By Jorge Cirett

During the 34^th week of the year (August 20^th to August 26^th, 2018), at least 17 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. Aztec Minerals, Discovery Metals, and SilverCrest Metals released advances in exploration. Grupo Mexico and Santacruz Silver Mining released its Q2 2018 results. SilverCrest Metals, Silver Bull, Avino Silver and Prize Mining reported news on financing. Azure Minerals reported advances on the PEA and new drilling of one of its projects. ON MEXICO ISSUES, The Mexican Core Shack now counts with displays from three properties in Chihuahua, two in Durango and two in Estado de Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Aztec Minerals released results from surface sampling along drill roads on its Cervantes project. In Coahuila, Discovery Metals released results from underground sampling at its Puerto Rico project.   ON MINING Grupo Mexico and Santacruz Silver released its Q2 2018 reports. Grupo Mexico is to re-open its San Martin mine in Zacatecas.  ON FINANCING, Silver Bull and Prize Mining closed final tranches of financing for gross proceeds of US$3.79 M and $7.62 M respectively. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Azure Minerals is advancing the PEA on its Oposura property in Sonora, and announcing a new drilling campaign. SilverCrest released more drilling results from its Las Chispas project in Sonora. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Alio Gold announced several changes in senior management, as well as at its corporate head office in Vancouver, related to the recent focus on its operating mines.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• The Mexican Core Shack added images of drill core from SGM’s Las Granadas project in Estado de Mexico, at https://gambusinoprospector.com/mexican-core-shack/estado-de-mexico/las-granadas/. The Mexican Core Shack now displays three properties in Chihuahua, two in Durango and two in Estado de Mexico.

ON EXPLORATION

• Aztec Minerals Corp. released surface sampling results from the California prospect within its Cervantes project in Sonora. The rock chip channel samples were collected along drill roads, returning 75 m @ 0.11 g/t Au; 222 m @ 0.47 g/t Au; 84 m @ 0.40 g/t Au; 183 m @ 0.32 g/t Au; 81 m @ 0.53 g/t Au; 33 m @ 0.26 g/t Au; 111 m @ 0.02 g/t Au. Aztec’s CAD$182 K phase 2 exploration program “of geological mapping, rock, soil and sediment sampling and airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys is focused on better defining additional drill targets” on the 3,649 hectares property. Soil surveys highlight strong gold anomalies at the California north, Purisima East, Purisima West and Jacob soil grids, with individual samples returning up to 3.3 g/t Au. The Cervantes property is held under an option to purchase agreement with Kootenay Silver Inc.
• Discovery Metals Corp. reported the second batch of underground channel sampling results from the San Jose mine at its Puerto Rico project in Coahuila. “San Jose contains approximately 630m of underground drifts and stopes over four levels (from bottom to top: the Chuyon, Haulage, Rope and Upper levels) that span an approximate vertical extent of 50m and cover a horizontal extent of approximately 80m by 80m. All four levels host strongly mineralized mantos, chimneys and faults. Channel samples were collected at 3-5m intervals along both sides of the entire length of the developed workings”. Individual samples are as high as 1.2 m @ 10 g/t Ag, 46.2% Zn, 0.2% Pb, 0.2% Cu; 0.7 m @ 154 g/t Ag, 38.2% Zn, 0.6% Pb, 0.1% Cu; 1.0 m @ 18 g/t Ag, 30.2% Zn, 0.1% Pb, 2.6% Cu; 1.0 m @ 445 g/t Ag, 3.5% Zn, 26.3% Pb, 0.6% Cu.

ON MINING

• Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. reported operating results from the Veta Grande project in Zacatecas and the Rosario project in San Luis Potosi, for the second quarter 2018. At Veta Grande, 52 K tonnes @ 70 g/t Ag, 0.17 g/t Au, 1.14% Zn, 0.41% Pb (161 g/t AgEq) were processed, with a 45% Ag recovery, to produce 36.7 K Oz Ag, 59 Oz Au, 111 tonnes Pb, 164 tonnes Zn. At Rosario, 15.4 K tonnes @ 44 g/t Ag, 0.26 g/t Au, 2.54% Zn, 0.23% Pb (212 g/t AgEq) were processed, with 89% Ag recovery, to produce 19.4 K Oz Ag, 84 Oz Au, 31 tonnes Pb, 344 tonnes Zn.
• Grupo México is to re–open its San Martin mine in Zacatecas, with an investment of US$77 M. The mine was closed eleven years ago due to a labor dispute with the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, led by Napoleon Gomez Urrutia. The mine workers have now changed to the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Exploración, Explotación y Beneficio en Minas de la República Mexicana, ending the closure by strike of the mine. The mine is to have a 32 years life span, creating directly 600 jobs and indirectly 3,000 more.
• Grupo México reported its second quarter 2018 results. During the period sales increased 19%, while the EBITDA rose to US$1,316 M, and capital investments rose to US$434 M.

ON FINANCING

• SilverCrest Metals Inc. has been approved to list its common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (Las Chispas, Sonora).
• Silver Bull Resources Inc. completed the second and final tranche of its previously announced private placement, for aggregate gross proceeds of USD$957.5 K. Under the first tranche of the private placement Silver Bull accrued USD$2.831 M (Sierra Mojada, Coahuila).
• Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd- filed a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that is to allow the company to raise up to US$25 M (Avino, Durango).
• Prize Mining Corp. closed the third and final tranche of the recently announced non-brokered private placement, raising $500 K and taking the total aggregate of gross proceeds to $7.62 M (Manto Negro, Coahuila).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Azure Minerals Ltd. announced that the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on its Oposura project in Sonora remains on track to be reported in the third quarter of 2018. The study envisions open pit and room and pillar underground extraction. The resource includes 2.1 Mt (tonnes) @5.3% Zn, 2.9% Pb, 17.2 g/t Ag in the indicated category and 0.8 Mt @ 4.3% Zn, 2.5% Pb, 16.5 g/t Ag in the inferred category.
• SilverCrest Metals Inc. announced new drill results from the Granaditas vein and the new Granaditas Dos vein at its Las Chispas property in Sonora. These veins are approximately 40 m apart and may intersect to the southeast. Highlighted true width (TW) intercepts include 1.2 m @ 5.6 g/t Au, 15 g/t Ag; 1.3 m @ 4.2 g/t Au, 229 g/t Ag; 1.2 m @ 3.10 g/t Au, 4.0 g/t Ag in the Granaditas vein, 0.5 m @ 1.8 g/t Au, 149 g/t Ag; 0.4 m @ 2.4 g/t Au, 421 g/t Ag; 2.9 m @ 294 g/t Ag; 1.2 m @ 1.2 g/t Au, 162 g/t Ag in the Granaditas Dos vein and 0.9 m @ 1.0 g/t Au, 82 g/t Ag; 1.4 m @ 2.5 g/t Au, 799 g/t Ag in an unnamed vein. The high-grade footprint in the Granaditas Vein currently measures approximately 200 m long by 200 m high and is open in most directions. The high-grade footprint in the Granaditas Dos (2) Vein currently measures approximately 100 m long by 100 m high and is open in most directions.
• Azure Minerals Ltd. recommenced drilling at its Oposura project in Sonora. This campaign is focused on infill drilling and more widely spaced resource extensional drilling.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Alio Gold Inc. announced changes related to the recent focus on its operating mines San Francisco in Sonora and Florida Canyon in Nevada, which include the previously announced temporary suspension of exploration and development at its Ana Paula project in Guerrero, and the here stated termination of the Vice-president of project development Project Manager and the Chief Executive Officer. “The Company has also taken steps to reduce costs at the Ana Paula project site in Mexico while maintaining a level of local employment and community engagement…..the Company has also implemented a number of changes at its corporate office in Vancouver which in total are expected to reduce the corporate overhead by approximately $1.2 million over the next 12 months.“
• Defiance Silver Corp. renegotiated and extended the terms of its San Acacio Project option agreement. “The project vendor has agreed to postpone a substantial amount of the payments due in 2018 to September 27, 2020. As a result, Defiance will be making four quarterly payments of US$226,900 totaling US$907,600 in year one and four quarterly payments of US$250,000 totaling US$1,000,000 in year two with the final option payment due September 2020.”

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

On the picture above, the silicified and alunite bearing ridge beyond the farming fields is interpreted as the water table interface in a shallow epithermal system, in Guanajuato. Picture by Jorge Cirett.