Corp.. Tocvan Ventures added Rodrigo Calles as Exploration and Corporate Development Manager. Minaurum Gold amended an agreement with an underlying royalty holder. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Fresnillo PLC, Industrias Peñoles and Minera San Xavier informed on actions that benefit the communities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Camimex (Camara minera de México) informed on several projects that are to have significant investments in 2021. Juanicipio in Zacatecas, US$440 M; Los Filos expansion in Guerrero, US$213 M; Fresnillo’s Pyrites Plant in Zacatecas, US$155 M; Camino Rojo in Zacatecas, US$134 M; Tahuehueto in Durango, US$32.2 M; Santana in Sonora, US$7.55 M. Other significant projects for the near future include Las Chispas in Sonora, with US$100 M and Buenavista Zinc in Sonora, US$413 M.  
  • The world exploration investment during 2020 reached  US$8.328 billions (US$8,328 millones), according to Cochilco. That is 10% less than the US$9.285 billion spent in 2019. Twenty five percent of that amount, US$2.05 billion, were invested in Latin America, of which 21% correspond to investment sunk in Mexico (behind Chile, with 22% and ahead of Perú, with 18%).

ON EXPLORATION

  • Silver Spruce Resources. is commencing the phase 1 of exploration at the Jackie project in Sonora. The program comprises prospecting, rock, soil and stream sediment sampling, initial geological mapping and collection of structural data.
  • Vizsla Resources Corp. provided results from ten more holes on the Napoleon prospect at the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true-width (tw) intervals comprise 11.02 m @ 180 gpt Ag, 2.27 gpt Au, 0.44% Pb, 1.31% Zn (422 gpt AgEq), including 1.09 m @ 975 gpt Ag, 13.88 gpt Au, 1.63% Pb, 5.83% Zn (2,383 gpt AgEq); 3.54 m @ 181 gpt Ag, 3.75 gpt Au, 0.59% Pb, 1.52% Zn (569 gpt AgEq); 3.23 m @ 262 gpt Ag, 2.57 gpt Au, 1.26% Pb, 2.0% Zn (562 gpt AgEq).
  • Brigadier Gold Ltd. advanced drill and surface sampling results from its Picachos property in Sinaloa. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 3 m @ 9.49 gpt Au, 24 gpt Ag; 3 m @ 6.24 gpt Au, 79 gpt Ag; 3.5 m @ 7.03 gpt Au, 110 gpt Ag; 2.5 m @ 6.75 gpt Au, 44 gpt Ag. Surface rock chip-channel sampling returned 5 m @ 4.89 gpt Au, 67 gpt; 10 m @ 1.85 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag; 1 m @ 0.1 gpt Au, 347 gpt Ag; 0.8 m @ 44.1 gpt Au, 47 gpt Ag; 1.2 m @ 5.25 gpt Au, 74 gpt Ag; 1.6 m @ 1.9 gpt Au, 98 gpt Ag. Brigadier states that results so far indicate a primary vein system over seven kilometers with robust mineralization.
  • Radius Gold Inc. reported results from its phase four diamond drill program at the Amalia Au-Ag, project in Chihuahua. Five drill holes have been completed in the current program, for a total of 2,035 m. A hole aimed within the high grade San Pedro shoot intercepted 23.1 m @ 6.8 gpt Au, 321 gpt Ag, with an estimated true width (tw) of 14.5 m, including 6.25 m (3.5 m tw) @ 18.34 gpt Au, 813 gpt Ag.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. announced results from the final 17 core holes completed on its phase II drill program which totaled 9,114 m at its Columba project in Chihuahua. Highlighted core length results comprise 79 m @ 58 gpt Ag (including 10.1 m @ 152 gpt Ag and 3.1 m @ 325 gpt Ag); 3.78 m @ 170 gpt Ag; 27.75 m @ 40 gpt Ag; 94.06 m @ 40 gpt Ag (including 7.0 m @ 97 gpt Ag); 9.05 m @ 179 gpt Ag (including 5.35 m @ 290 gpt Ag); 1.58 m @ 525 gpt Ag; 70.5 m @ 112 gpt Ag (including 9.0 m @ 691 gpt Ag and 4.6 m @ 1,186 gpt Ag); 25 m @ 47 gpt Ag (including 7 m @ 126 gpt Ag and 2.45 m @ 208 gpt Ag.
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd. plans to start an exploration program of its Mexican projects in Sonora next month. Drilling at La Lola should commence on February, focusing on the 5 km long La Barra vein. Mapping and sampling will be completed at Oso Negro and Cumaro projects in February and March. Oso Negro is a large project with outcropping veins, while Cumaro is part of the Picacho district.

ON MINING

  • Sierra Metals Inc. reported production results for Q4 2020, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Bolívar, in Chihuahua, 383.6 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 4,384 tonnes per day (tpd) and a grade of 0.79% Cu, 14.5 gpt Ag, 0.25 gpt Au, recovering 88.21% Cu, 83.44% Ag, 64.41% Au, to produce 5.87 M Lb Cu, 149 K Oz Ag, 2,017 Oz Au. For the year total production of 24.54 M Lb Cu was recorded. At Cusi, in Chihuahua, 82.7 K tonnes were processed during the period at a rate of 945 tpd and a grade of 160.62 gpt Ag, 0.19 gpt Au, 0.28% Pb, recovering 80.37% Ag, 46.73% Au, 82.79% Pb, to produce 343 K Oz Ag, 234 Oz Au, 590 K Lb Pb. For the year, a total of 890 K Oz Ag, 619 Oz Au, 1.37 M Lb Pb were produced.
  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. executed an agreement with Industrias Peñoles S.A. de C.V. “to reduce the transport costs/allowances of Plomosas concentrate delivered and sold to Penoles under an extended offtake agreement for the sale of 100% of the Plomosas zinc concentrate” (Plomosas, Chihuahua).
  • Capstone Mining Corp. is working on a technical report that is to include an updated mineral resource and a prefeasibility study to increase the vein rate recovery at its Cozamin mine in Zacatecas. “The $45 to $50 million project will commence this year and when in operation, targeted for Q1 2023, will allow for maximizing the extraction of high-grade ore. It will also improve environmental performance given 60% of our tailings will be sent underground and the remaining tailings will employ best practice dry-stack technology…. The 2021 budget for brownfield exploration is $5 million and $4 million for greenfield exploration in Mexico and Brazil”.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. released preliminary production results for the fourth quarter of 2020, including figures from its Mexican operations. At La Colorada, Zacatecas, 1.18 M Oz Ag were produced, while at Dolores, in Chihuahua, production reached 764 K Oz Ag. For 2021 the company aims to produce 7.16 – 7.44 M Oz Ag, 4.0 – 4.2 K Oz Au at La Colorada, and 2.73 – 2.97 M Oz Ag, 160.8 – 179.3 K Oz Au at Dolores, Chihuahua.
  • Hecla Mining Co. released preliminary production for 2020, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Sebastian, Durango, “1.0 million ounces of silver and 7,223 ounces of gold were produced. For the fourth quarter, 0.2 million ounces of silver and 1,159 ounces of gold were produced. Mining was completed in the third quarter and milling completed in the fourth quarter of 2020. The mill operated at an average of 474 tpd when in production. The Company continues to explore this highly prospective land package and will evaluate further mining based on exploration results”.  
  • Gatos Silver Inc. achieved 2,324 tonnes per day operation of its Cerro Los Gatos mine in Chihuahua. By the end of 2020 mine development had reached just under 16,000 m of development. During 2020 Gatos Silver produced 4.2 M OZ Ag, 34.2 M Lb Zn, 27.4 M Lb Pb and 4,900 Oz Au, in Ag, Zn and Pb concentrates.
  • Argonaut Gold Inc. announced production results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2020, including figures from its Mexican operations. At El Castillo, in Durango, 12,568 Oz AuEq were produced in the quarter, 46,182 Oz AuEq in the year. At San Agustín, Durango, 18,622 Oz AuEq were produced in the quarter, 63,866 Oz AuEq in the year. At La Colorada, in Sonora, 11,294 Oz AuEq were produced in the last quarter, and 47,064 in the year.
  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. reported production results for the fourth quarter and full year 2020, including figures from its Mexican operations. During the quarter in San José, Oaxaca, 272.1 K tonnes were milled at a rate of 3,024 tpd and a grade of 206 gpt Ag, 1.26 gpt Au, recovering 91.42% Ag, 91.27% Au, to produce 1.65 M Oz Ag, 10,095 Oz Au. For the full year 934.4 K tonnes were milled at a rate of 2,647 tpd and a grade of 224 gpt Ag, 1.38 gpt Au, recovering 91.52% Ag, 91.34% Au, to produce 6.16 M Oz Ag, 37,805 Oz Au.
  • Premier Gold Mines Ltd. released fourth quarter and full year 2020 results, including figures from its operations in Mexico. At Mercedes, Sonora. During the last quarter 11,185 Oz Au, 65,735 Oz Ag were produced, which added up to the production of 34,955 Oz Au, 167,917 Oz Ag in the year.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. announced Q4 and full year 2020 results from its Mexican mines. For the Full year, San Dimas, in Durango, produced 6.4 M Oz Ag, 71,598 Oz Au, or 12.67 M Oz AgEq; Santa Elena, in Sonora, produced 1.7 M Oz Ag, 28,242 Oz Au, or 4.18 M Oz Ag Eq; La Encantada, in Coahuila, produced 3.50 M Oz Ag, 241 Oz Au, or 3.53 M Oz Ag. Last quarter production results can be seen in the table below.
  • Mexus Gold US. informed it is moving 600 tonnes per day to the crushing plant at its San Elena mine in Sonora (Not to mistake for First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). Leaching continues to produce about 3 Oz per day, which is expected to double by February.

ON FINANCING

  • Candente Gold Corp. announced the granting of 3.2 M stock options to directors, senior officers, employees and consultants of the company (El Oro, Estado de Mexico).
  • Mexican Gold Mining Corp. closed its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $1.4 M. The press release presented a lengthy explanation of a “related party transaction” involving Palisades Goldcorp Ltd.  (Las Minas, Veracruz).
  • VanGold Mining Corp. expanded the size of its non-brokered private placement financing previously announced, to $12.6 M in gross proceeds (El Pinguico, Guanajuato).
  • Impact Silver Corp. granted 2.11 M stock options to directors, officers and employees (Real de Zacualpan, Estado de Mexico).
  • Mammoth Resources Corp. is increasing the amount of the recently announced private placement, for total gross proceeds of $688.5 (Tenoriba, Chihuahua).
  • Sierra Metals Inc. “refers to the announcement earlier today by Arias Resource Capital Fund L.P. (“ARCF I”) regarding its distribution of an aggregate of 52,721,964 common shares of the Company from ARCF I to underlying limited partners (the “Distribution”) which was made in connection with the winding-up and dissolution of ARCF I. In view of the ongoing strategic review process announced by Sierra on January 8, 2021, the Company confirms that the strategic review process continues to have the full support of its Board of Directors, management team, Arias Resource Capital Fund II L.P. (now the Company’s largest shareholder) and Arias Resource Capital Fund II (Mexico) L.P” (Cusi and Bolivar mines, Chihuahua).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Gatos Silver Inc. commenced in December 2020 a 27,000 meter exploration program at its Cerro Los Gatos property in Chihuahua, to convert 3.2 M tonnes of inferred resources to measured and indicated categories, and to discover resources to the SE and NW of the deposit. Gatos Silver “intends to reactivate Los Gatos District exploration in early 2021, starting with the Esther resource located four kilometers from CLG. During the first quarter of 2021, Gatos Silver will begin a 5,400-meter exploration program on its wholly-owned Santa Valeria project”.
  • Discovery Metals Corp. intends to perform 65,000 meters of diamond drilling in 2021 at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. The aim is to produce a PEA with a resource update of the bulk tonnage mineralization and complete the initial testing of the high-grade veins with 20,0000 meters, and drill 46,000 meters more for bulk-tonnage mineralization resource upgrade and expansion, resource definition of the high-grade veins and initial scout drilling on the property.
  • Osisko Development Corp. informed its San Antonio Gold project in Sonora has an initial resource estimate of 27.6 M tonnes grading 1.18 g/t Au for 1 M Oz Au in the inferred category. Osisko is currently targeting development of a scenario for initial annual production of 50 K to 70 K Oz with additional near-term potential from reprocessing the 1.3 M tonnes stockpile located on site. The company also entered into an agreement to purchase a semiportable crushing plant for the project with capacity of 15 K tpd, with a jaw crusher, cone crushers and the related screening and material handling equipment. “The equipment is in good condition and currently stored in Nevada, USA and will be transported to the project in the next quarter”.
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. reported the remaining assays from it 2020 drilling campaign at Cerro Caliche, Sonora. “The 2021 drilling program is currently underway with approximately 50 additional RC and core holes expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter”. Core length intercepts comprise 8.4 m @ 0.72 gpt Au; 7.2 m @ 0.60 gpt Au; 6.0 m @ 0.88 gpt Au at El Colorado zone, 3.9 m @ 0.36 gpt Au and 3.9 m @ 0.23 gpt Au in one hole at the Guadalupe zone, 9.3 m @ 0.72 gpt Au; 15 m @ 0.50 gpt Au at the Cabeza Blanca zone, 16.25 m @ 0.74 gpt Au. “The latest assays further support the Company’s consideration of the viability for a bulk mining heap-leach development proposal with a conceptual throughput of up to 20,000 tonnes per day”.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. updated on the Ermitaño project, located only 4 km east from its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. Approximately 72,270 m of drilling have been completed since 2016 to define the current indicated resource of 4.7 M Oz Ag, 311 K Oz Au at an average grade of 70 gpt Ag, 4.59 gpt Au, and an inferred resource of 7.0 M Oz Ag and 370 K Oz Au averaging 58 gpt Ag, 3.08 gpt Au. “In 2021, the Company has budgeted a total of $42.1 million to be invested at Ermitaño and expects to begin initial test block mining by mid-2021 to assess the geotechnical conditions, subject to delineation drilling results, and extract approximately 30,000 to 60,000 tonnes of material to be used for industrial metallurgical testing”.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released results of its preliminary economic assessment (PEA) at Los Ricos South project in Jalisco. The report includes an after tax NPV (5% discount rate) of US$296 M, with an after tax IRR of 46% on an 11 year mine life to produce 69.6 M Oz AgEq; initial capital costs of $125 M and average LOM costs of $8.65 per Oz AgEq and all-sustaining costs of $11.35 per Oz AgEq. Approximately two thirds of the production would be from open pit mining, and one third from underground mining.
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc. announced the discovery of a new zone of high-grade Au-Ag mineralization at its El Tigre project in Sonora. Core length intercepts comprise 5.5 m @ 726 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, including 3.0 m @ 1,303 gpt Ag,0.09 gpt Au; 0.5 m @ 625 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au; 0.5 m @ 474 gpt Ag, 0.13 gpt Au. These intercepts are from the newly discovered Benjamín vein, 900 m to the north of the El Tigre historic workings.
  • Mexican Gold Mining Corp. released the final assay results from the 2020 drill program covering 10,221 m in 65 holes at its Las Minas project in Veracruz. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 18 m @ 2.45 gpt Au, 0.6% Cu; 21 m @ 9.32 gpt Au, 0.33% Cu; 28.3 m @ 1.48 gpt Au, 0.36% Cu; 15 m @ 2.42 gpt Au, 0.22% Cu; 10 m @ 1.23 gpt Au, 0.61% Cu; 10 m @ 2.09 gpt Au, 0.96% Cu; 10 m @ 1.72 gpt Au, 0.54% Cu, 52 m @ 1.5 gpt Au, 1.1% Cu; 12 m @ 2.55 gpt Au, 1.18% Cu; 7.8 m @ 1.05 gpt Au, 0.51% Cu; 8.4 m @ 1.03 gpt Au, 0.22% Cu; 9 m @ 0.99 gpt Au, 0.94% Cu; 14 m @ 1.08 gpt Au, 0.96% Cu; 10 m @ 0.54 gpt Au, 0.63% Cu; 2 m @ 1.7 gpt Au, 2.33% Cu; 1.8 m @ 3.62 gpt Au, 4.63% Cu. Areas with highlighted intercepts include El Dorado, the West Dike Contact and the East Dike Contact.
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. reported “further intervals of gold-enriched oxide and sulphide mineralization in step out drilling as well as a significant downhole extension of earlier reported high-grade, silver enriched polymetallic sulphide mineralization” at the Mina La Bocona zone of its Cerro Las Minitas project in Durango. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 26.5 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 26 gpt Ag of shallow oxide mineralization and 6.1 m @ 162 gpt Ag, 0.57 gpt Au, 3.2% Pb, 1.3% Zn, that correlates with the deeper sulfide mineralization in one hole; 6.1 m @ 344 gpt Ag, 0.59 gpt Au, 5.7% Pb, 3.9% Zn; 1.4 m @ 520 gpt Ag, 0.34 gpt Au, 10.6% Pb, 9.8% Zn; 5.0 m @ 364 gpt Ag, 0.3 gpt Au, 7.0% Pb, 1.8% Zn. 1.4 m @ 1,070 gpt Ag, 0.09 gpt Au, 23.3% Pb, 3.2% Zn.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Candente Gold Corp. announced the name change to Xali Gold Corp. has taken place (El Oro, Estado de Mexico).
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. announced Rodrigo Calles-Montijo has been appointed to the Board of Directors and management team as Exploration and Corporate Development Manager, Mexico (Pilar, Sonora).
  • Minaurum Gold Inc. “is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with its underlying Royalty Holder (“RH”) on the Biricu Project (“Biricu”) located in the Guerrero Gold Belt (“GGB”), Mexico. Minaurum has been provided with both a limited time option to repurchase a portion of the NSR along with eliminating the outstanding Bankable Feasibility Study payment on Biricu in exchange for issuing 100,000 common shares to RH”. The Biricu project is on the southeastern projection of the Guerrero Gold Belt and is underlain by the same Cretaceous sedimentary rocks and Laramide intrusive rocks.
  • Megastar Development Corp. announced that its board of directors approved a name change to Madoro Metals Corp., subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (Yautepec and Magadalena, Oaxaca).

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Industrias Peñoles informed on the donations, equipment provided and activities executed in the Torreon-Gomez Palacio area (La Laguna) to aid with the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
  • Fresnillo PLC provides 1,500 liters of diesel fuel monthly to the firefighters department in Caborca, Sonora.
  • Minera San Xavier has commenced the remediation of historic mining liabilities in Cerro San Pedro, San Luis Potosí. The liabilities were generated by mining by Asarco between 1930 and 1950. Since 2016 140 K tonnes of material have been moved from Patio Victoria to the installations of the mine, which is now closed.
  • Fresnillo PLC signed an agreement with the Fresnillo municipality to provide resources to aid the communities of Mexico Nuevo and Carrillo, in Zacatecas.
  • Peñoles informed its Museo de Los Metales (Metals Museum) continues with an intense program of online activities.

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 vein stockwork on andesite from a project in Sinaloa. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of January, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 1st week of the year (January 4th to January 10th, 2020), at least 27 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, four companies posted exploration advances on their properties, and six more posted news on resources and development. Sierra Metals Corp’s Cusi and Bolivar mines are up for grabs. ON MEXICO ISSUES, a reduction of mineral production is expected for 2020 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Camimex pointed on the lack of clarity on the distribution of the mining royalties. At least six companies plan to start mining operations in this year. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Aztec Minerals updated its exploration status at Cervantes; Mojave Gold updated on exploration at its Sonora Gold project, where at least two structures tens of meters in width run for kilometers; Canuc Resources is using results from a magnetic survey for targeting. In Chihuahua, Mammoth Resources has received the permit for drilling at Tenoriba.  ON MINING, Endeavour Silver, Aura Minerals and Torex Gold presented Q4 2020 production results. Mexus Gold US continues to stack ore at its Santa Elena mine. Sierra Metals presented a PEA that doubles the processing capacity at its Cusi mine. ON FINANCING, Ridgestone Mining increased its private placement to $2.32 M. SilverCrest Metals entered into a credit agreement for US$76.5 M. Fabled Silver and Silver Wolf Exploration granted stock options. Silver Dollar Resources made a clarification requested by the OTC Market. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GR Silver Mining reported good drilling results at the Plomosas mine, in the Plomosas project, Sinaloa. Sonoro Gold reported drilling results from Cerro Caliche, Sonora. Discovery Metals released drilling results from two vein trends at Cordero, Chihuahua. Prime Mining updated on exploration at Los Reyes, Sinaloa. Fabled Silver Gold informed on surface sampling at Santa María, Chihuahua. GoGold released results from drilling at El Favor, on its Los Ricos North project, Jalisco. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Argonaut Gold and AP Mining have amended the agreement for the previously announced sale of the Ana Paula project to AP Mining. Minaurum Gold entered into an option agreement with Fortuna Silver on the Taviche property in Oaxaca, agreement by which Fortuna can gain up to 80% interest on the project. Sierra Metals is evaluating the sale of its assets, a merger or business combination. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Fresnillo, the Chihuahua Mining Cluster and Grupo Mexico informed on actions that benefit society.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Camimex (Camara minera de México) sees the mining production to decrease in 2020 due to the pandemic. The decrease is expected to reach 10% for gold, 6 to 6.3% for silver and lead, 3% for copper and 25% for iron.
  • Camimex pointed on the lack of clarity on the distribution of the mining royalties. According to the previous rules the resources funded infrastructure on communities across mining regions. After de federal government changed the rules, it is not clear now how these resources are distributed. Mining companies paid US$196 M (3,990 million pesos) in royalties in 2019.
  • Companies aspiring to start new mines in 2021 include: Mag Silver (Juanicipio, Zacatecas), Orla Mining (Camino Rojo, Zacatecas), Minera Alamos (Santa, Sonora), Golden Minerals (Rodeo, Durango), VanGold Mining (Pinguico and El Cubo, Guanajuato), Sonora Gold (Cerro Caliche, Sonora) and Candelaria Mining (Pinos, Zacatecas).

ON EXPLORATION

  • Aztec Minerals Corp. informed that during 2020 formed a 65/35 joint venture with Kootenay Silver on the Cervantes project, Sonora. Also during the year an additional IP-resistivity survey was performed to define new targets; geological mapping, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveying have identified 11 targets in total, of which 7 are in preparation for drilling. Aztec intends to extend detailed geologic, structural, and alteration mapping and sampling at the Purisima West, Estrella, Jacobo, Brazil, and other targets at Cervantes, and plan and permit a phase 1 reverse circulation drilling program on the California and Purisima targets.
  • Mojave Gold Corp. updated on work done during December of 2020 at its Sonora Gold project in Sonora. A 261 sample stream sediment survey was carried out in the 6,000 hectares property, and detailed geological mapping and rock chip sampling was carried out on the Caracahui and Sonora Cooper areas, including underground mapping on the latter. The Sonora Cooper West/Las Llantas structure has been observed to be over 3 km in length, reaching widths of over 70 m. “In total, mineralized structures in the western part of the project area have been observed to extend more than 8.5 kilometers in cumulative length…. The Sonora Cooper mineralized area contains large structures often reaching over 70m in width, that were mapped in detail for over 500m along strike. Additionally, detailed underground mapping was completed over 605m length in the Sonora Cooper adit and over a 260m length of the Guadalupe adit. A total of 160 rock chip samples were collected from the underground workings”.
  • Mammoth Resources Corp. announced SEMARNAT (Mexican environmental agency) has approved the drill permit application on its Tenoriba property in Chihuahua. Mammoth is planning to start a drilling campaign before the end of the first quarter.
  • Canuc Resources Corp. received results from a drone supported magnetic survey at its San Javier project in Sonora. Three large magnetic high features (1,000 by 600 m, 800 by 600 m, 600 by 600m) were identified. “Detailed processing of the data suggests that there are stronger magnetic features within the larger target areas which may represent areas of higher-grade mineralization. Canuc is now carrying out detailed ground magnetic surveys on these targets and is scheduled to begin drilling in the next few weeks”.

ON MINING

  • Mexus Gold US. released an update of mining operations at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to mistake for First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). The company is stacking material from a shear zone grading 0.9 gpt to 1.2 gpt Au.
  • Sierra Metals Inc. filed a NI 43-101 independent technical report for a doubling of output at its Cusi mine in Chihuahua. The preliminary economic assessment (PEA) highlights include an after tax Net Present Value (NPV) of US$81 M at an 8% discount rate, at a long term silver price of US$20/Oz. The project envisages increasing the production from 1,200 tonnes per day (tpd) to 2,400 tpd @ 127.2 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, 0.48% Zn, 0.34% Pb, with a 13 year mine life and recoverable 33.4 M Oz Ag.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. reported the highest quarterly production in the last two years from its mines in Mexico. Total production in the quarter was 237.4 K tonnes mined at a rate of 2,580 tpd @ 169 gpt Ag, 1.90 gpt Au, recovering 86.8% Ag, 87% Au, to produce 1.12 M Oz Ag, 12,586 Oz Au.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. reported Q4 production for 2020. At its Limon-Guajes mine in Guerrero, 12,560 tpd were processed, with 1,300 tpd mined from underground and 18,360 tpd mined from open pit with a waste to ore strip ratio of 6.2, to produce 130,640 Oz Au in the quarter. In the year, 11,370 tpd were processed to produce 430,480 Oz Au.
  • Aura Minerals Inc. released preliminary production reports for the fourth quarter of 2020. In the period the Aranzazu mine in Zacatecas produced 19,073 Oz AuEq, which added up to the 65,497 Oz AuEq for the full year. During December 89.1 K tonnes were processed, and the company intends to increase processing to 100 K tonnes per month during the second half of 2021.

ON FINANCING

  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. entered into a credit agreement with an affiliate of RK Mine Finance to provide a secured project financing facility for a total of US$120 M for funding the construction at Las Chispas, Sonora. Concurrently SilverCrest has entered into a fixed price engineering, procurement and construction contract with Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. with a lump sum turnkey price of US$76.5 M that is to include construction of a 1,250 tonne per day process plant at Las Chispas.
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. granted 200,000 stock options to a consultant of the company (Santa María, Chihuahua).
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. was requested by the OTC Markets Group Inc. to issue a statement about promotional activity concerning its common stock. OTC Markets questioned about “two promotional newsletter emails published by CrushTheStreet.com (“CTS”) and Wealth Research Group (“WRG”) discussing the emerging bull market for commodities, particularly silver, and citing the Company in both publications… The Company has been advised by OTC Markets that OTC Markets takes the position that aspects of the statements were overly promotional. The Company wishes to caution readers that these statements are speculative in nature” (La Joya, Durango).  
  • Silver Wolf Exploration Ltd. granted incentive stock options for the purchase of 1 M shares to directors, officers, consultants, and employees of the Company (Ana María and Laberinto, Durango).
  • Ridgestone Mining Inc. increased the previously announced private placement from $1.9 M to $2.32 M, for additional gross proceeds of $420 K (Rebeico, Sonora).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. reported good underground drilling results from the Plomosas mine area at its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. “The mineralization is represented by thick intercepts of Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu mineralization hosted in a series of hydrothermal breccias”.  The highlighted results comprise 83 m @ 2.52 gpt Au, 33 gpt Ag, 0.9% Pb, 2.9% Zn, 0.3% Cu (420 gpt AgEq), including 4.0 m @ 9.35 gpt Au, 38 gpt Ag, 0.4% Pb, 10.5% Zn, 0.3% Cu (1,319 gpt AgEq) and 11.0 m @ 9.41 gpt Au, 135 gpt Ag, 5.7% Pb, 9.8% Zn, 0.5% Cu (1,596 gpt AgEq).  
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. reported favourable results from eight reverse circulation drill holes at its Cerro Caliche project in Sonora. At the Buena Suerte target, highlighted intercepts comprise 3.0 m @ 1.48 gpt Au; 7.6 m @ 1.32 gpt Au, 12.2 m @ 0.86 gpt Au; 12.2 m @ 0.69 gpt Au; 27.44 m @ 1.17 gpt Au (including 3.0 m @ 4.70 gpt Au); 12.2 m @ 0.50 gpt Au. Highlighted intercepts from the Japoneses target include 22.9 m @ 0.57 gpt Au; 10.7 m @ 0.45 gpt Au; 13.7 m @ 0.60 gpt Au; 10.7 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 12.2 m @ 0.36 gpt Au; 4.6 m @ 0.41 gpt Au; 27.44 m @ 1.17 gpt Au; 12.2 m @ 0.50 gpt Au.
  • Discovery Metals Corp. released results from 10 diamond drill holes targeting the Parcionera and Josefina vein trends at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. Highlighted intercepts comprise 4.4 m @ 246 gpt Ag, 0.39 gpt Au, 6.5% Pb, 0.4% Zn (524 gpt AgEq); 0.5 m @ 665 gpt Ag, 0.58 gpt Au, 13.8% Pb, 13.7% Zn (1,765 gpt Ag) on the Parcionera vein trend and 3.3 m @ 196 gpt Ag, 0.17 gpt Au, 5.6% Pb, 4.9% Zn (612 gpt AgEq); 1.6 m @ 20 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 1.8% Zn at the Josefina vein trend.
  • Prime Mining Corp. provided a year-end update on its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. “The ongoing work includes field mapping, trench sampling, rock alteration analysis and interpretation and re-logging of historic diamond drill core…. Re-logging of several existing diamond drill core holes also identified that adularia, a crystalline mineral, containing high-grade gold and silver locally with visible gold, is associated with nearby altered rock types. The adularia appears to be vertically zoned”. The project is a district scale low sulfidation epithermal mineralizing system on which more than US$20 million have been spent over 25 years.
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. completed the sampling program to evaluate the IP geophysical anomalies on the Santa María property in Chihuahua. The sampling returned silver anomalous results over two geophysical anomalies. Eleven first priority anomalies have been delineated, generally in an east-west direction.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released drilling results from El Favor deposit at its Los Ricos North property in Jalisco. Highlighted core length results comprise 30.2 m @ 0.18 gpt Au, 63 gpt Ag (1.03 gpt AuEq), including 8.6 m @ 0.28 gpt Au, 146 gpt Ag (2.23 gpt AuEq); 5.6 m @ 0.55 gpt Au, 287 gpt Ag (4.37 gpt Au), including 1.7 m @ 1.7 gpt Au, 834 gpt Ag (12.83 gpt AuEq); 70.5 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 50 gpt Ag (0.82 gpt AuEq), including 9.7 m @ 0.55 gpt Au, 199 gpt Ag (3.20 gpt AuEq); 15.3 m @ 0.30 gpt Au, 151 gpt Ag (2.31 gpt AuEq); 12.8 m @ 0.30 gpt Au, 126 gpt Ag (1.99 gpt AuEq), including 3.3 m @ 0.89 gpt Au, 302 gpt Ag (4.91 gpt AuEq); 41.1 m @ 0.24 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag (1.24 gpt AuEq); 21.0 m @ 0.11 gpt Au, 74 gpt Ag (1.10 gpt AuEq); 27.0 m @ 0.97 gpt Au, 113 gpt Ag (2.47 gpt AuEq); 11.0 m @ 0.28 gpt Au, 160 gpt Ag (2.40 gpt AuEq); 52.1 m @ 0.69 gpt Au, 254 gpt Ag (4.08 gpt AuEq); 11.6 m @ 0.43 gpt Au, 148 gpt Ag; 32.5 m @ 0.32 gpt Au, 63 gpt Ag (1.15 gpt AuEq).

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Argonaut Gold Inc. and AP Mining “have amended the agreement for the previously announced sale of the Ana Paula project to AP Mining (see press release dated September 11, 2020) to allow more time to meet the regulatory and government approvals required for closing. In connection with the amendment, AP Mining has agreed to pay an additional US$1.0 million at 15 months from the closing date and to reimburse all of Argonaut’s costs incurred associated with the Ana Paula project incurred between January 1, 2021 and the closing of the transaction. Closing continues to be subject to financing and receipt of all necessary approvals, which is expected in the first quarter of 2021” (Ana Paula, Guerrero).
  • Minaurum Gold Inc. entered into an option agreement with Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. pursuant to which Fortuna can earn up to an 80% interest in Minaurum’s Taviche silver project in Oaxaca. Fortuna can earn an initial 60% by making cash payments totalling $450 K and incurring in US$4 M in work expenditures over three years. Fortuna can earn an additional 20% interest “by funding Minaurum ‘s acquisition by way of option exercise of the remaining 20% interest”. The cash installments to make comprise US$75 K upon signing, US$100 K on the first anniversary, US$125 K on the second anniversary and US$150 K on the third anniversary. Drilling by previous operators of the project returned up to 34.12 m @ 262 gpt Ag and 8.35 m @ 2.05 gpt Au.
  • Sierra Metals Inc. announced that “its Board of Directors, supported by its management team and with the full support of Arias Resource Capital Fund L.P., Arias Resource Capital Fund II L.P. (the Company’s two largest shareholders) and Arias Resource Capital Fund II (Mexico) L.P., has commenced a process to explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives focused on maximizing shareholder value. These alternatives could include, among other things, the sale of part or all of the Company, a sale of some of the assets of the Company, a merger or other business combination with another party, or other strategic transactions” (Cusi and Bolivar mines, Chihuahua).

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Minera Fresnillo donated computing equipment in Caborca, Sonora.
  • The Chihuahua Mining Cluster president, Pablo Mendez Alvídrez stated that the industry will aid with the acquisition of the Covid-19 vaccine, once it is on sale by pharmacies, for its distribution on mining communities.
  • The Grupo Mexico Foundation delivered a significant amount of protective equipment for health care personnel

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 veining from a project in San Luis Potosí. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Third Week of September, 2020

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 38th week of the year (September 14th to September 20th, 2020), at least 38 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six companies posted exploration advances on their projects, fourteen companies posted news related to financing or share structure, and six on their projects development. Companies that raised funds include Southern Silver, Oroco Resource, Comet Resources, Consolidated Zinc, First Majestic, Defiance Silver, Argonaut Gold, GoGold Resources and Silver Dollar Resources. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Fortuna Silver tries to avoid an illegal blockade from occurring at its San José mine in Oaxaca. Mexico loses positions in the 2019 Fraser Institute ranking on mining regions. Cancham points out the Mexican mining environment is facing multiple challenges. Guanajuato intends to form a Mining Cluster. Fernando Alanís, Camimmex president clearly explained how mining concessions function in Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Minaurum started the second phase drilling program at its Alamos Silver project. In Sinaloa, Brigadier Gold released surface sampling results from its Picachos property. In Zacatecas, Minera Alamos released results from historical drill holes at Cerro de Oro; Alien Metals released underground and surface sampling results from San Celso and Los Campos; Advance Gold informed on the drilling (providing no results) at Tabasqueña. In Guanajuato, VanGold Mining updated on exploration/development at El Pinguico.  ON MINING, Mexus Gold is nearing the completion of a ball mill gravity gold recovery system at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. Starcore International reported results for the last quarter. Excellon Resources provided production results for August 2020 from its Platosa mine in Durango. ON FINANCING, nine companies made announcements regarding the opening or closing of financing rounds: Southern Silver ($456 K), Oroco Resource ($7.26 M), Comet Resources (a streaming facility, up to $20 M), Consolidated Zinc (A$2 M), First Majestic (C$78 M), Defiance Silver (C$10 M), Argonaut Gold (C$10 M), GoGold Resources (C$30 M) and Silver Dollar Resources ($10.5 M). Silver Bull is going for a reverse stock split of 8 to 1. Canuc Resources and Solaris Resources are now trading at the OTCQB Venture Market. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Discovery Metals released results from drilling at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. Almaden Minerals resumes exploration at its Ixtaca project in Puebla. GR Silver Mining released drilling results from its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. Magna Gold completed a pre-feasibility report on its San Francisco project in Sonora.  Excellon recommenced underground and surface drilling at its Platosa mine, Durango. SSR Mining is extending a decline to drill, from the underground, high-grade portions of the mineral resource at Pitarrilla, Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Sonora Metals is changing name to Sonoro Gold. Barksdale Resources informed on title issues that have promoted some changes on how the deal is structured with Tusk Resources on the San Javier project in Sonora. Southern Silver informed it has closed the transaction to acquire Electrum’s 60% interest on Cerro Las Mintas project, Durango. Odyssey Marine Exploration filed the First Memorial on a case against Mexico, related to the lack of issuance of an environmental permit to mine a large off-shore phosphate resource. Excellon Resources informed on the results of litigation relating to a land surface purchase near its Platosa mine in Durango. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Fresnillo PLC, Fortuna Silver and Frisco informed on sustainability, health, safety, environment, social and governance programs.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Compañía Minera Cuzcatlán (Fortuna Mines), called for the civil organizations promoting an illegal blockage of the San José mine in Oaxaca to reconsider its program. The blockage is being called to pressure the authorities on the delivery of resources, an issue completely unrelated to the mining company.
  • In 2019 Mexico fell nine positions, according to the Fraser’s Institute. Mexico’s shine to attract mining investment is getting dull with the lack of confidence and certitude derived of the president’s declarations on the review of mining concessions and the recent disappearance of the Mining Sub Secretary. The federal government has been clear, under his tenure no mining concessions are to be issued. The president has stated that up to 40% of the country ground has been under mining concessions, and that amount should suffice (for mining companies) for thousands of years.
  • Armando Ortega, president of the Mining Task Force of the Cámara de Comercio de Canadá en México (Cancham) stated that the mining environment in Mexico is not propitious because political signals of ideological nature are not favorable to investment, and some measures announced by the government are worrisome. Among the factors supporting its points are: initiatives to forbid open pit mining; initiatives to enlarge natural protected areas, encroaching to areas of active mining; the initiative to change the law on water use, changing its regime from concession to license; the stated fact by the president to not to grant a single mining concession during his tenure; the disappearance of the Mining Sub Secretary; the extortion by unions to companies, exemplified by the tricky wining by Napoleón Gómez Urrutia of the collective contract at is Cosalá mine complex in Sinaloa.  
  • According to a Camimex post, projects that are coming into production include an expansion at Los Filos, Guerrero (Equinox Gold); Ixtaca, Puebla (Almaden Minerals); Camino Rojo, Zacatecas (Orla Mining); Las Chispas, Sonora (SilverCrest Metals); Santana in Sonora, La Fortuna in Durango and Cerro de Oro in Zacatecas (Minera Alamos).  
  • Guanajuato announced its intention to conform a Mining Cluster.
  • Fernando Alanís, Camimex (Cámara Minera de México) president, explained some facts on how mining concessions function in Mexico. According to the constitution everything under the surface is property of the Nation, hence the permit needed to extract gas, oil, water or minerals by individuals or companies, permit that is precisely a concession. In mining the concession is a permit to explore and mine an ore deposit if found, it provides no rights for surface rights, reason for which an agreement has to be negotiated with the surface owner to access the land. He stressed that having a mining concession is no guarantee of finding an ore deposit. To keep a mining concession, the concessionaire has to pay every six months a due per hectare, due that increases with the age of the concession, to avoid speculative land grabs; and also the concessionaire has to comply with a minimum yearly investment that also increases with the age of the concession, again to avoid speculation. According to the DGM (Dirección General de Minas) 20.7 M hectares are concessioned in México, out of almost 200 M hectares in the country, meaning about 10.35% of the country is concessioned, of which only 1 M hectares include a project in exploitation. The government granting of mining concessions is the more efficient way to exploit the natural resources, letting others run the risks and expensive investments of exploration. The government receives the due payments, and in case of an ore body being found and a mine built, receive taxes for its operation. Mining is the economic activity that has the steepest rate of taxes and dues, which add up to 55% on the income of mining firms.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Brigadier Gold Ltd. released sampling results from two vein systems at its Picachos property in Sinaloa. Highlighted results comprise 7 m @ 160 gpt Ag, 0.6 gpt Au; 3 m @ 205 gpt Ag, 0.2 gpt Au; 0.5 m @ 356 gpt Ag, 6.6 gpt Au at the Garabato vein system, and 1.6 m @ 1.9 gpt Au, 98 gpt Ag, 0.6% Cu, 3.7% Pb, 1.5% Zn; 1.0 m @ 21.3 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag, 3.2% Pb, 0.8% Zn; 0.2 m @ 56.7 gpt Au, 288 gpt Ag, 1.9% Cu, 5.9% Pb, 1.3% Zn at El Pino. The Garabato veins are coincident with a 20 ha soil anomaly that returned up to 36 ppm Ag, 366 ppm Cu, 1,049 ppm Pb, 1,184 ppm Zn. Three basins draining the El Pino vein system show stream sediment anomalies of up to 1.72 ppm Au, 0.9 ppm Ag, 597 ppm Pb and 329 ppm Zn.
  • Minaurum Gold Inc. announced the start of a 20,000 metre Phase II drilling program at its Alamos Silver project in Sonora. The program will commence with one rig offsetting an intercept of 8.25 m @ 1,760 gpt Ag on the Europa-Guadalupe veins, while a second rig will test targets at Promontorio, where recently acquired historical data revealed intercepts of up to 12.2 m @ 710 gpt Ag (Note.- Take a look to the press release, it is worth it).
  • Minera Alamos Inc. released additional historic drill data on the Cerro de Oro project in Zacatecas. The reverse circulation holes were drilled by a private operator in 2017-2018, to refine the previous drilling by Noranda in the 1990’s. Some of the highlighted results comprise 48 m 0.70 gpt Au; 112 m @ 0.42 gpt Au, 40 m @ 0.51 gpt Au; 64 m @ 0.38 gpt Au; 42 m @ 0.42 gpt Au; 100 m @ 0.42 gpt Au; 54 m @ 0.76 gpt Au; 102 m @ 0.38 gpt Au; 72 m @ 0.47 gpt Au; 56 m @ 0.47 gpt Au; 66 m @ 0.33 gpt Au;  96 m @ 1.10 gpt Au; 42 m @ 0.50 gpt Au.
  • Alien Metals Inc. informed on underground and surface sampling results from its San Celso and Los Campos projects in Zacatecas. At San Celso, underground sampling confirmed 2006 sample results, like 0.9 m @ 477 gpt Ag (0.5 m @ 422 gpt Ag on previous sample) and 1.4 m @ 225 gpt Ag (1.6 m @ 335 gpt Ag on previous sample). At Los Campos, dump sampling returned up to 0.3 gpt Au, 254 gpt Ag, 0.12% Pb, 0.07% Zn. The Nueva Andromeda claim, adjacent to San Celso, has been optioned.
  • VanGold Mining Corp. updated on exploration at its El Pinguico project in Guanajuato. Approximately 40 m have been sampled on a recently cleared section of the shaft, a 3D model is being generated, sampling for XRF sampling are being collected on #4 adit, and trenching of additional surface exposures and clearing of the #7 adit are being performed.
  • Advance Gold Corp. reported on the drilling done at its Tabasqueña project in Zacatecas. “Of the four holes drilled to date into the 3500-metre continuous IP chargeability anomaly, drill hole AGT-16 has encountered the best mineralization, including a 10.7 metre sulphide zone. Mineralization in this hole has zones of semi-massive pyrite, containing 15 to 30% pyrite, together with up to 3% sphalerite and some galena (core photos shown below and on company website). The first three holes intersected stacked lenses of disseminated sulphides and are around 3000 metres to the south of AGT-16”.

ON MINING

  • Mexus Gold US. is nearing the completion and test running of its high grade ball mill gravity gold recovery system at its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (not to mistake with First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). The company will mill material from a quartz vein with a 10 gpt Au cutoff, and recover the gold through the gravity system, while lower grade ore continues to be placed on the heap leach.
  • Starcore International Mines Ltd. Reported results of the first quarter ended July 31, 2020. Production during the period at its San Martin mine in Queretaro included the milling of 59.1 K tonnes @ 1.70 gpt Au, 29.2 gpt Ag, recovering 88.8% Au, 56.5% Ag, to produce 2.9 K Oz Au, 32.5 K Oz Ag.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. provided August 2020 production results from its Platosa mine in Durango. During the month 7.6 K tonnes were mined, 8.5 K tonnes processed @ 451 gpt Ag, 4.95% Pb, 6.76% Zn, recovering 86.8% Ag, 78.8% Pb, 78.9% Zn, to produce 106.7 K Oz Ag, 729.1 K Lb Pb, 997.2 K Lb Zn.

ON FINANCING

  • Silver Bull Resources. management approved a 1-for-8 reverse stock split of the of the company’s issued and outstanding common stock (Sierra Mojada, Coahuila).
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. closed the recently announced non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $456 K (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Oroco Resource Corp. closed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $7.26 M (Santo Tomás, Sinaloa).
  • Canuc Resources Corp. announced it is now trading its shares on the OTCQB Venture Market (San Javier, Sonora).
  • Comet Resources Ltd. executed a binding agreement with Raptor Capital International Ltd. “for the provision of a streaming facility to provide a minimum of US$6m and up to US$20m in funding for development of the Santa Teresa High Grade Gold Project in Baja California”.
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. informed on private placements recently closed. A brokered offering for gross proceeds of C$10 M followed by a non-brokered offering for gross proceeds of C$4 M and a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $456 K (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. Intends to undertake “a fully underwritten non-renounceable pro rata entitlement offer on the basis of three (3) new fully paid ordinary shares (“New Shares”) for every eleven (11) Shares held on 24 September 2020”. The intention is to raise approximately A$2 M (Plomosas, Chihuahua).
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. closed its previously announced bought deal with Eric Sprott for gross proceeds of CDN$78 M (Santa Elena, Sonora; San Dimas, Durango).
  • Solaris Resources Inc. announced its common shares have been approved to trade on the OTCQB Venture Market, effective September 17, 2020 (La Verde, Michoacan).
  • Defiance Silver Corp. closed the previously announced brokered private placement for gross proceeds totaling C$10 M (Veta Grande, Zacatecas).
  • Argonaut Gold Inc. entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters with a bought deal private placement financing for aggregate gross proceeds of C$10 M (La Colorada, Sonora).
  • GoGold Resources Inc. closed its previously announced bought deal offering for gross proceeds of C$30 M (Los Ricos South, Los Ricos North, Jalisco).
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. completed its previously announced non-brokered private placement to raise $10.5 M in gross proceeds (La Joya, Durango).
  • Silver Viper Minerals Corp. announced that it has elected to accelerate the expiry date of the common share purchase warrants issued on September 24, 2019, to the new date of October 8, 2020 (La Virginia, Sonora).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Discovery Metals Corp. released results from four diamond drill holes targeting bulk-tonnage mineralization in the South Corridor at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. Highlighted intercepts comprise 401.7 m @ 49 gpt Ag, 0.07 gpt Au, 1.0% Pb, 1.1% Zn ( including 30.3 m @ 57 gpt Ag, 0.10 gpt Au, 0.8% Pb, 2.2% Zn; 112.3 m @ 96 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, 2.0% Pb, 1.8% Zn; 44.2 m @ 84 gpt Ag, 0.10 gpt Au, 1.8% Pb, 2.0% Zn); 5.1 m @ 231 gpt Ag, 0.21 gpt Au, 2.0% Pb, 2.6% Zn; 15.7 m @ 111 gpt Ag, 0.06 gpt Au, 1.7% Pb, 0.2% Zn.
  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. announced its intention to resume exploration in the area of the Ixtaca project in Puebla. “This program is starting with a desktop review of exploration data previously gathered, which is expected to lead to further field work in the near-term which may include mapping, surface sampling, geochemical stream silt and soil sampling, and geophysics. These data will be used to design a future drill program”.
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. Released results from its surface core drilling program at Plomosas, Sinaloa. The drilling completed to date has delineated a 700 m mineralized zone with multiple veins including a low angle Pb-Zn-Ag rich hydrothermal breccia and high angle low sulfidation vein and stockwork systems. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 6.0 m @ 85 gpt Ag, 0.4 gpt Ag, 1.1% Pb, 0.6% Zn (including 2.5 m @ 172 gpt Ag, 0.9 gpt Au, 2.7% Pb, 1.4% Zn); 22.3 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 0.6% Zn.
  • Magna Gold Corp. released the results of its recently completed pre-feasibility report on its San Francisco mine in Sonora. The report presents a base case at $1,450 per Oz Au with an NPV (Net present Value) of $80 M at 5% discount rate, producing 69 K Oz Au per year from 2021 to 2027 at an average all-in sustaining cost cash cost of $1,204 per Au Oz and no major capital required for resuming mining. Mineral reserves stand at 47.6 M tonnes @ 0.495 gpt Au, containing 758 K Oz Au and mineral resources (including mineral reserves) comprise 99.7 M tonnes @ 0.446 gpt Au, containing 1.43 M Oz Au. The inferred resources category includes 11.4 M tonnes @ 0.467 gpt Au, containing 171 K Oz Au.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. “has recommenced underground and surface drilling at the Platosa Mine and broader Platosa Property, respectively. Underground exploration is focused on expanding and further defining known mineralization. Surface exploration is focused on near mine targets around the Platosa deposit and the Jaboncillo and PDN targets north of the mine. Jaboncillo, 11 kilometres northwest of the Platosa Mine, is a Platosa-style target with a 4 x 4 kilometre alteration footprint, multiple times the size of the Platosa footprint, where the Company intersected near-surface gossans in 2019 drilling. PDN, two kilometres north of the Platosa Mine, is a skarn-style geophysical target that may be associated with the skarn discovery made in 2012 at Rincón del Caído”.
  • SSR Mining Inc. informed it is planning to spend $5 M in 2020 at Pitarrilla, Durango. The investment is part of a “program to extend an existing decline to provide drill access to the underground Mineral Resources. An improved geological model from work completed in 2019 indicates strong potential to better define known, high-grade mineralized veining associated with steeply dipping rhyolite dyke contacts. Extending the underground ramp provides access for tighter spaced drilling at better orientations to test the rhyolite dykes and veins for continuity. If infill drilling confirms the continuity of high-grade mineralized structures, there would be potential to enhance the grades of existing Mineral Resources“.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Sonoro Metals Corp. changes name to Sonoro Gold Corp. on September 9, 2020 (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).   
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. informed that “Following a detailed due diligence campaign, the Company identified certain title issues with respect to three of the twelve mining concessions comprising approximately 307.46 hectares of the total lands covered under the option. Tusk Exploration Ltd (“Tusk”) is in the process of rectifying these title issues and expects the process to be completed in 2021. Until the title issues have been rectified, Barksdale and Tusk have agreed to defer 35% of the Year 1 and Year 2 option cash and share payments” (San Javier, Sonora).
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. closed the transaction with Electrum Global Holdings L.P. to acquire Electrum’s 60% indirect working interest in the Cerro Las Minitas project in Durango. Southern Silver must pay Electrum US$15 M in a combination of cash and common shares, of which US$5 M and 2.34 M shares and a credit of C$1.35 M deposit have been paid. Remaining are US$2 M and shares equal to US$2 M to be paid on March of 2021 and US$2 M and shares equal to US$2 M to be paid on September of 2021.
  • Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. filed “the First Memorial in the case brought against Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on its behalf and on behalf of subsidiary Exploraciones Oceánicas (ExO), alleging that Mexico wrongfully denied environmental approval of the ExO Phosphate project in breach of NAFTA ….. Odyssey seeks damages of more than $2.3 billion including interest from April 2016 to the date of the First Memorial’s submission”.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. informed an appeal on the acquisition of 295 hectares north of the Platosa mine (in Durango) was denied by an appeals court in Mexico. “The Company does not consider the land material to its mining operation or exploration activities. The decision does not impact Excellon’s mineral rights and the Company does not expect it to have any impact on its operations”.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Fortuna Silver Mines (San José mine in Oaxaca) has added a new sustainability section on its website, where the company´s sustainability approach is expressed, as well as its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management and performance.
  • Great Panther Mining Ltd. announced the publication of its first sustainability report highlighting the progress, initiatives and commitments in the areas of health, safety, environmental, social, and governance management.
  • Fresnillo PLC, Minera San Xavier and Frisco informed on health and community programs on the areas of their respective projects.

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: Opaline silica layer in the vadose zone of a low sulfidation system in Queretaro. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of September, 2020

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By Jorge Cirett

During the 36th week of the year (August 31st to September 6th, 2020), at least 22 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. The dominant news on the country relating to the mining industry during the week, was the cancellation of the Sub Secretary of Mining (created during the last presidential term), headed by Francisco Quiroga, who had gained the trust of the enterprises and organizations of the industry by his relentless and hands-on daily effort to help better the mining industry in Mexico. He will be missed, unlike his predecessor. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the Sub Secretary of Mining was cancelled, its role absorbed within the Economy Secretary; loud complaints from the mining industry organizations followed, to fall on deaf ears. Pending investments in mining for the near future of US$1991 M. The Sonora Mining Fund Committee approved the investment of US$3.5 M on an aqueduct. FIFOMI has US$164 M in current credits to the mining industry. The Mining Fund is gone, for the purposes it was created for. (This is a measure taken by the actual federal government against the opinion of all mining enterprises and organizations. In my personal point of view, it opens the way to the use of the funds in a very centralized manner, same that can be exploited for political gains by those in power. There was just no need for this change). The very Mexican “illegal mine blockade roulette” now struck Equinox’s Los Filos mine in Guerrero. ON EXPLORATION, in Baja, Comet Resources updated on its Santa Teresa property. In Sonora, Redstar Gold updated on its Cumaro project. In Sinaloa, Viszla Resources released drilling results at Panuco. In Veracruz, Azucar Minerals released drilling results from El Cobre.  ON MINING, Santacruz Silver reported second quarter 2020 results. Equinox Gold’s Los Filos mine in Guerrero is affected by an illegal blockade. ON FINANCING, seven companies made announcements regarding the opening or closing of financing rounds: Southern Silver Exploration ($456 K), Barksdale Resources ($6.3 M), GoGold Resources (C$30 M), Silver Dollar Resources ($10.5 M), Inomin Mines ($400 K), Americas Gold and Silver (C$39.4 M), Alien Metals (£1.25 M). Gold79 Mines, Golden Tag Resources and Redstar Gold granted stock options to officers, directors and consultants. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Silver Bull Resources updated on the legal battle and an illegal blockade at its Sierra Mojada project in Coahuila. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Odyssey Marine Exploration received funds for the legal battle to obtain the government permit to mine its Exploraciones Oceánicas phosphate project offshore Baja California Sur. Tarachi Gold acquired the Juliana group of properties, increasing the size of its Tarachi property to 3,708 hectares. Inomin Mines executed the agreement on the acquisition of the La Gitana and Peña Blanca properties in Oaxaca. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Peñasquito, First Majestic, Minera San Javier, Alamos Gold and SilverCrest informed on donations, community involvement and safety measures on the areas near their operations.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Francisco Quiroga, in his last day as Sub-Secretary of Mining, called for the AIMMGM (Asociación de Ingenieros Mineros, Metalurgistas y Geólogos de México) to play a leading role in the transformation of the industry and its relationship with the public sector.
  • The AIMMGM installed the newly elected board for the 2020-2022 period.
  • The Secretaría de Economía announced the cancellation of the Mining Sub-Secretary, onward from September 1st, 2020.
  • The cancellation of the Mining Sub-Secretary by the federal government brought loud complaints from companies and organisms within the industry (not that these complaints are to be attended to). The Cámara Minera de México (CAMIMEX), the Asociación de Ingenieros Mineros, Metalurgistas y Geólogos de México (AIMMGM), the Mining Task Force of the Cámara de Comercio del Canadá en México, the Sonora, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Sinaloa and Zacatecas Mining clusters, the Colegio de Ingenieros de Minas, Metalurgistas y Geólogos de México (CIMMGM) and the organization Mujeres en la Minería (WIM Mexico) extended its congratulations to Francisco Quiroga, departing Mining Sub-Secretary and expressed the profound disagreement for the disappearance of the Sub Secretary of Mining.   
  • Camimex (Cámara Minera de México) informed Mexico has a list of projects that add up to $1,991 M dollars in programmed investment. Amongst these are the Campo Morado mine in Guerrero, La Yaqui Grande in Sonora, as well as the Orysivo project in Chihuahua, the Centauro Profundo project in Sonora and the Media Luna project in Guerrero. Mexico had a production peak of 123,364 kg of gold in 2015, same that has declined to 73,451 kg in 2019.
  • The Mining Fund Sonora Committee approved the investment of MX$75 M pesos (US$3.5 M) for the construction of the Macoyahui-Alamos aqueduct. The project includes 24.5 Km of PVC tubing and five pumping stations.
  • INEGI informed the mining activity is resuming after the COVID lockdown. Sulphur, iron,, lead, gold, copper, silver, fluorite are among the commodities that have seen their production significantly increased. In January 2020 the industry generated 381,456 direct jobs and more than 2 M indirect jobs, according to the IMSS.
  • Request for the Mining Sub Secretary to stay in Chihuahua by Omar Bazán, deputy, and the Chihuahua Mining Cluster.
  • The Fideicomiso de Fomento Minero (FIFOMI) has $3,530 M pesos (US$164 M) on current credits to the mining sector.
  • The Mining Fund is gone, for the purposes it was created for. Graciela Márquez, Economy Secretary confirmed the resources no longer are going to be distributed among mining municipalities, but through different agreements with government organisms and federal programs to help mining communities.
  • Graciela Márquez, Economy Secretary, stated the disappearance of the Mining Sub-Secretary is not to affect the mining industry as all relevant structures stay in place (We beg to disagree).

ON EXPLORATION

  • Radius Gold Inc. informed on exploration at its Amalia and Plata Verde projects in Chihuahua. At Amalia, “phase 4 drilling funded by JV partner Pan American Silver remains on stand-by due to COVID-19. Semarnat, the permitting agency in Chihuahua, has returned to work on a limited scale and Pan American has recently provided updated information requested by Semarnat”. At Plata Verde, there is advance in the signing of agreements to expand the property package. “The next phase of field work will consist of geophysical programs to identify feeder systems and expansions of the known mineralization under the thin (>100m) cover volcanics”.
  • Redstar Gold Corp. announced its Cumaro project in Sonora is adjacent to SilverCrest’s Picacho property. “Previous drilling on SilverCrest Metals’ Picacho vein, two kilometres north of the Cumaro property, returned intersections including 13.9 metres at 16.22 grams per tonne (g/t) gold and 33.9 g/t silver in hole PDD07-013, and 4.1 metres at 3.86 g/t gold and 35.0 g/t silver…” in other hole on the Dos Amigos vein. The company believes there is a down-thrown block on the eastern side of the property, where the extensions of the veins exposed on the western side could be present on a much shallower level.
  • Comet Resources Ltd. Informed in a corporate presentation on its Santa Teresa property in Baja California. Santa Teresa is a high-grade mesothermal lode gold deposit (ie.- orogenic gold) with an existing NI 43-101 inferred resource of 64 K Oz Au capped at 20 gpt Au, with a cutoff grade of 4 gpt Au and average grade of 8 gpt Au. Historical drilling has intersected quartz veins grading up to 958 gpt Au over 1 m, and multiple other drill results above 30 gpt Au. The deposit is open along strike and at depth.
  • Vizsla Resources Corp. announced a fourth new discovery at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. The first four drill holes at the Tajitos vein have been completed on the Cinco Señores vein corridor. Highlighted intercepts from the three first drill holes comprise 4.5 m @ 1,200 gpt Ag, 7.29 gpt Au (including 1.15 m @ 2,210 gpt Ag, 16.13 gpt Au); 1.15 m @ 812 gpt Ag, 4.59 gpt Au. ”The Tajitos vein zone is composed of a quartz breccia vein with an early white locally banded quartz supporting andesite lithic clasts, followed by a later white to greyish quartz supporting brecciated clasts of earlier white quartz veins. This zone was then cut by a later white to clear quartz vein with local dark bands or patches of fine-grained sulphides that is cutting a zone of quartz psuedomorphs after bladed calcite and pink rhodochrosite. The better grades are in the earlier breccias associated with dark bands or dark patches of very fine-grained disseminated sulphides. This vein zone is hosted in a package of andesite flows and tuffs”.
  • Azucar Minerals Ltd. released drilling results from its El Cobre project in Veracruz. The holes in the Primo target returned 23.75 m  @ 0.22 gpt Au, 0.08% Cu; 8.50 m @ 0.71 gpt Au, 0.24% Cu; 123.50 m @ 0.14 gpt Au, 0.14% Cu. Azucar is currently preparing its facilities  and implementing the health protocols required to enable a safe return to work.

ON MINING

  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Reported operating and financial results for the second quarter 2020. At Veta Grande in Zacatecas, 37.1 K tonnes were milled to produce 204.6 K Oz AgEq at cash cost $17.68 per Oz AgEq and an AISC of $19.70 per Oz AgEq. At Rosario in San Luis Potosi, 20.8 K tonnes were milled to produce 141.4 K Oz AgEq at cash cost $14.23 per Oz AgEq and an AISC of $15.59 per Oz AgEq.
  • Equinox Gold Corp. reports that “mining activities at its Los Filos mine in Mexico have been suspended since September 3, 2020 as the result of an illegal road blockade by members of the nearby Carrizalillo community. The individuals allege non-compliance with the community social collaboration agreement signed in 2019. The mine remains staffed with a reduced workforce to maintain appropriate safety, security and environmental systems. Equinox Gold is in active discussions with the Carrizalillo community leaders to resolve the issues”.

ON FINANCING

  • Gold79 Mines Ltd. Approved the granting of 6 M stock options to officers, directors and consultants of the company (Taviche, Oaxaca).
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. plans to conduct a non-brokered private placement to raise $456 K (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Golden Tag Resources Ltd. Granted 9.9 M incentive stock options to management and directors (San Diego, Durango).
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. increased the size of its non-brokered private placement financing for gross proceeds of up to $6.3 M (San Javier, Sonora).
  • GoGold Resources Inc. entered into an agreement on a bought deal basis with a syndicate of underwriters for the acquisition of shares for gross proceeds of C$30 M (Los Ricos, Jalisco).
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. has arranged a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $10.5 M (La Joya, Durango).
  • Redstar Gold Corp. announced the granting of 20.73 M stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the company (Cumaro, Oso Negro and La Lola, Sonora).
  • Inomin Mines Inc. announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $400 K in gross profits (La Gitana, Oaxaca).
  • Americas Gold and Silver Corp. closed its previously announced and up-sized bought deal financing for aggregate gross proceeds of C$39.4 M (Cosalá, Sinaloa).
  • Alien Metals Ltd. announced that it has conditionally raised £1.25 M (Los Campos and Los Celsos, Zacatecas).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Silver Bull Resources Inc. updated on its Sierra Mojada project in Coahuila. Sociedad Cooperativa de Exploración Minera Mineros Norteños, S.C.L. (Mineros Norteños), the group which is illegally blocking the Sierra Mojada project, has filed an appeal in the recently reopened Mexican courts to try and overturn a favorable ruling for Silver Bull on their lawsuit against the Company filed in 2014. The company sees the whole lawsuit as frivolous (looking for payment of an NSR on production that has not taken place), and explains Mineros Norteños has lost already three rulings, and Silver Bull expects a final ruling on the case, which cannot be appealed by Mineros Norteños, to be handed down from the courts within the next 6 months. Mineros Norteños has illegally blocked access to the project since September 2019.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. had a financing transaction that provides the company with $11.3 M, a portion of which will be used to fund operating expenses of the “Exploraciones Oceánicas” phosphate project offshore Baja California Sur. “The investor group was anchored by Odyssey’s existing NAFTA funding partner, Poplar Grove LLC. Poplar Grove is managed by Drumcliffe LLC, a private investment management firm that oversees high-value litigation funding portfolios of over $14 billion in claims”.   
  • Telson Mining Corp. announced the resignation from its board of directors by Remigio Martínez Muller.
  • Tarachi Gold Corp. entered into an arm’s length option agreement with Exploradora Cobre de Bacanoras S. de R.L. de C.V. to acquire 100% interest in the group of mining concessions known as the Juliana, Juliana No.1, Juliana No.2 and Las Morita mining concessions covering 1,140 hectares in Sonora. “Tarachi’s projects now consist of the San Javier, Pretoria, Chivitas, Jabali, Juliana, Texana and Tarachi concessions for a total of 3,708 ha in the Mulatos District. The deal involves the payment of $40 K on the execution date, $30 K on six months, $30 K on 12 months, $30 K on 18 months, $60 K on 24 months, $60 K on 30 months, $150 K on 36 months, $150 K on 42 months, $150 K on 48 months, $700 K on 54 months and $700 K on 60 months, and the issue of 4 M common shares, 400 K of those on the execution date, 1 M shares on 12 months, 1 M shares on 24 months and 1.5 M shares on 26 months. The transfer of the concessions is subject to a 3% NSR from production, with the company having the right to buy at any time 1/3 of the NSR for $1 M.
  • Inomin Mines Inc. announced the execution of the agreement to acquire the La Gitana and Peña Blanca projects in Oaxaca. Inomin is acquiring 100% interest on both properties for 1 M common shares of Inomin, $25 K cash and the grant of 1.5 % NSR on the Peña Blanca property, of which 0.5% can be bought at any time for $1 M.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Peñasquito continues to apply bio-security protocols. Up to date 27,359 fast test have been applied in the facilities and neighboring communities, resulting in six confirmed cases.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. invested during 2019 US$3.8 M in local community, health youth programs, infrastructure and access to clean water. Over 25,600 medical consultations were provided in local communities. Planted 105,730 native plant species through reforestation initiatives .
  • Minera San Javier (NewGold) donated personal medical equipment to hospitals in San Luis Potosí, and personal medical equipment and sanitization supplies to the Cerro San Pedro municipality health clinics. The company continues to deliver food pantries to persons in need in Planta del Carmen, La Zapatilla, Monte Caldera, Cuesta de Campa, Calderón, Portezuelo and Cerro San Pedro.
  • Alamos Gold donated medical equipment and a mobile unit to the Sahuaripa DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia) in Sonora.
  • SilverCrest’s Las Chispas project has accumulated 600 days without accidents in Sonora.

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: The whitish ledge from left to center is a silicified paleo water table in the Mexican Altiplano. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of August, 2020

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197 - copiaBy Jorge Cirett

During the 32nd week of the year (August 3rd to August 9th, 2020), at least 29 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six of those were either opening or closing rounds of financing, and although it is difficult to assign the total amount to any given week, the announcements on this period add up to $25.56 M and C$31.9 M (dominated by Chesapeake’s $20 M and Excellon’s C$17.9 M). ON MEXICO ISSUES, First Majestic has been sued by the Tax revenue agency (SAT). The mining and metallurgical production increased 9.6% on the previous month. Alberto López Santoyo ended its functions heading the Dirección General de Minas del Estado de Sonora. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Colibri Resource updated on exploration at the Evelyn property in Sonora; Canuc Resources acquired a new claim at its San Javier project. In Sinaloa, Viszla Resources released drilling results from three more holes from its Panuco project. ON MINING, Endeavour Silver, Premier Gold, Torex Gold, Great Panther and Golden Minerals presented its financial or production reports for the Q2 2020. Mexus Gold is adding equipment to its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. ON FINANCING, six companies made announcements regarding the opening or closing of financing rounds, or financing related news: Canasil Resources ($1.56 M), Excellon Resources (C$17.9 M), Chesapeake Gold ($20 M), Impact Silver (C$7 M), Redstar Gold (C$7 M), Barksdale Resources ($4 M). ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Pan American Silver released a new resource estimate for its La Colorada skarn deposit in Zacatecas. Sailfish Royalty updated on the Gavilanes property in Durango. GoGold released more drilling results from its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Minera Alamos finalized the acquisition of the Cerro de Oro project in Zacatecas. Zanzibar Gold acquired the Sonora Gold property in Sonora. Inomin Mines executed the agreement to acquire the La Gitana project in Oaxaca. Barksdale Resources signed a LOI on the San Javier copper project in Sonora. Riverside Resources released the date of the incoming spin-out of El Capitan Mining. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Minera Saucito was certified on safety, work and health. Newmont Peñasquito, Fresnillo PLC and Torex Gold informed on health and community help activities in Zacatecas, Guerrero and Sonora.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Primero Mining (First Majestic) was sued by the SAT (Tax Agency). The company is accused of failing to fully pay for taxes by selling metals even below market prices to related parties. Another charge relates to the 2010 acquisition of the San Dimas mine in Durango, allegedly using a lower price tag than its real value. Last May the company warned it was to file a reclamation against the Mexican government on a multinational panel.
  • The Mining and Metallurgic production in Mexico fell 16.9% in May, in an annualized basis, even if presenting a 9.6% increase on the April production.
  • Gold has had an hectic week, reaching an all-time new high of $2,069 per Oz Au, while silver peaked at $28.40. The price of gold has appreciated 35% in the year, while silver is at a seven-year high.
  • Francisco Quiroga, Mining subsecretary, informed production levels in Mexico are now back to the levels before the Coronavirus pandemic emergency that shut most operations.
  • Alberto López Santoyo finalized its function as head of the Dirección General de Minas del Estado de Sonora. He had been on the post since 2015.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Viszla Resources Corp. released drilling results from the Napoleon vein corridor at the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted core-length results comprise 27.0 m @ 47 gpt Ag, 0.65 gpt Au, 0.2% Pb, 0.8% Zn; 3.5 m @ 208 gpt Ag, 1.31 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 2.1% Zn; 8.5 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.32 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 1.1% Zn and 4.5 m @ 495 gpt Ag, 2.52 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.1% Zn in one hole. 22.6 m @ 141 gpt Ag, 1.05 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 0.8% Zn (including 1.0 m @ 619 gpt Ag, 5.54 gpt Au, 2.5% Pb, 3% Zn and 5.4 m @ 267 gpt Ag, 1.63 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 1% Zn) in a second hole. 3.4 m @ 41 gpt Ag, 1.39 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 0.4% Zn.
  • Canuc Resources Corp. acquired a 151 ha mining concession that enveloped the NE of its land holdings at San Javier, Sonora. “The Company believes that there is a distinct possibility that silver-gold bearing breccia and stockwork zones can be confirmed along this trend with current exploration initiatives“.
  • Colibri Resource Corp. updated on exploration at its Evelyn project in Sonora. Recent mapping and sampling of previously unmapped areas returned up to 27.5 gpt Au. Trenching has been recommended to establish geometry and potential length of mineralization, as well as a high resolution aeromagnetic survey.

ON MINING

  • Mexus Gold US. is adding equipment to its Santa Elena mine in Sonora (Not to mistake for First Majestic’s Santa Elena mine, also in Sonora). Assays on material from Pit #1 averaged 2.1 gpt Au, with results of up to 16 gpt Au. Mexus intends to increase the size of the heap leach pad to contain up to 500 K tonnes.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. released its financial reports for the second quarter 2020. During the period 114.1 K tonnes were processed, producing 596.5 K Oz Ag, 5,817 Oz Au (1.06 M Oz AgEq) at cash cost $2.78, AISC $14.91. At Guanaceví in Durango, higher grade El Curso, Milache and SCS orebodies had a significant positive impact on the operating performance. At Bolañitos, Guanajuato, and El Compas, Zacatecas, re-start was slower due to smaller stockpiles and less stope preparation.
  • Premier Gold Mines Ltd. Presented 2020 Q2 results. No production was reported from its Mercedes mine in Sonora, which was closed during the pandemic emergency. The company revised its mining plan, reducing production rates from 2,000 tpd to 1,200 tpd, consolidating from five mining portals to one and operating the processing plant on a campaign basis.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. released financial results for Q2 2020. Production at El Limón Guajes mine in Guerrero was suspended in April and partially resumed in May with the processing of low grade stockpiles. Gold production was 59,508 Oz, including 38,892 Oz in June, at cash cost $740 and AISC of $1,015 per Oz Au.
  • Great Panther Mining Ltd. Reported financial results for the second quarter of 2020. From its Topia and Guanajuato mine Complex, 23.6 K tonnes were mined and 24.5 K tonnes milled @ 325 gpt AgEq.
  • Golden Minerals Co. announced its financial results for the last quarter. The company had a revenue of $1.2 M and a net operating margin of $0.8 M on the lease of its processing plant, and received $0.9 M from an earn-in agreement with Barrick and $2.8 M form an equity offering (Rodeo, Durango).

ON FINANCING

  • Canasil Resources Inc. closed its non-brokered private placement for total gross proceeds of $1.56 M. The placement was originally for $1 M (Nora, Durango).
  • Excellon Resources Inc. closed the previously announced private placement, raising total gross proceeds of C$17.9 M. The funds will be used to repay a US$6 M bridge loan and exploration of its projects (Platosa, Durango).
  • Chesapeake Gold Corp. arranged a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $20 M (Metates, Durango).
  • Impact Silver Corp. increased the previously announced private placement, aiming to gather up to C$7 M in gross proceeds (Zacualpan, Estado de México).
  • Redstar Gold Corp. announced the commencement of a non-brokered private placement to raise aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$7 M (Cumaro, La Lola and Oso Negro in Sonora).
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. intends to complete a non-brokered private placement financing for $4 M in gross proceeds (San Javier, Sonora).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Pan American Silver Corp. released a new mineral resource estimate for the La Colorada skarn deposit in Zacatecas. The inferred resource stands now as 100.4 M tonnes @ 44 gpt Ag, 0.20% Cu, 1.77% Pb, 4.29% Zn, containing 141 M Oz Ag, 199 K tonnes Cu, 1.8 M tonnes Pb, 4.3 M tonnes Zn. Drilling core-length highlights include 223.5 m @ 29 gpt Ag, 0.10% Cu, 1.00% Pb, 1.79% Zn; 101.3 m @ 44 gpt Ag, 0.21% Cu, 2.89% Pb, 3.92% Zn; 52.0 m @ 67 gpt Ag, 0.34% Cu, 1.37% Pb, 3.53% Zn; 83.6 m @ 23 gpt Ag, 0.27% Cu, 0.08% Pb, 4.21% Zn; 23.1 m @ 139 gpt Ag, 0.12% Cu, 3.99% Pb, 6.46% Zn; 28.2 m @ 57 gpt Ag, 0.06% Cu, 3.79% Pb, 3.18% Zn; 20.2 m @ 156 gpt Ag, 0.88% Cu, 5.99% Pb, 5.29% Zn.
  • Sailfish Royalty Corp. updated on the Gavilanes property in Durango. The Gavilanes project covers 13,594 ha in the San Dimas district in Durango, with an historical indicated resource of 953 K tonnes @ 164.6 gpt Ag, 0.09 gpt Au, 0.06% Cu, 0.42% Pb, 0.41% Zn and inferred resources of 5.4 M tonnes @ 124.6 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, nil Cu, 0.4% Pb, 0.34% Zn, holding 6.14 M Oz AgEq and 28.3 M Oz AgEq respectively.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released results from the three first drill holes at La Trini on the Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core-length intercepts comprise: 43.1 m @ 0.70 gpt Au, 91 gpt Ag (including 17.8 m @ 0.89 gpt Au, 132 gpt Ag, which includes 4.0 m @ 1.92 gpt Au, 225 gpt Ag); 42.8 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 52 gpt Ag (including 10.5 m @ 1.23 gpt Au, 56 gpt Ag); 29.8 m @ 2.41 gpt Au, 532 gpt Ag (including (4.5 m @ 12.83 gpt Au, 3,289 gpt Ag).

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Minera Alamos Inc. finalized definitive agreements to acquire 100% interest in the Cerro de Oro gold project in Zacatecas. This deal increases the company’s land holdings in the district to 6,500 ha. Historical exploration includes 8,200 m of drilling in 76 holes and 6,000 m of trenching, with gold mineralization defined on a 500 m by 1,000 m stretch, oxidized to 70-80 m of depth, and open in multiple directions. Highlighted core–length drilling intercepts include 92 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 70 m @ 0.75 gpt Au, 45 m @ 0.54 gpt Au, 70 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 38 m @ 0.66 gpt Au, 30 m @ 1.29 gpt Au, 81.7 m @ 0.44 gpt Au, 38 m @ 0.44 gpt Au. Trenching results include: 75 m @ 0.67 gpt Au, 100 m @ 0.47 gpt Au, 200 m @ 0.50 gpt Au, 131 m @ 0.61 gpt Au. The deal involves the payment of $400 K and 2 M shares on closing, $300 K and 500 K shares on the first year, $400 K and 500 K shares on the second year, $800 K and 500 K shares on the third year and $1 M and 500 K shares on the fourth year. A $1 M bonus will be paid to the vendor upon the production of 50 K Oz Au.
  • Zanzibar Gold Inc. signed an option with Minerales de Tarachi for a 100% interest in the 6,000 ha Sonora Gold concessions. “Zanzibar Gold Inc. is looking forward to commencing detailed mapping and sampling exploration program on this large and very prospective property with a view to be drilling within four to five months”. The option involves payments of $50 K and 1.5 M shares on signing, $50 K and 1.5 M shares in six months, $50 K and 2 M shares in 12 months, $50 K at 18 months, $50 K and 2 M shares at 24 months, $50 K at 30 months, $150 K and 3 M shares at 36 months, $150 K at 42 months, $200 K at 48 months, $500 K at 54 months and $2.7 M at 60 months, for a total of $4 M in cash and 10 M shares. The optionor retains a 3.0% NSR of which 1% can be bought by Zanzibar for US$1 M.
  • Inomin Mines Inc. executed the agreement to acquire La Gitana and Peña Blanca projects in Oaxaca. The deal involves the payment of $25 K and the issuance of 1 M shares of Inomin, with a 1.5% NSR to Gunpoint on Peña Blanca and an existing 3.0% NSR to a third-party. Both properties are low-sulfidation epithermal systems with veins and dissemination within broad stockworks and breccias. La Gitana has a drilled zone of 500 m by 300 m with highlighted core length intercepts: 133.5 m @ 1.78 gpt Au, 101 gpt Ag; 33.0 m @ 0.64 gpt Au, 39 gpt Ag; 124.5 m @ 0.75 gpt Au, 24 gpt Ag; 145.5 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 33 gpt Ag; 93.0 m @ 0.99 gpt Au, 19 gpt Ag; 63 m @ 1.27 gpt Au, 70 gpt Ag; 93.0 m @ 0.56 gpt Au, 20 gpt Ag; 60.0 m @ 1.20 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag; 72.0 m @ 0.75 gpt Au, 35 gpt Ag; 28.5 m @ 1.55 gpt Au, 84 gpt Ag. At Peña Blanca, channel sampling of outcrops and trenches returned 23.5 m @ 2.26 gpt Au, 178 gpt Ag; 46 m @ 0.61 gpt Au, 7 gpt Ag; 23 m @ 0.61 gpt Au, 11 gpt Ag; 25 m @ 0.47 gpt Au, 8 gpt Ag; 3.0 m @ 5.9 gpt Au, 16 gpt Ag.
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. signed a binding letter of intent (LOI) securing an option to acquire the San Javier copper gold project in Sonora. The 1,184 ha project has 30,000 m of historic drilling by several companies with mineralization previously characterized as of IOCG type. Bakersdale intends to follow up also on structurally controlled mineralization, especially in zones of high gold grades. Some highlighted historic drill results comprise: 191.6 m @ 0.43% Cu; 54 m @ 0.75% Cu; 69 m @ 0.57% Cu; 33 m @ 1.47% Cu; 87 m @ 0.97% Cu, 0.16 gpt Au; 15 m @ 4.34% Cu, 0.94 gpt Au; 189 m @ 0.38% Cu, 0.49 gpt Au (including 63 m @ 0.35% Cu, 1.26 gpt Au which includes 9.9 m @ 0.17% Cu, 5.23 gpt Au); 42.0 m @ 0.53 % Cu, 1.09 gpt Au. The deal involves the payment of C$50 K and 4 M shares on completion, C$100 K and 2 M shares on the first year, C$150 K and 3 M shares on the third year and $200 K and 4 M shares on the sixth year. There is also an NSR of 1% when copper is below $3.50 per pound, or 2% when the price is over $3.51 per pound.
  • Riverside Resources Inc. announced the planned spin-out of the Peñoles project (Durango) to its shareholders by way of a plan of arrangement with Capitan Mining Inc. is to occur on August 14, 2020.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Minera Saucito obtained the ISO45001 international certification on “Sistemas de gestión de la seguridad y salud ocupacional en el trabajo” by the BSI Group.
  • Newmont Peñasquito has realized 22,952 SARSCov-2 (Covid-19) fast tests since the recommencement of operations with 50% of the personnel.
  • Fresnillo PLC has been sanitizing more than 35 public spaces for more than 100 days now in Caborca, Sonora.
  • Fresnillo PLC donated two advanced mechanical respirators in Zacatecas, one to the Hospital General de Fresnillo and one to the Hospital General de Zona No.2 del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS).
  • Minera Media Luna (Torex Gold) with the community of Nuevo Balsas realized several activities to improve public spaces. More than 300 persons participated in the activities that included painting streets and sidewalks, moving 50 tonnes of garbage, repairing 80 public lights and planting 200 trees.

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: Hematitized and silicified breccia in the paleo water table of a low sulfidation epithermal system in Queretaro. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

197 - copia

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of July, 2020

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193By Jorge Cirett

During the 30th week of the year (July 20th to July 26th, 2020), at least 37 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six of those were exploration updates and strikingly twelve more were related to financing. These are either opening or closing rounds, and it is difficult to assign the total amount to any given week, but the announcements on this period add up to $23.4 M and C$168.5 M (dominated by Argonaut’s C$126.5 M and Discovery’s C$35 M). Clearly there is a spike in funds flowing to mining companies, probably supported by stronger metal prices on fears of an underperforming economy and heightened global tensions. ON MEXICO ISSUES, exploration is picking up in the country after the end of the Coronavirus lockdown, with several companies performing drilling programs. Alacero warned on excessive steel importation. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Carlyle Commodities commenced its field program on Cecilia. In Chihuahua, Radius updated on the geology and geochemistry of its Plata Verde project, an interesting play. In Sinaloa, Kootenay Silver released good drilling results on its Copalito project. In Durango, Mithril Resources is about to drill Coplaquín. In Guanajuato, VanGold Mining is to start an underground drilling campaign at El Pinguico. In Zacatecas, Defiance Silver resumed its field program at San Acacio. ON MINING, Premier Gold and Fresnillo PLC presented Q2 2020 reports. Premier Gold is reducing its daily output and workforce at Mercedes. Peñasquito informed on its dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. ON FINANCING, twelve companies made announcements regarding the opening or closing of financing rounds, or financing related news: Canasil Resources ($1.25 M), Orex Minerals ($1.1 M), VanGold Mining ($2.45 M), Golden Minerals ($7.5 M), VanGold Mining ($3.8 M), Sonoro Metals (C$5 M), Monarca Minerals (C$2 M), Discovery Metals (C$35 M), Advance Gold ($725 K), Argonaut Gold (C$126.5 M), Almaden Minerals ($2 M), Peal Mexico acquired $3.85 M of Magna Gold shares. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Discovery Metals released drill results from its Cordero project. Golden Tag Resources informed on strategic growth opportunities with its San Diego project in Durango. GoGold Resources released assay results from Los Ricos South project in Jalisco. GR Silver reported results from 17 historic drill holes from its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Prime Mining completed the acquisition of the Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Santacruz Silver sold its Zacatecas properties to Zacatecas Silver Corp.. Evrim Resources sold its La Lola and Cumaro projects to a Mexican private company for an NSR. Redstar Gold acquired all shares of Heliodor Metals, which holds the Oso Negro, La Lola and Cumaro projects in Sonora. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Alamos Gold Peñasquito, Grupo Mexico and Fresnillo PLC donated medical equipment to communities near its operations. A virtual immersion program for kids was held in San Luis Potosí.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Exploration is picking up speed in Mexico after the end of the Coronavirus induced lockdown. Drilling programs are beginning or already underway at Cordero, Chihuahua (Discovery Metals), Pánuco in Sinaloa (Vizsla Resources), Álamos Silver in Sonora (Minaurum), Los Reyes in Sinaloa (Prime Mining), Las Minas in Veracruz (Mexican Gold), Cerro Caliche in Sonora (Sonoro Metals), Copalquín in Durango (Mithril Resources), Rodeo in Durango (Golden Minerals) and Nora in Durango (Canasil Resources).
  • Gold and silver prices are closing the week with highs not seen in several years. Gold was above $1,900 hundred an ounce by late Friday, while silver stood above $22.70 an ounce. The Coronavirus crisis, with the foreseen economic stimulus packages by several countries and the souring relations between China and the United States are seen as the reason for the continued upward trend.
  • Alacero (Asociación Latinoamericana de Acero) warned against the excessive importation of steel, in a moment when sales are just recovering.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Defiance Silver Corp. announced the resumption of its field program that includes core re-logging, surface and underground mapping, geochemistry and surface diamond drilling at its San Acacio project in Zacatecas.
  • VanGold Mining Corp. intends to initiate an underground drilling campaign to target extensions of high-grade mineralization at its Pinguico project in Guanajuato. The company also is to clear the El Pinguico shaft and sample the bottom of the backfill, with the aim to ship it to a nearby mill for processing.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. released assay results from three more holes at its Copalito project in Sinaloa. Core length highlighted intervals comprise 56.0 m @ 58 gpt Ag (including 22 m @ 106 gpt Ag, which include 5.0 m @ 250 gpt Ag, 0.247 gpt Au); 10.3 m @ 80 gpt Ag, 0.90 gpt Au; 7.1 m @ 30 gpt Ag, 0.31 gpt Au; 13.1 m @ 347 gpt Ag, 0.22 gpt Au (including 3.2 m @ 1,297 gpt Ag, 0.28 gpt Au, which includes 1.0 m @ 2,830 gpt Ag, 0.14 gpt Au). To date 1,600 m of the 3,000 m program have been completed.
  • Radius Gold Inc. released results of recent detailed rock chip sampling and geological mapping at its Plata Verde project in Chihuahua. Multiple sub-horizontal breccia zones cemented by barite-calcite-silver chlorides, up to 75 m in diameter have been sampled in different levels, bounded by stockwork and fracture fill of massive to crustiform banded barite-calcite with silver chlorides, sulphosalts and native silver, and disseminated mineralization of sulphosalts within the volcanic host rock. The mineralization is exposed on the sides of a small creek, and covered by felsic volcanic rocks in three directions. The average silver value of 255 samples is 156 gpt Ag, while 74 samples on the breccias average 258 gpt Ag.
  • Mithril Resources Ltd. presented its quarterly activities report, in which the acquisition of Sun Minerals Pty Ltd. was completed, $5.92 M were raised and the drilling equipment moved to site at the Copalquín project in Durango. The next move is the completion of a 5,000 m diamond drilling campaign at Copalquín.
  • Carlyle Commodities Corp. mobilized crews for exploration of its Cecilia project in Sonora. “The Phase 1 exploration program has been designed to refine targeting at Cerro Magallanes which is a large rhyolite flow dome complex, host of several historic workings and multiple high-grade gold mineral occurrences”. Programmed work includes property scale mapping, a detailed structural mapping, processing and interpretation of Aster images, surface sampling and a 10 line-km induced polarization survey. Road rehabilitation and drill pad building to support a drill program on the phase 2 is also contemplated.

ON MINING

  • Premier Gold Ltd. reported production results for the second quarter of 2020. Its Mercedes mine operations in Sonora were halted at the end of March due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and a phased re-start commenced in June. An optimization plan was developed, including the consolidation of five mine portals to one, reducing the mining rate form to 2,000 to 1,200 tonnes per day and operation of the processing plant on a campaign basis, reduction of 40% of the employee base and 75% of the mining related contractors.
  • Fresnillo PLC presented its second quarter 2020 production report. During the period the company produced 13.6 M Oz Ag, 184.4 K Oz Au, 16,180 tonnes Pb, 26,726 tonnes Zn. On exploration, 135,000 m were drilled at the mines, as part of a 440,000 m program to convert resources into reserves. Additionally 39,000 m of exploration drilling was carried out as part of the 228,000 m program at projects. Interesting results were obtained at Fresnillo and Guanajuato, while negotiations continue with communities in other projects to obtain access for drilling. Fresnillo 2Q 2020 Production1
  • Minera Peñasquito informed 15,000 COVID tests have been applied since the re-commencement of activities on June 1, resulting seven positive cases during the past week and the protocol was followed to identify all persons they had contact with. The use of face masks has been agreed with the union, on all public spaces, with the exception of the dining room.

ON FINANCING

  • Peal Mexico S.A. de C.V. announced the acquisition of 11 M shares of Magna Gold Corp. under the terms of a settlement for an aggregate deemed consideration of $3.85 M in an agreement to settle an existing arbitration proceeding between the parties in relation to Magna’s San Francisco mine in Sonora. Peal now owns 16.9% of Magna’s issued and outstanding shares.
  • Canasil Resources Inc. announced a non-brokered private placement aiming to raise up to $1 M, same placement that was oversubscribed for total gross proceeds of $1.25 M (Nora, Durango).
  • Orex Minerals Inc. closed the final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $1.11 M, bringing the total aggregate proceeds to $2.1 M. (Sandra, Durango).
  • VanGold Mining Corp. has arranged a non-brokered private placement financing to raise up to $2.45 M (El Pinguico, Guanajuato).
  • Golden Minerals Co. is increasing its previously announced offering to raise up to $7.5 M in gross proceeds (Rodeo, Durango).
  • VanGold Mining Corp. expanded due to increased demand the size of its non-brokered private placement financing, for gross proceeds of $3.8 M (El Pinguico, Guanajuato).
  • Sonoro Metals Corp. is to undertake a non-brokered private placement to raise up to C$5 M in gross proceeds (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
  • Monarca Minerals Inc. announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to C$2 M (San Jose, Chihuahua).
  • Discovery Metals Corp. arranged a non-brokered institutional private placement to raise C$35 M, “ Eric Sprott has agreed to invest C$15,000,000 in the Private Placement,” (Cordero, Chihuahua).
  • Advance Gold Corp. announced it proposes to increase to $725 K its previously announced non-brokered private placement (Tabasqueña, Zacatecas).
  • Argonaut Gold Inc. closed its previously announced bought deal public offering for aggregate gross proceeds of C$126.5 M, thorough a syndicate of underwriters led by BMO Capital Markets (San Agustín, Durango).
  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. announced a proposed non-brokered private placement financing intended to raise up to $2 M (Ixtaca, Puebla).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Discovery Metals Corp. released results from eight holes at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 5.3 m @ 225 gpt Ag 0.7 gpt Au, 5.1% Pb, 5.5% Zn (including 1.4 m @ 700 gpt Ag, 0.74 gpt Au, 16.1% Pb, 14.0% Zn); 4.3 m @ 365 gpt Ag, 0.55 gpt Au, 2.1% Pb, 4.0% Zn (including 1.5 m @ 489 gpt Ag, 0.82 gpt Au, 2.9% Pb, 11.1% Zn); 120.4 m @ 30 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 1.5% Zn; 134.6 m @ 23 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.1% Zn; 44.8 m @ 35 gpt Ag, 0.10 gpt Au, 0.7% Pb, 1.7% Zn; 0.8 m @ 1,992 gpt Ag, 0.79 gpt Au, 16.1% Pb, 14.2% Zn.
  • Golden Tag Resources Ltd. informed on strategic growth opportunities with its San Diego project in Durango. The project with 31.6 M Oz in indicated resources is fully permitted for drilling four key high priority target zones: 1849, Fernandez, Trovador and Arroyo. Drill intercepts in the Fernandez zone include 212 m @ 54 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb, 1.3% Zn; 238 m q 64 gpt Ag, 0.8% Pb, 1.6% Zn; 257 m @ 66 gpt Ag, 0.7% Pb, 1.7% Zn; 186 m @ 53 gpt Ag, 0.5% Pb, 1.2% Zn. Mergers, strategic, corporate and project acquisitions are being evaluated, with a focus on silver.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released the assay results from six diamond drill holes at the Los Ricos South project. Two holes were drilled at Rascadero, two at San Juan and two more at Las Lamas. Highlighted core length intersections comprise: 0 m @ 0.25 gpt Au, 59 gpt Ag; 16.7 m @ 1.32 gpt Au, 268 gpt Au (including 5.4 m @ 3.33 gpt Au, 673 gpt Ag); 21.5 m @ 0.21 gpt Au, 26 gpt Ag; 7.7 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 65 gpt Ag; 8.9 m @ 0.8 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag.
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. reported high-grade results from 17 historical drill holes from the San Juan area of its Plomosas property in Sinaloa. These results define a mineralized strike length of up to 1,000 m. Some of the highlighted true width intercepts comprise: 3.8 m @ 563 gpt Ag, 0.3 gpt Au, 1.6% Pb, 2.7% Zn; 2.5 m @ 846 gpt Ag, 0.8 gpt Au, 2.7% Pb, 6.0% Zn (including 0.9 m @ 2,300 gpt Ag, 2.1 gpt Au, 7.6 % Pb, 16.3% Zn); 3.3 m @ 335 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 0.2% Zn; 5.6 m @ 363 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.8% Pb, 1.9% Zn; 10.7 m @ 226 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb, 0.3% Zn; 2.8 m @ 141 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb, 0.7% Zn.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Prime Mining Corp. completed the acquisition of the Los Reyes project (formerly Guadalupe de Los Reyes) in Sinaloa. The company made a US$1.5 M payment to Vista Gold Inc., after which Vista no longer retains two separate 2% net smelter royalties on production from open-pit or underground mining, or a back-in right to assume a 49% non-carried interest in any underground mining. “Prime is required to pay Vista an additional US$2,100,000 through two payments of: (i) US$1,100,000 no later than six months from the Acquisition Date; and (ii) US$1,000,000 no later than twelve months from the Acquisition Date. If the Company fails to make the two payments, Vista’s net smelter royalties and back-in right will be reinstated”.
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. entered into an agreement with Zacatecas Silver Corp. for the sale of a 100% interest in the Zacatecas properties for consideration of US$1.5 M and the issuance of 5 M shares of Zacatecas Silver. The Zacatecas properties comprise 149 mining concessions totaling approximately 7,826 ha in the Fresnillo Silver Belt, and include the Panuco deposit, which has an inferred resource of 3.95 M tonnes @ 153 gpt Ag, or 19.5 M Oz Ag, remaining open along strike.
  • Evrim Resources Corp. entered into an agreement with a private Mexican company to sell two non-core exploration properties in exchange of NSR royalties. La Lola is a 6,301 ha land package that covers the La Barra fluorite vein and El Cumaro is a 620 ha claim covering a low sulfidation epithermal field. Evrim will transfer 100% interest in the La Lola and Cumaro properties in exchange for 2% and 1% NSR respectively, and a 0.5 % NSR right on 7,053 ha of the Picachos claims, should the claims be acquired by the Mexican private company. Half of the La Lola NSR can be bought for US$1.75 M and half of the El Cumaro NSR by US$1.0 M.
  • Redstar Gold Corp. entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Heliodor Metals Ltd., in which Redstar has agreed to issue 86.5 M shares for 100% of the outstanding Heliodor shares. Heliodor has interest in: the Oso Negro 1,500 ha project, which has three main veins and no drilling; The La Lola 5,400 ha land package which contains the 5 km long La Barra epithermal vein (see previous entry under Evrim); Cumaro “is the downthrown block of a large low sulphidation vein field”. Redstar has agreed to conduct a C$6.0 M private placement

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Alamos Gold donated medical equipment to the Sahuaripa municipality in Sonora.
  • Peñasquito donated medical equipment to several authority bodies in Zacatecas.
  • Grupo Mexico donated protection equipment to general hospitals in Cuautla and Axochiapan in Morelos.
  • The Instituto de Metalurgia de San Luis Potosí carried out a virtual immersion program for kids.
  • Fresnillo PLC continues to provide cleaning and medical supplies in Guadalupe y Calvo (Chihuahua), Caborca (Sonora) and Fresnillo (Zacatecas).

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: Silicified rocks signaling the paleo water table of a low sulfidation epithermal system in Queretaro. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

193

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of June, 2020

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186

By Jorge Cirett

During the 26th week of the year (June 22nd to June 28th, 2020), at least 30 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. Notably, 6 of those were exploration updates and 6 more related to financing. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Mining and  Automotive industries are to operate even if there is a resurgence of Coronavirus cases. The Mining Fund Technical Committee approved US$11.6 M for 98 projects in 11 States. Canadian Mining companies are under pressure to pay disputed taxes. AMLO rejected the idea of nationalizing the lithium industry…. but declares the conditions on which those conditions are granted have to be reviewed (Keep in mind what’s been happening in the electricity industry).  ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Ridgestone completed a maiden drill program on its Rebeico project; Tarachi Gold acquired the Tarachi property in Sonora; Aztec Minerals identified multiple chargeability anomalies at its Cervantes project; Tocvan Ventures released strong results of its soil program on the Pilar project. Vizsla Resources released high grade drilling results from its Panuco project. GoGold Resources released results from three more drill holes at its Los Ricos South project.  ON MINING, VanGold Mining plans to clearing the shaft at the Pinguico property to provide access for sampling and eventually infill extraction. ON FINANCING, Southern Silver is eyeing a private placement to raise up to C$7 M. Aura Minerals authorized a dividend’s policy. First Mexican Gold granted 2.5 M options to directors, officers and consultants. Orex Minerals raised $989 K on the closing of the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement. Apollo Gold aims to raise up to $5 M. McEwen Mining refinanced its $50 M senior secured term loan facility.   ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GR Silver Mining released drill results from historic holes at its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. Magna Gold filed a technical report on its San Francisco mine, in Sonora. SilverCrest Metals updated on the development of the Las Chispas project under the Coronavirus emergency. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Argonaut Gold and Alio Gold announced that COFECE, the last bureaucratic hurdle, has cleared the transaction on its merger. Riverside Resources disclosed additional funding from BHP on its generative copper exploration program in Sonora. Southern Silver Exploration signed an agreement to acquire Electrum Global Holdings’s 60% share on the Cerro Las Minitas project in Durango. Candente Gold mobilized a team for the due diligence on the El Dorado project and the SDA mill in Nayarit. Hochschild optioned the Los Cuarenta property in Sonora from Riverside Resources. Apollo Gold Corp. entered into a LOI to option the “Jalisco Group of properties” from First Majestic. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. Peñasquito donated medical supplies to the IMSS Hospital Número 12 in Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas. Esperanza Silver repaired the water supply system in San Agustín Tetlama, Morelos.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Mining and the Automotive industries to operate, even if there is a resurgence (hypothetical) of Coronavirus cases. Graciela Márquez, Economy Secretary, explained these industries are essential, and are to continue activities under any color of the health lights system.
  • The Mining Fund Technical Committee approved the funding of 98 projects for US$11.6 M ($260.9 M pesos) for pavement laying, sidewalk construction and water supply nets. The funds are to be distributed as follows: Sonora US$6.12 M, Zacatecas US$2.47 M, Durango US$1.08 M, Coahuila US$0.93 M, Chihuahua US$0.71 M, San Luis Potosí US$0.21 M, Aguascalientes US$90 K, Jalisco US$54 K, Michoacán US$45 K, Oaxaca US$32 K and Hidalgo US$14 K.
  • Canadian Mining companies are under pressure to pay disputed taxes to the Mexican government, according to University academics on the matter.
  • The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, rejected the idea of nationalizing the lithium exploitation in the country. His comment comes regarding the ideas expressed by Victor Manuel Toledo, Environment Secretary and staunch opponent of mining. According to the president, there is already a legal framework for contracts and concessions by the government for the exploitation of mineral resources. However, he also stressed that the conditions on which those concessions are granted have to be reviewed.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Ridgestone Mining Inc. completed the maiden drill program at its Rebeico project in Sonora. Under the program 1,674 m were drilled in ten holes. Most of the holes tested the geometry of gold-copper mineralization on the New Year Zone. Core samples are being submitted to the lab.
  • Vizsla Resources Corp. released drilling results from two holes on the Napoleon vein corridor at the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted core-length intercepts comprise: 8.2 m @ 739 gpt Ag, 11.06 gpt Au; 2.0 m @ 1,527 gpt Ag, 24.9 gpt Au on one hole; 2.5 m @ 454 gpt Ag, 9.20 gpt Au; 5.1 m @ 309 gpt Ag, 8.00 gpt Au, 2.22% Pb, 4.75 % Zn; 1.8 m @ 186 gpt Ag, 15.63 gpt Au, 1.12% Pb, 7.73% Zn in the second hole. True widths are estimated at between 46-66% of down hole lengths.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. informed on the results from three diamond drill holes at the Los Ricos South project. The holes drilled at the San Juan, Rascadero and East veins returned core length intervals of 27 m @ 0.09 gpt Au, 28 gpt Ag (including 4.0 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 89 gpt Ag); 39.0 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 117 gpt Ag (including 11.0 m @ 1.40 gpt Au, 319 gpt Ag); 3.2 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag.
  • Tarachi Gold Corp. commenced fieldwork at its Tarachi project in Sonora. Tarachi’s geological crews have begun a two-week field program of geological mapping and rock sampling of known mineral occurrences to verify historical work programs. Historical work includes drill intercepts of 5.0 m @ 34.5 gtp Au, 3.0 m @ 24.3 gpt Au; 1.32 m @ 110 gpt Au. The 2,560 ha project includes the San Javier, Pretoria, Chivitas, Jabali, Juliana, Texana and Tarachi concessions.
  • Aztec Minerals Corp. identified multiple chargeability anomalies on a 3-dimensional IP-Resisitivity survey completed last year at its Cervantes property in Sonora. Each of the 6 porphyry prospects along the corridor exhibit strong porphyry alteration and Au (Cu) mineralization, while none of the Jacobo, Purisima West, Purisima East and Estrella targets have ever been drill-tested .
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. released results from the soil sampling survey undertaken at its Pilar property in Sonora. The results include values of up to 8 gpt Au and 317 gpt Ag, and collectively have highlighted the East Zone as a new focus area..

ON MINING

  • VanGold Mining Corp. plans to begin clearing the El Pinguico shaft at its El Pinguico project in Guanajuato. The mucking of the shaft will allow the company to sample the lower part of the old workings infill, which on surface averaged 1.75 gpt Au, 183 gpt Ag. It will also allow the inspection of underground drifts for extracting the mineralized material, and check on past producing high-grade stopes.

ON FINANCING

  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. plans a fully marketed private placement aiming to gross proceeds for a minimum of C$7 M. The company entered into a definitive agreement with Electrum Global Holdings L.P. to acquire Electrum’s 60% ownership interest in Southern Silver Holdings Ltd. for current and future cash and share payments totaling US$15.0 M (Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Aura Minerals Inc. announced its board of directors approved a dividend policy (Aranzazu, Zacatecas).
  • First Mexican Gold Corp. granted 2.5 M options to directors, officers and consultants (Hilda, Sonora).
  • Orex Minerals Inc. closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement, for gross proceeds of $989 K (Sandra-previously Sandra Escobar-, Durango).
  • Apollo Gold Corp. is conducting a non-brokered placement aiming to raise up to $5 M in gross proceeds (Eztzatlan, Jalisco).
  • Mc Ewen Mining Inc. announced the refinancing of its $50 M senior secured term loan facility. “As part of the refinancing, Sprott Private Resource Lending II (Collector), LP has replaced Royal Capital Management Corp. as a lender and the administrative agent for the Term Loan; and Evanachan Limited, a corporation wholly-owned by Rob McEwen, remains a lender….. the maturity date of the Term Loan has been extended by two years to August 31, 2023” (El Gallo, Sinaloa).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. Released drill results from historic holes at its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. These high-grade silver intercepts are outside the previously mined Pb-Zn-Ag-Au ore of the Plomosas mine area. Some of the highlighted true width (tw) intercepts comprise: 14.6 m @ 46 gpt Ag, 1.0 gpt Au, 1.7% Pb, 2.2% Zn; 5.4 m @ 326 gpt Ag, 1.9 gpt Au, 0.7% Pb, 1.2% Zn (including 1.9 m @ 900 gpt Ag, 1.9 gpt Au, 1.9% Pb, 3.2% Zn); 2.1 m @ 349 gpt Ag, 0.4 gpt Au, 2.3% Pb, 1.3% Zn); 2.7 m @ 1,469 gpt Ag, 0.5 gpt Au, 2.2% Pb, 3.2% Zn; 17.4 m @ 4 gpt Ag, 3.6 gpt Au; 2.2 m @ 398 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb, 0.7% Zn; 32.8 m @ 32 gpt Ag, 0.9 gpt Au; 9.8 m @ 28 gpt Ag, 0.7 gpt Au, 4.2% Pb, 0.9% Zn; 13 m @ 13 gpt Ag, 2.8 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.4% Zn; 11.7 m @ 8 gpt Ag, 1.7 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 0.7% Zn.
  • Magna Gold Corp. filed an independent technical report for the San Francisco Gold project in Sonora.
  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. continues activities at its Las Chispas project in Sonora. A fully confined camp for 160 persons has been built at the site. All personnel is tested for COVID-19, and transported to the project once the negative results are received. Currently eight rigs are operating on the H2 program focusing on the high-grade resource expansion at the veins Babicanora (SE, NE, deep), Babi Sur (SE to depth), Babi Vista (all directions), Babicanora Norte (SE, NW, deep), Las Chispas (SE to depth), Giovanni (SE to depth), William Tell (all directions), and Varela (all directions). “Underground development has resumed, with a target of 500 metres per month by Q3, 2020, under confined camp conditions. The first ventilation raise in the Babicanora area has been completed. “. The feasibility study is progressing.

 

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Argonaut Gold Inc. and Alio Gold Inc. announced the receipt of the clearance decision from the Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica (COFECE) with respect to the pending merger between Argonaut Gold and Alio Gold. This approval “was the final government agency approval required before completing the merger, which is anticipated to occur between June 29, 2020 and July 3, 2020” (El Castillo, Durango; Ana Paula, Guerrero).
  • Riverside Resources Inc. announced the continuation of the exploration agreement with BHP Exploration Chile SpA for the funding of generative copper exploration in the copper producing belt of Sonora. “BHP will be providing Riverside with US$720,000 to commence the first half of the second year of the Program to continue to grow the portfolio of copper projects which is an increase of US$220,000 from the initial plan ”.
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. entered into a definitive agreement with Electrum Global Holdings L.P. to acquire Electrum’s 60% ownership interest in Southern Silver Holdings Ltd. for current and future cash and share payments totaling US$15.0 M to gain 100% interest in the Cerro Las Minitas project, in Durango. Payments include US$5M in cash and US$2 M in shares by September 2020 (less credit for deposit of C$1.35 M paid in June 2020), US$2 M in cash and US$2 M in shares six months from closing and US$2 M in cash and US$2 M in shares one year from closing Cerro Las Minitas, Durango).
  • Candente Gold Corp. mobilized a team for the due diligence process on its acquisition process from Magellan Acquisition Corp. of the San Dieguito de Arriba processing plant and the El Dorado project in Nayarit. The Eldorado epithermal vein trend has been traced for 3.5 km along strike, hosting multiple mineralized zones, including distinct high-grade veins and lower grade bulk tonnage stockwork zones extending over tens of meters in width in both the hanging wall and footwall of the vein system.
  • Riverside Resources Inc. entered into a definitive option agreement with Minera Hochschild de Mexico S.A. de C.V. for Riverside’s Los Cuarentas project in Sonora. Hochschild is to pay Riverside US$90 K on the signing of the agreement and invest US$8 M over four years in the property to earn 51%, upon which it can elect to earn an additional 24% by spending a further $3 M and producing a feasibility study. Upon completing the second phase earn-in, Riverside will have the option to sell its interest for US$20 M, while retaining a 1% NSR.
  • Apollo Gold Corp. entered into a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with First Majestic Silver Corp. for a three-year earn-in option to acquire First Majestic’s “Jalisco Group of Properties”. Under the terms of the agreement Apollo will pay $250 K and issue 4.29 M shares and 1.5 M warrants on closing of the definitive agreement. A further $200 K and 1 M shares a year from closing and $300 K and 1 M shares two years from the closing date. Apollo commits to spend at least $1.25 M on the properties within 36 months of closing. The properties comprise 5,240 ha of mining concessions which include the Etzatlan, Ampora, La Calabaza, Piedra and Bola mines.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Peñasquito donated medical supplies in the fight against Coronavirus to the IMSS Rural Hospital number 12 in Concepción del Oro, Zacatecas.
  • Esperanza Silver de Mexico repaired the water supply equipment supplying the 2,500 inhabitants of San Agustín de Tetlama community in Morelos.

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: Epithermal quartz-graphite vein, Hermosillo District, Sonora, Sonora. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

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