Social Responsibility

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Third Week of July, 2022

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 29th week of the year (July 18th to July 24th, 2022), at least 28 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, three companies posted exploration advances on their properties and six presented production results for the second quarter. Remarkably six companies reported on the opening or closing of financing rounds for a total of US$24.4 M, and C$0.4 M, one on the opening of a distribution agreement for up to $100 M, one that began trading at the OTCQB and one other provided a by-weekly default status report. Three companies posted on work at its advanced properties and one reported on a possible closure if a labor strike continues.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, no relevant news. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Aloro Mining reported on the resumed drilling at Los Venados. In Chihuahua, Radius Gold updated on work by Pan American Silver at its Amalia project. In Sinaloa, Prismo Metals selected a drill contractor for Palos Verdes. ON MINING, Americas Gold and Silver, Avino silver, Santacruz Silver Mining, First Majestic Silver, Excellon Resources and Great Panther Mining presented production results for the second quarter 2022; Empress Royalty received the first silver ounces from the Tahuehueto stream agreement. ON FINANCING, eight companies posted on financing rounds: Minera Alamos ($4.4 M), Starcore International ($1.2 M), Infinitum Copper ($1 M), Guanajuato Silver Company ($10.7 M), First Majestic Silver ($100 M), Fabled Silver (C$0.4 M), Ranchero Gold (5 M) and Prime Meridian Resources ($1.5 M). Benjamin Hill Mining is now trading on the OTCQB. Gatos Silver presented its by-weekly default report.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Prime Mining released drilling results form Los Reyes in Sinaloa. Pan American Silver released spectacular drill results from La Colorada Skarn project in Zacatecas. Tocvan Ventures presented metallurgical test results from Pilar, in Sonora. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Korea Resources, through its Minera El Boleo subsidiary, is considering the closing of its El Boleo mine in Baja California Sur, as a labor strike continues. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Discovery Silver released its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance report.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • No Relevant News.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Radius Gold Inc. updated on work by Pan American Silver at its Amalia project in Chihuahua. Three main targets have been drill-tested, for a total of 23,058 m in 67 drill holes. Highlighted results include 44 m @ 309 gpt Ag, 12.39 gpt Au at Amalia; 26.9 m @ 353 gpt Ag, 2.59 gpt Au at California; 61.2 m @ 232 gpt Ag, 0.65 gpt Au at El Cuervo. A new core length intercept at El Cuervo returned 4.35 m @ 401 gpt Ag, 0.79 gpt Au. Pan American has completed US$1.5 M option payments, enabling the company to earn an initial 65 % interest. “Pan American may earn an additional 10% by advancing the property to preliminary feasibility”.
  • Aloro Mining Corp. reported that Alamos Gold Inc. has resumed drilling exploration at the Los Venados project in Sonora. “Alamos’ current drill program is focusing on the high sulfidation gold mineralized area in the south, where gold mineralization was identified in Aloro’s initial drill program”. Alamos has the option to acquire a 70% interest on the property by incurring in US$5 M in exploration expenses, and certain cash payments over the course of three years.
  • Prismo Metals Inc. selected a drill contractor for the upcoming drilling campaign on its Palos Verdes property in Sinaloa.

ON MINING

  • Americas Gold and Silver Corp. reported production for the second quarter 2022, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Cosalá, in Sinaloa, 128 K Oz Ag, 3.9 M Lb Pb, 9.9 M Lb Zn were produced. The cash and cash equivalents balance at the end of the period was $8.8 M.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. reported its second quarter 2022 production results. A t the Avino mine, in Durango, 118.2 K tonnes were milled @ 65 gpt Ag, 0.46 gpt Au, 0.69% Cu, recovering 91% Ag, 78% Au, 92% Cu, to produce 225.5 K Oz Ag, 1,350 Oz Au, 1.64 M Lb Cu.
  • Empress Royalty Corp. announced it has received the first silver ounces from the silver stream agreement on the Tahuehueto mine, in Durango, owned by Alta Ley Mining.
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. reported second quarter 2022 production results. At Zimapan, in Hidalgo, 200 K tonnes were milled @ 72 gpt Ag, 0.61% Pb, 2.05% Zn, 0.39% Cu, recovering 69% Ag, to produce 317.1 K Oz Ag, 1,043 tonnes Pb, 3,055 tonnes Zn, 568 tonnes Cu (914.5 K tonnes Oz AgEq).
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. announced production results for the second quarter 2022, including figures from its Mexican operations. Consolidated production on its three mines in Mexico, San Dimas in Durango, Santa Elena in Sonora and La Encantada in Coahuila, was 6.16 M Oz AgEq consisting of 2.75 M Oz Ag, 40,759 Oz Au. Silver recovery averaged 81% and gold recovery 93%. During the quarter 11 rigs were operating at San Dimas, six at Santa Elena and two at La Encantada.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. presented Q2 2022 production results from the Platosa mine in Durango. During the period 21.5 tonnes were mined, 23,550 tonnes milled, grading 449 gpt Ag, 4.19% Pb, 4.70% Zn, recovering 90.4% Ag, 75.5% Pb, 86.0% Zn, to produce 307.5 K Oz Ag, 1.64 M Lb Pb, 2.1 M Lb Zn. “As previously disclosed, the Company expects to wind down operations at Platosa during Q3 2022”.
  • Great Panther Mining Ltd. reported production results for the second quarter of 2022, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Topia, in Durango, 17.0 K tonnes were mined, 17.2 K tonnes milled, averaging 315 gpt Ag, 0.74 gpt Au, recovering 92% Ag, 64% Au, to produce 159.5 K Oz Ag, 260 Oz Au, 336 tonnes Pb, 480 tonnes Zn, or 266.9 K Oz AgEq. The Guanajuato Mine Complex is currently on care and maintenance. The company is in the process of divesting its Mexican properties.

ON FINANCING

  • Minera Alamos Inc. closed its non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $4.37 M. Minera Alamos intends to use the proceedings to advance the Cerro de Oro project in Zacatecas (Santana, Sonora).
  • Starcore International Mines Ltd. closed its non-brokered private placement, raising $1.2 M in gross proceeds (San Martin mine, Queretaro).
  • Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. has began trading on the OTCQB (Sonora Gold, Sonora).
  • Infinitum Copper Corp. closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement financing, with oversubscribed gross proceeds of $1.04 M (La Adelita, Sonora).
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. closed its equity financing of subscription receipts totaling US$ 10.72 M. The funds are on escrow management until the announced acquisition of Great Panther mining assets (Topia, Guanajuato Complex) in Mexico. GSilver has also signed a concentrate pre-payment facility term sheet with Ocean Partners, to provide US$5 M on financing towards the purchase price (El Cubo, Guanajuato).
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. entered into an equity distribution agreement with BMO Capital Markets and TD Securities, pursuant to which the company may sell through these agents common shares of the company as would result in aggregate gross proceeds of US$100 M, until June 18, 2023 (San Dimas, Durango).
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. closed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of C$415 K (Santa Maria, Chihuahua).
  • Ranchero Gold Corp. filed a preliminary short form prospectus in connection with a proposed marketed public offering of up to $5 M (Santa Daniela, Sonora).
  • Prime Meridian Resources Corp. announced a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $1.5 M. (La Verde, Sonora).
  • Gatos Silver Inc. provided its by-weekly default status report as ordered. “The Company believes that it will be able to file its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 in the second half of 2022” (Cerro Los Gatos , Chihuahua).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Prime Mining Corp. released results from step-out and infill drilling its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width (tw) core results at San Miguel East comprise 16.9 m @ 2.72 gpt Au, 130 gpt Ag; 2.6 m @ 1.24 gpt Au, 14 gpt Ag; 2.3 m @ 1.12 gpt Au; 6.1 m @ 4.86 gpt Au, 151 gpt Ag; 1.2 m @ 1.51 gpt Au; 2.6 m @ 1.88 gpt Au, 284 gpt Ag; 5.4 m @ 1.25 gpt Au, 67 gpt Ag. To date, Prime has drilled 83,235 m in 323 holes at Los Reyes. “Mineralization at San Miguel East consists primarily of white to grey crystalline to chalcedonic quartz, quartz breccia and stockwork exploiting 45-degree southwest dipping fault structures within or along the margins of rhyolite dykes that intrude both andesitic tuffs and rhyolite. Quartz is massive-to-crustiform, locally displaying colliform to bladed replacement textures”.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. released results from 22 new infill and exploration drill holes totaling 18,071 m at its La Colorada Skarn project in Zacatecas. Highlighted (spectacular) core length results comprise 292.5 m @ 234 gpt Ag, 0.09% Cu, 6.4% Pb, 5.7% Zn (including 97 m @ 654 gpt Ag, 0.16% Cu, 15.3% Pb, 11.4% Zn); 188.5 m @ 59 gpt Ag, 3.1% Pb, 4.8% Zn; 40 m @ 99 gpt Ag, 3.6% Pb, 4.5% Zn; 117.65 m @ 35 gpt Ag, 2.7% Pb, 3.9% Zn; 69.10 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 3.8% Pb, 4.8% Zn; 188.7 m @ 68 gpt Ag, 0.11% Cu, 4.7% Pb, 6.2 % Zn; 160.9 m @ 82 gpt Ag, 0.16% Cu, 3.7% Pb, 6.3% Zn. These intercepts define a silver rich zone, mineralization widths of up to 90 m and maintain several directions open for growth.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. completed the latest drilling stage with 1,382 m in seven holes at its Pilar project in Sonora. Metallurgical column leach tests by a non-certified assayer returned gold recoveries above 85%; previous bottle roll studies by SGS had returned between 90.6% and 91.6% Au recoveries.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Korea Resources through its subsidiary Minera Boleo announced the commencement of proceedings for a closing of its El Boleo mine, in Baja California Sur. This a as a result of the strike by the local miner’s union.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Discovery Silver Corp. released its 2021 Environmental, Social and Governance report. The report highlights $10.3 M in goods and services purchased to Mexican businesses, $4.9 M in salaries and benefits to local employees, and a total workforce of 154 that includes 67 employees and 87 contractors.

On the image below: All rocky outcrops in this picture are part of copper-gold bearing silicified structures on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of July, 2022

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 27th week of the year (June 4th to July 10th, 2022), at least 26 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, one company poured its first gold and silver, one presented production results for the second quarter. Four companies reported on the opening or closing of financing rounds for a total of US$4.5 M and C$13.3 M, one company reported on a relevant investor share purchase. Five companies posted on work at its advanced properties, one company is to produce a PFS report and one other presented a NI 43-101 compliant report on reserves and resources of its recently acquired mine. One company informed on details of government resolutions on its mining concessions and an incoming indigenous consult.  One more company agreed with the Union representing its workforce on a profit-sharing scheme. The completion of the acquisition of a large silver property was announced.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, Mining companies on the BMV are resenting the lower prices on metals. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Tocvan Ventures released surface sample results from El Picacho. In Chihuahua, Golden Minerals reported drilling results from nine holes at Yoquivo. In Zacatecas, Zacatecas Silver released drilling results at the El Cristo project, within its Zacatecas Silver concessions. ON MINING, SilverCrest Metals reported the first pour of gold and silver on its Las Chispas mine in Sonora. Endeavour Silver presented Q2 production results. ON FINANCING, Sonoro Gold closed its oversubscribed financing for $3 M. Silver Viper Minerals closed the final tranche of the private placement raising $306 K. Guanajuato Silver increased its private placement to C$13.3 M.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Zacatecas Silver is to prepare a PFS on its Esperanza project in Morelos. Bear Creek Mining filed a NI 43-101 compliant report on reserves and resources for its Mercedes mine in Sonora. GoGold Resources released results from drilling at El Favor deposit on its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Vizsla Silver reported drilling results from the San Antonio vein at the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Torex Gold released results from resource expansion and exploratory drilling in the broader Media Luna area in Guerrero. Mithril Resources released drilling results from El Refugio at its Copalquin project in Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Almaden Minerals has been notified its Ixtaca mining concessions in Puebla are “ineffective”, but the filing of applications made in conformity with the law. Newmont Corp. reached a profit-sharing agreement with the Union representing the workforce of its Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas. Endeavour Silver completed the acquisition of the Pitarrilla project in Durango.  ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Almaden Resources will participate on a pilot program conducted by United Nations Expert Group Resource Management and the Economy Secretariat on sustainable development. Grupo Mexico continues to work on cultural development of mining communities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Mining companies on the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV) impacted by lower metal prices. From the start of the year to now, Industrias Peñoles shares have fallen 21.7%, Fresnillo 23.2%, Frisco 16.9% and Grupo Mexico 8.9%. During the year the year gold has depreciated 5.2%, silver 18.2% and copper 21.6%.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. released surface rock sample results from its El Picacho project in Sonora. A total of 65 samples were collected at the Murcielago prospect, of which 14 returned values over 0.1 gpt Au. Selected results from the sampling program comprise 7.19 gpt Au, 36 gpt Ag, 4.3% Pb; 4.52 gpt Au, 197 gpt Ag, 0.17% Cu; 4.8% Pb, 7.1% Zn; 3.25 gpt Au, 66 gpt Ag, 1.6% Pb; 2.71 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag, 1.9% Zn; 2.71 gpt Au, 12 gpt Ag, 1.6% Pb, 1.3% Zn; 2.18 gpt Au, 15 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb, 1.1% Zn; 1.50 gpt Au, 176 gpt Ag, 1.2% Zn. The samples are from a brecciated dolomitic limestone unit along a 450 m long trend with historic artisanal workings showing significant lead and zinc mineralization with gold and silver, in Jurassic sedimentary rocks.
  • Golden Minerals Co. reported results from the first nine holes on the third drill program at its Yoquivo project in Chihuahua. Highlighted true width results comprise 80.1 m @ 0.89 gpt Au, 64 gpt Ag (including 8.2 m @ 3.93 gpt Au, 120 gpt Ag; which includes 2.2 m @ 10.21 gpt Au, 139 gpt Ag); 0.4 m @ 30.80 gpt Au, 5,260 gpt Ag; 4.2 m @ 0.16 gpt Au, 229 gpt Ag; 1.7 m @ 0.13 gpt Au, 355 gpt Ag. “This most recent drilling has focused on testing the Pertenencia vein system to extend the known mineralized strike length into previously untested areas. The Pertenencia vein has continued to return strong gold-silver grades, and the vein remains open to depth and to the north”.
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. released results from drilling at El Cristo project, on its Zacatecas Silver property in Zacatecas. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 9.53 m @ 167 gpt Ag; 1.45 m @ 11 gpt Ag, 0.18 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.6% Zn; 0.8 m @ 94 gpt Ag; 1.08 m @ 90 gpt Ag; 0.65 m @ 1.2 gpt Au, 565 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb, 2.7% Zn; 1.2 m @ 134 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.2% Zn; 4.36 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.19 gpt Au, 1.5% Pb, 2.7% Zn; 0.5 m @ 20 gpt Ag, 0.23 gpt Au, 1.0% Pb, 17.5% Zn. The epithermal intermediate sulfidation system at El Cristo crops out within a dilational zone that is at least 4 km long and up to 600 m wide.

ON MINING

  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. reported the first pour of silver and gold at Las Chispas mine, in Sonora. The plant commissioning is on track to reach its 1,250 tonnes per day capacity. “The plant started in late May 2022 and milled an estimated 12,700 tonnes of low-grade ore during June 2022”.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. presented second quarter production results of 1.36 M Oz Ag, 9,289 Oz Au, or 2.1 M Oz AgEq. At Guanaceví, in Durango, 94 K tonnes were processed at 1,045 tonnes per day (tpd), grading 465 gpt Ag, 1.37 gpt Au, recovering 85.0% Ag, 88.9% Au, to produce 1.19 M Oz Ag, 3,680 Oz Ag. At Bolañitos, in Guanajuato, 107.3 K tonnes were processed at 1,193 tpd, averaging 54 gpt Ag, 1.77 gpt Au, recovering 88.6% Ag, 91.8% Au, to produce 165 K Oz Ag, 5,609 Oz Au. On other developments: Recent drilling has intercepted high-grade gold and silver at Guanceví; Drilling continued to intersect high-grade mineralization on the La Colorada structure at Parral, in Chihuahua; In the coming months the company expects to make a formal construction decision on La Terronera, in Jalisco.    

ON FINANCING

  • Sonoro Gold Corp. closed an oversubscribed non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $3 M (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
  • Starcore International Mines Ltd. approved a non-brokered private placement in July 4, 2022, to raise up to $1.2 M in gross proceeds. On the next day Starcore reported the closing of the placement confirming $1.2 M in gross proceeds (El Creston, Sonora; San Martin, Queretaro).
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. informed that R. Stuart Angus reported the acquisition in June of $485 K in shares of Sonoro Gold, operation after which he owns 9.95 M shares and 8.35 M warrants of the corporation, representing 7.1% of the outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis and 12.4% on a partially diluted basis (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
  • Silver Viper Minerals Corp. closed the final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $306 K (La Virginia, Sonora).
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. expanded the size of its previously announced brokered private placement to C$13.3 M with the option to increase the financing an additional 15%. (Topia, Durango; El Cubo, Guanajuato).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. announced the engagement of Palaris Ltd. to lead a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the Esperanza project in Morelos.
  • Oroco Resource Corp. resumed drilling at its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. Operations started at the end of federal military operations in the area. “Core logging and assaying have continued during the period of drill stoppage, with an improvement in methods of handling and analysis, thereby better preparing the geological team for an increase in the rate of core processing”.
  • Bear Creek Mining Corp. filed a NI 43-100 compliant technical report on its Mercedes mine, in Sonora. The report provides a mineral reserves and resources estimate to December 31, 2021.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released results from six holes from El Favor East deposit at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 18.8 m @ 0.62 gpt Au, 156 gpt Ag (including 7.4 m @ 1.50 gpt Au, 344 gpt Ag); 11.4 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 90 gpt Ag; 4.5 m @ 0.27 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag; 2.8 m @ 0.36 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag; 2.0 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 127 gpt Ag; 1.8 m @ 0.24 gpt Au, 138 gpt Ag; 2.2 m @ 0.80 gpt Au, 227 gpt Ag; 9.3 m @ 0.64 gpt Au, 155 gpt Ag (including 0.7 m @ 5.23 gpt Au, 1,196 gpt Ag); 0.7 m @ 4.34 gpt Au, 1,295 gpt Ag.
  • Vizsla Silver Corp. reported results from seven holes on the San Antonio vein of the Cordon de Oro corridor at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 6.40 m @ 5.76 gpt Au, 621 gpt Ag (including 0.57 m @ 34.2 gpt Au, 2,940 gpt Ag); 6.0 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 124 gpt Ag; 4.89 m @ 0.60 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag; 7.50 m @ 1.15 gpt Au, 213 gpt Ag; 3.15 m @ 2.29 gpt Au, 549 gpt Ag; 4.20 m @ 1.19 gpt Au, 202 gpt Ag; 2.0 m @ 4.75 gpt Au, 355 gpt Ag; 2.01 m @ 1.29 gpt Au, 226 gpt Ag.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. released results from resource expansion and exploratory drilling completed in the broader Media Luna area in Guerrero. The work extends mineralization to the south and west of the EPO deposit and identified a potential new zone of mineralization between the Media Luna deposit and the Media Luna West target. Highlighted true width results comprise 9.73 m @ 8.51 gpt Au, 33 gpt Ag, 1.57% Cu; 17.25 m @ 4.18 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag 1.74% Cu; 35.63 m @ 2.05 gpt Au, 30 gpt Ag, 1.05% Cu; 16.48 m @ 8.70 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag, 0.54% Cu; 6.31 m @ 4.00 gpt Au, 19 gpt Ag, 0.78% Cu; 5.10 m @ 2.79 gpt Au, 9 gpt Ag, 0.27% Cu. Infill, step-out, exploration, ore control and definition drilling budgeted includes $19 M at Media Luna, $6 M at ELG Underground, $9 M in near mine and regional and $5 M in definition and grade control in the ELG open pit and underground. “The Media Luna deposit is hosted within the Mesozoic carbonate-rich Morelos Platform, which has been intruded by Paleocene stocks, sills, and dykes of granodioritic to tonalitic composition. Skarn-hosted gold-silver-copper mineralization is developed within the sedimentary rocks along the contacts of intrusive rocks as well as within altered dykes of the skarn envelope….Mineralization at Media Luna is hosted in skarn that developed at the contact of the intrusive granodiorite and overlying sedimentary rocks. The skarn is characterized by a mineral assemblage of pyroxene, garnet, and magnetite. Metal deposition and sulfidation occurred during retrograde alteration and is associated with a mineral assemblage comprising amphibole, phlogopite, chlorite, and calcite ± quartz ± epidote as well as variable amounts of magnetite and sulfides, primarily pyrrhotite. Additional mineralization is associated with skarn developed within and along dykes and sills above the main granodiorite intrusion”.
  • Mithril Resources Ltd. released drilling results from deep drilling at El Refugio, at its Copalquin project in Durango. Highlighted core length results comprise 5.67 m @ 4.37 gpt Au, 174 gpt Ag (including 1.67 m @ 9.64 gpt Au, 399 gpt Ag); 1.0 m @ 1.68 gpt Au, 67 gpt Ag; 1.0 m @ 1.27 gpt Au, 46 gpt Ag; 0.50 m @ 2.13 gpt Au, 118 gpt Ag; 0.90 m @ 1.04 gpt Au, 11 gpt Ag.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. informed the Ministry of Economy has officially notified Almaden that the company’s mining concessions titles relating to the Ixtaca project in Puebla are “ineffective”, but that the title applications were filed in conformity with the law. This is understood to mean that “the mineral title has reverted to application status, and that these applications preserve the mineral rights for Almaden but do not allow the Company to engage in exploration, until such time as Economia completes its court-ordered indigenous consultation in the area covered by the mineral title applications”. Almaden also announced that the environmental permit application will be submitted once the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) and the indigenous consultation process are finalized.
  • Newmont Corp. announced it has reached a profit-sharing agreement with the Union at its Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas. Newmont will pay its unionized workforce an uncapped profit-sharing bonus up to 10%, “with an immediate cost equivalent of $70 million, which is representative of the payments related to 2021 results”.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. announced the completion of its acquisition of the Pitarrilla project in Durango. The deal involved the bought of $70 M in shares from Silver Standard Ventures Inc. subsidiary (SSR Durango S.A. de C.V.) and a further 1.25% NSR on Pitarrilla. Endeavour plans to invest $1.8 M for drilling and exploration to verify the historical data and define a current resource in 2022.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. reported the Ixtaca project in Puebla was selected to be included in a pilot project conducted by the United Nations Expert Group Resource Management (UNRMS) in coordination with Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía). The UNRMS “considers a range of socio-economic, technological, and knowledge factors that are important for the sustainable development of each project”.
  • Grupo Mexico continues with its support for cultural development of the mining communities. This week the Orchestras and Choruses from Buenavista and La Caridad made a presentation in Hermosillo, Sonora, along with other cultural institutions and organizations, under the event “El Cobre Hecho Arte”.

On the image below: Weathered monzonite porphyry on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

El Cobre Hecho Arte

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

El Grupo Mexico, junto con el Instituto Sonorense de Cultura, presentó este 6 de Junio en la Casa de la Cultura de Hermosillo, el evento “El cobre hecho arte”. Participaron La Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro Buenavista del Cobre de Cananea, La Orquesta y Coro Juvenil La Caridad, de Nacozari de García, La Academia de Danza Bárbara Garza, Taller de Danza de la Casa Grande de Nacozari, Bailarines del ISC y Entity Contemporary Dance, Grupos de Danza de la Casa de la Cultura, entre otros. El Clúster Minero de Sonora, la AIMMGM Distrito Sonora y la AMSAC participaron también en presentación del evento.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fifth Week of March, 2022

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 13th week of the year (March 28th to April 3rd, 2022), at least 32 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, five companies posted exploration advances on their properties, three released quarterly and full year 2021 reports, one informed on the end of a strike and one declared commercial production. One announced the granting of stock options, three updated on project work, three reported drill results on their advanced properties, two released new resource estimates. ON MEXICO ISSUES, three of the top eight silver intercepts on the fifth week of March were obtained by companies working in Mexico. For the quarter, four of the top ten silver intercepts were from projects in Mexico. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Tocvan Ventures provided drill results on the Pilar project; Infinitum Copper commenced drilling at Adelita; Silver Spruce had the preventive report approved for drilling at Jackie. In Zacatecas, Galore Resources informed on drilling at Dos Santos project. In Nayarit, Sierra Madre Gold and Silver released additional trenching results at La Tigra. ON MINING, SilverCrest Metals, Excellon Resources and Mag Silver released quarterly and full year 2021 reports. Excellon Resources informed the strike on its Platosa mine in Durango was terminated. Orla Mining initiated commercial production at Camino Rojo, in Zacatecas. ON FINANCING, Inomin Mines granted stock options to director and a contractor.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Mexus Gold informed partner company Irmex is modelling the Mabel deposit in Sonora. Solaris Resources is preparing exploration work at La Verde, in Michoacan. Vizsla Silver reported drill results at Panuco, in Sinaloa. Prime Mining delivered drill results from Los Reyes, in Sinaloa. Discovery Silver released results from 17 holes at Cordero, Chihuahua. Torex Gold presented results of the updated technical report on the Morelos Complex in Guerrero. First Majestic Silver presented 2021 resource estimates for its properties. Silver Valley Metals updated on its potassium-lithium salars in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Tamino Minerals is triggering a securities fraud probe. Huntington Exploration acquired the El Grande project in Nayarit. Xali Gold ratified the agreement on the tailings with El Oro Municipality in Estado de Mexico. Prime Meridian Resource updated on the purchase of La Verde project in Sonora.  ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Of the top eight silver intersects released on the fifth week of March, three were by companies working in Mexico, according to Miner Deck. Discovery Silver was first with 45.6 m @ 125 gpt Ag at Cordero in Chihuahua, Vizsla Silver was sixth 2.75 m @ 322 gpt Ag at Panuco, in Sinaloa, and Prime Mining was eighth with 42.7 m @ 43 gpt Ag at Los Reyes, in Sinaloa.
  • According to Miner Deck, of the top ten silver intersects released on Q1 2022, four were by companies working in Mexico. Pan American Silver was fourth with 322.9 m @ 64 gpt Ag at La Colorada Skarn in Zacatecas, GoGold Resources was fifth with 25.7 m @ 776 gpt Ag at Los Ricos, in Jalisco; Silver Tiger was eight with 25.9 m @ 687 gpt Ag at El Tigre, in Sonora and Radius Gold was tenth with 96 m @ 167 gpt Ag at Amalia, in Chihuahua.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. announced additional results from the ongoing trenching program at La Tigra, in Nayarit. Highlighted intervals comprise 6.1 m @ 0.98 gpt Au; 24.2 m @ 1.59 gpt Au (including 4.7 m @ 5.58 gpt Au); 22.9 m @ 1.78 gpt Au, 6 gpt Ag; 6.6 m @ 3.42 gpt Au.
  • Galore Resources Inc. provided a drilling update of Los Gemelos, at its Dos Santos project in Zacatecas. Three holes have been finished on the San José area, showing recrystallized limestone, dikes and sills of intermediate composition with phyllic and argillic alteration, multiple bodies with hydroxides, hematite, calcite, and local sulfides and quartz, and hydrothermal breccia cemented by calcite and iron oxides. ”The mineralization is repetitive that is concentrated as veins, veins and stratabound bodies, hosted between the carbonate marine sedimentary sequence and the cupula of an unexhumed pluton….”.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. provided results for the three first holes of the phase III drilling campaign at Pilar, in Sonora. Highlighted drill-length intervals comprise 33.3 m @ 0.63 gpt Au (including 21.7 m @ 0.94 gpt Au) and 5.5 m @ 0.64 gpt Au, 10 gpt Ag in core holes and 6.1 m @ 0.51 gpt Au, 8 gpt Ag in a reverse circulation hole.
  • Infinitum Copper Corp. commenced diamond drilling at La Adelita project in Sonora and Sinaloa. The program envisages a total of 9,000 m of drilling in two phases, with phase I consisting of 3,000 m targeting areas within and adjacent to the existing mineralized zones, and some drilling on new zones like Cerro Grande footwall, Pericos and Las Trancas Sur. A magneto-telluric geophysical is underway, and is expected to aid in targeting.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. informed the approval by SEMARNAT (environmental agency) of the preventive report for the 1,130 hectares Jackie project in Sonora. “Exploration plans were submitted for a 500-1,000-metre trenching program followed by an initial 1,000-2,000-metre reverse circulation drill program”.

ON MINING

  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. reported the financial results for the year 2021. At the end of the year construction progress at Las Chispas in Sonora was 86.2%, slightly ahead of schedule. Since 2019 over 17.5 km of underground development has been completed at Las Chispas, and during last year 114,143 m of drilling were completed, mostly as infill holes. At El Picacho, 40 km north of Las Chispas, 80,700 m of drilling were completed in 2021. At the end of the period the SilverCrest held cash and cash equivalents of $176.5 M, and $30 M remaining under a $120 M financing facility.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. posted financial results for Q4 and full year 2021. During the year, 85.5 K tonnes were mined, 86.0 K tonnes milled @ 494 gpt Ag, 5.01% Pb, 6.03% Zn, recovering 90.5% Ag, 78.5% Pb, 83.7% Zn, to produce 1.22 M Oz Ag, 7.61 M Lb Pb, 9.01 M Lb Zn (2.02 M Oz AgEq). Cash cost was $13.01 per Oz Ag and AISC $26.78 per Ag Oz. “current mining is entering an area of the deposit that steepens significantly, with fewer vertical-tonnes-per-metre than historically encountered…. the Company currently expects to wind down operations at Platosa during Q3 2022, subject to results from ongoing exploration programs” (Note by editor.- Although high-grade, Platosa seems to be at the end of its mine life due to a combination of deeper ores and high de-watering costs).
  • Excellon Resources Inc. announced on April 1, 2022 the resolution of the labor action initiated on March 7 by the Sindicato Nacional Minero Metalúrgico (Miner’s Union) at its Platosa mine in Durango.
  • Mag Silver Corp. presented its financial results for year 2021. The 4,000 tpd Juanicipio (56% Fresnillo PLC, 44% Mag Silver) plant was delivered to plant commissioning late in Q4, but due to regulatory approval commissioning was extended to Q2 2022. It is expected the plant to be working 85% to 90% of capacity by late 2022. Processing of mineralized headings from Juanicipio continues at the nearby Fresnillo plant and has begun to be processed at the Saucito facilities; Processing rates have increased from 38 K tonnes per month in Q4 to 45 K tonnes on the first two months of 2022. During 2021, 251.9 K tonnes from Juanicipio were processed, averaging 470 gpt Ag, to produce 2.97 M Oz Ag, 5,975 Oz Au, 1,065 tonnes Pb, 1,519 tonnes Zn. According to Juanicipio operator, Fresnillo PLC, the project construction is expected to be delivered on budget at $440 M. As of end of 2021 Mag held cash of $56.7 M.
  • Orla Mining Ltd. declared commercial production at the Camino Rojo Oxide mine in Zacatecas. “The declaration of commercial production at Camino Rojo comes after a successful commissioning period which included the ramp up of mining and processing to sustained throughput levels in excess of 75% of designed nameplate capacity of 18,000 tonnes per day”.

ON FINANCING

  • Inomin Mines Inc. informed 350 K stock options were granted to director and a contractor of the company (La Gitana, Oaxaca).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Mexus Gold US. informed that its partner at the Mabel project in Sonora, Irmex, “has been working on modelizing the Mexus data including the 611 core and RC holes previously carried out by Pacific Comox before acquisition by Mexus Gold”. To date Irmex has calculated a volume of 184.4 K tonnes @ 1.15 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag, but work continues to increase the resource. Signature of the definitive agreement is planned for late April 2022.
  • Solaris Resources Inc. is planning more exploration work to advance its La Verde project (60% Solaris, 40% Teck) in Michoacan. The work envisaged includes the possible extensions of higher-grade ore. A spin-off company, Solaris Exploration, probably will continue with the work on La Verde, while Solaris Resources focus in Ecuador.
  • Vizsla Silver Corp. reported results from 53 holes on the Napoleon vein corridor at Panuco, in Sinaloa. The mineralized zone has been extended 350 m, which takes the total length of the corridor to 2,500 m. Highlighted true-width intervals comprise 4.00 m @ 55 gpt Ag, 20.38 gpt Au, 0.2% Pb, 3.0% Zn and 9.42 m @ 85 gpt Ag, 2.73 gpt Au, 0.9% Pb, 4.1% Zn (including 2.17 m @ 85 gpt Ag, 7.91 gpt Au, 1.2% Pb, 7.4% Zn) on the Napoleon vein, 2.7 m @ 746 gpt Ag, 6.27 gpt Au, 0.7% Pb, 2.9% Zn on the Napoleon hanging wall vein and 0.47 m @ 17 gpt Ag, 60.5 gpt Au, 0.4% Pb, 1.4% Zn at the Josephine vein.
  • Prime Mining Corp. released results from the phase II drill program on El Zapote Sur, one of eight ore deposits, at its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true-width intervals comprise 27.4 m @ 2.38 gpt Au, 43 gpt Ag; 5.8 m @ 7.75 gpt Au, 57 gpt Ag; 3.9 m @ 2.68 gpt Au, 15 gpt Ag; 5.6 m @ 2.91 gpt Au, 41 gpt Ag; 4.3 m @ 2.73 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag; 8.8 m @ 1.49 gpt Au, 20 gpt Ag; 2.3 m @ 7.10 gpt Au, 20 gpt Ag; 5.3 m @ 1.92 gpt Au, 42 gpt Ag; 18.2 m @ 1.09 gpt Au, 32 gpt Ag. Currently nine rigs are operating at Los Reyes, having completed 30,000 m (in 106 holes) of the planned 50,000 m program. “Mineralization at Zapote South consists primarily of white to grey crystalline to chalcedonic quartz, quartz breccia and stockwork ….. fault structures within or along the margins of rhyolite dykes …… Quartz is massive to crustiform, locally displaying colliform to bladed replacement textures. Higher-grade intervals are marked by finely banded green adularia”.
  • Discovery Silver Corp. informed on results from 17 holes from the phase 2 drilling program at Cordero, in Chihuahua. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 45.6 m @ 125 gpt Ag, 0.54 gpt Au, 2.0% Pb, 2.7% Zn (328 gpt AgEq); 177.4 m @ 27 gpt Ag, 0.03 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 1.1% Zn (74 gpt AgEq); 44.5 m @ 20 gpt Ag, 0.03 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 2.2% Zn (106 gpt AgEq) outside the current resource, 38.6 m @ 91 gpt Ag, 0.11 gpt Au, 1.3% Pb, 1.3% Zn (189 gpt AgEq) beneath the PEA pit and 32.3 m @ 70 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, 0.8% Pb, 1.0% Zn (142 gpt AgEq); 17.7 m @ 68 gpt Au, 0.03 gpt Au, 0.3% Pb, 0.4% Zn on the margins of the PEA pit. “This current set of results was predominantly targeting the expansion of the open pit and the resource in the northeast of the deposit”.
  • Torex Gold Resources Inc. presented the results of the updated technical report on its Morelos Complex in Guerrero. The Morelos Complex has a baseline cumulative cash flow of $1,418 M and after-tax (NPV 5%) of $1,040 M, while the Media Luna (ML) projects presents an after-tax NPV(5%) of $458 M. Life of mine (LOM) estimated at 11.5 years, commencing in April 2022, with an annualized production of 374 K Oz AuEq at total cash cost $809 per Oz AuEq and AISC of $954 per Oz AuEq. Total mineral reserves of 5.123 M Oz AuEq @ 3.90 gpt AuEq.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. announced its 2021 mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates for the company’s properties, including figures from its operations in Mexico. In its three Mexican mines (San Dimas in Durango, Santa Elena/Ermitaño in Sonora and La Encantada in Coahuila), the company holds 63 M Oz Ag, 879 K Oz Au in the proven and probable categories (included in resources), as well as 111 M Oz Ag, 1.28 M Oz Au in the measured and indicated resource categories and 75 M Oz Ag, 829 K Oz Au in the inferred resource category.
  • Silver Valley Metals Corp. updated on its potassium-lithium salars in Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi. “it is in advanced discussions and under NDA’s with several well financed and highly technical groups ……… All options remain open for the Company, including a direct investment into the Company itself and the Company moving the project forward, to a joint venture, to a spin out of the asset, to a buy-out of the entire asset”. The inferred resource on the properties comprise 243 K tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent and 12.3 M tonnes of sulphate potash in 120 M tonnes @ 4.6% K, 380 ppm Li.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Tamino Minerals Inc. informed it is planning to trigger a Securities Fraud Probe against whomever results responsible of highly unusual “market activity witnessed during the last several months” (El Volcan, Sonora).
  • Huntington Exploration Inc. completed the acquisition of Lago de Oro S.A. de C.V. and its 550 square km El Grande gold project in Nayarit. A definitive agreement was reached to purchase all shares of the holding company for a cash payment of US$500 K, issuing 4 M shares of the company, a 2% NSR to the vendor and milestone payments on resources above 500 K Oz Au backed by NI-43-101 technical reports, capped at 20 M shares.
  • Xali Gold Corp. announced the ratification of the tailings and tourism agreements with the El Oro Municipality on El Oro tailings project in Estado de Mexico. “Renewing the Tailings Agreement is the final item required for Sun River Gold Corp (“Sun River”), who have the option to acquire 100% of the Tailings Project from Xali’s subsidiary…. The Tailings Agreement provides Xali Gold with the right to recover all available gold and silver from the tailings deposit and pay to the Municipality of El Oro an 8% Net Profits Interest”.
  • Prime Meridian Resources Corp. updated on the option to purchase La Verde project in Sonora. Prime Meridian (PMR) formed the Mexican subsidiary Sonoran Copper, S.A. de C.V. and reserved the new company’s new name Sonoran Desert Corporation. PMR has to make a US$200 K payment on Exchange approval, and a further US$200 K payment on late February 2023. Also, Cdn$3.75 M in shares of PMR prior to the first anniversary, and Cdn$2.5 M of PMR shares on the second anniversary. A 2% NSR on production from skarn mineralization will be retained by the vendor, and a 2% NSR on production from porphyry mineralization, with PMR having the right to buy 1% for US$1 M.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • No Relevant News.

On the image below: Epidote bearing porphyritic rock from a project in the Sonoran desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the First Week of February, 2022

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 5th week of the year (January 31st to February 6th, 2022), at least 16 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, three released Q4 and full year 2021 reports, one granted share options and two completed private placements, six reported on project development and one on a property deal. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Mexico’s president said that a state controlled company is to be the sole lithium miner in the country. Fortuna Silver is demanding from the government to respect and confirm an already issued environmental permit for the San Jose mine in Oaxaca. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Benjamin Hill Mining commenced a maiden drill program at its Sonora Gold property; Tocvan Ventures released surface sample results. In Durango, Southern Empire Resources updated on drilling at the Pedro project. ON MINING, Consolidated Zinc and Santacruz Silver Mining presented operating results for Q4 and full year 2021. Guanajuato Silver Company presented results for November and December 2021. ON FINANCING, Defiance Silver granted options to directors and officers. Benjamin Hill Mining and Barksdale Resources closed their private placements for $2.1 M and US$1.75 M respectively. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Defiance Silver continues drilling at its Zacatecas project. GR Silver Mining released drill results from San Marcial, on its Plomosas project in Sinaloa. Discovery Silver is to drill 55,000 m during 2022 at its Cordero project in Chihuahua. GoGold Resources released drill results from El Favor East at Los Ricos North in Jalisco. Candelaria Mining received the drilling permit for Pinos, Zacatecas, and submitted the dilling permit for Caballo Blanco, in Veracruz.  ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Commander Resources presented the deal on which its Pedro property in Durango was optioned to Southern Empire Resources. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, no relevant news.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Mexico’s president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on his daily conference while speaking on the proposed energy bill that includes the nationalization of the (non-existent) lithium industry, said that the Mexican government is to create a company for lithium extraction. With an anti-neoliberalist overtone and speaking of sovereignty, he affirmed lithium is owned by the Mexican people, and that no foreign countries are to have it.
  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. received in December 17, 2021, a 12 year extension on its environmental impact authorization for the San Jose Mine in Oaxaca. On January 28, 2022 received a notice form SEMARNAT stating a typographical mistake, by which the term of the permit would be reduced from twelve to two years. Minera Cuzcatan (Fortuna’s subsidiary) “has initiated legal proceedings in the Federal Court to challenge and revoke said typographical error and to reconfirm the 12 year extension period granted by SEMARNAT in December 2021”.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. announced the commencement of the maiden drill program at its Sonora Gold property in Sonora. The drill rig is currently working on the fourth of 34 planned holes on the Sonora Copper, Caracahui, El Fierro and La Salada areas. A 10,000 m induced polarization and resistivity geophysical survey covers the Sonora Copper, El Fierro, Caracahui, El Crestado, El Tanque, Las Antenas and La Salada areas. Benjamin Hill Mining paid a posthumous tribute to its Special Advisor David Jones: “He shared his knowledge and experience freely to the profession and to society, with honest exuberance to advance the development of economic projects, boosting local economies in the Americas and the around the world. Some of his projects have become mines that have positively impacted our world, socially and economically, proving himself one of the best economic geologists of modern times”.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. released surface sample results from its Pilar project in Sonora. Of 59 samples, 21 returned over 0.5 gpt Au, defining several new areas to be drilled. The Main Zone was expanded with up to 9.2 gpt Au, 279 gpt Ag in a silicified quartz vein breccia, the 4-T Trend was extended to the southeast with values of up to 6.6 gpt Au, 433 gpt Ag and a new vein corridor over 200 m long is highlighted by samples of up to 523 gpt Ag, 1.3 gpt Au and additional mineralization 300 m to the south returned up to 3.1 gpt Au, 27 gpt Ag.
  • Southern Empire Resources Corp. updated on drilling of the Pedro project in Durango. Three holes have been completed totaling 421 m, and a fourth is in progress. Core review “suggests zones of up to 70 m of moderately silicified, limestone dominated conglomerate with zones of up to 20 m (core length) exhibiting disseminated and vein controlled arsenical minerals including orpiment and realgar”. Historical drilling by Newmont produced intervals of up to 5.55 m @ 0.59 gpt Au.

ON MINING

  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. presented its Q4 2021 report. At its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua, 3,140 tonnes were mined, 5,099 tonnes brought to the surface and 4,592 tonnes processed, grading 13.4% Zn, 7.1% Pb, 41 gpt Ag, recovering 77.1 % Zn, 37.8% Pb, to produce 377 tonnes Zn, 112 tonnes Pb in concentrate. The mining rate was affected by the flooding of stopes related to failures on pumping and generator equipments. “Access to the under-water stopes should be re-established during February 2022”. The company continues with the exploration of the Mina Mexico and the Juarez mine prospects within the project area.
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. presented production numbers on the last two months of 2021 and exploration highlights at El Cubo and Pinguico properties in Guanajuato. During November and December 2021, 238 K Oz AgEq were produced, resulting from the mining of 76 K tonnes from El Cubo and the El Pinguico above ground stockpile, of which 33 K tonnes were milled in December. Metallurgical recoveries for material from Pinguico averaged 74% Au, 72% Ag. The company completed 6,800 m of drilling at El Pinguico and El Cubo, and plans to complete over 22,000 m in 2022.
  • Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. reported operating results for Q4, 2021. At Zimapan, in Hidalgo, 192.9 K tonnes were processed @ 76 gpt Ag, 0.6% Pb, 2.26% Zn, 0.35% Cu (or 184 gpt AgEq), recovering 67.2% Ag, to produce 318.4 K Oz Ag, 1,012 tonnes Pb, 3,442 tonnes Zn, 488 tonnes Cu (or 842 K Oz AgEq), to reach 691.4 K Oz Ag, 3,659 tonnes Pb, 12,101 tonnes Zn, 1,820 tonnes Cu (or 3.11 M Oz AgEq) in the year. At the Rosario mine in San Luis Potosi, operations were suspended in Q3, 2021, resulting on an annual processing of 39 K tonnes @ 53 gpt Ag, 0.17 gpt Au, 0.29% Pb, 1.46% Zn, recovering 79% Ag, to produce 52.3 K Oz Ag, 132 Oz Au, 88 tonnes Pb, 417 tonnes Zn (or 107.7 K Oz AgEq).

ON FINANCING

  • Defiance Silver Corp. granted incentive stock options to certain directors and officers covering 1.76 M common shares (Zacatecas project, Zacatecas).
  • Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. completed the over-subscribed private placement announced on December 17, 2021, for gross proceeds of $2.1 M (Sonora Gold project, Sonora).
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. closed the previously announced non-brokered private placement of US$1.75 M.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Defiance Silver Corp. has recommenced drilling at the Zacatecas project in Zacatecas. The general exploration program in 2022 will focus on testing prospective regional targets at Lucita, Tahuares, and Veta Grande. Over 3,000 m of drilling have been completed on the Lucita land package, and 4,500 m of drilling are planned on Tahuares and the central Lucita land package. “Results from the 2020-2021 phase of drilling in the Veta Grande resource area successfully demonstrated the down-dip and lateral continuity of the mineralized Veta Grande vein system below the current resource estimate”.
  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. released good drilling results from the San Marcial area of the Plomosas project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 29.1 m @ 299 gpt Ag, 0.04 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 0.4% Zn (including 5.0 m @ 614 gpt Ag, 0.02 gpt Au, 0.2% Pb, 0.2% Zn); 1.6 m @ 1,091 gpt Ag, 0.06 gpt Au, 1.4% Pb, 1.8% Zn; 13.0 m @ 58 gpt Ag, 0.08 gpt Au, 0.1% Pb, 0.3% Zn. “Large sections of the mineralized body are hosted by brecciated rock units above the main San Marcial Breccia body …….. related to late-stage quartz-calcite-sulphide veining which post-dates the San Marcial Breccia”.  These intercepts are 420 m below the surface and 170 m down dip from the current resource.
  • Discovery Silver Corp. outlined the 2022 work program and budget for its Cordero project in Chihuahua. The company plans to drill 55,000 meters in 2022, of which 25,000 m are to be in the reserve-resource definition and engineering of the prefeasibility study, 14,000 m on resource growth and 16,000 m in the initial drill testing of five new targets within the property: Sanson, Dos Mil Diez, Molina del Viento, Porfido Norte and La Perla.
  • GoGold Resources Corp. released results from six holes sunk at El Favor East within the Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 10.5 m @ 0.05 gpt Au, 72.3 gpt Ag; 3.4 m @ 0.68 gpt Au, 101 gpt Ag; 26.3 m @ 0.43 gpt Au, 107 gpt Ag (including 12.4 m @ 0.79 gpt Au, 184 gpt Ag); 25.7 m @ 1.55 gpt Au, 776 gpt Ag (including 4.3 m @ 8.65 gpt Au, 4,164 gpt Ag); 5.1 m @ 0.17 gpt Au, 69 gpt Ag; 8.1 m @ 0.46 gpt Au, 90 gpt Ag; 3.7 m @ 0.34 gpt Au, 158 gpt Ag; 63.6 m @ 0.23 gpt Au, 109 gpt Ag (including 2.9 m @ 2.36 gpt Au, 1,109 gpt Ag.

  • Candelaria Mining Corp. received the permit for its infill drilling program at Pinos, Zacatecas. “The drilling will seek to validate recently updated structural interpretations of the distribution of higher-grade mineralization, together with some additional holes in other high-grade veins in different parts of the mineralized system”.
  • Candelaria Mining Corp. submitted in late December 2021 a drill permit application for its Caballo Blanco project in Veracruz. “This initial Phase 1 drilling program will comprise approximately 7,000m and provide the first tests of each of the high priority targets within the highly prospective gold-copper epithermal / porphyry district. A second phase will then build upon these results, and also include resource expansion drilling at the most advanced PEA-level project within the region, La Paila”. Candelaria expects to drill between 14,000 and 15,000 m during 2022.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Commander Resources Ltd. provided an update on drilling (above, on the exploration bullets) of the Pedro project which is being explored by partner Southern Empire Resources Corp. in Durango. Southern Empire is earning a 100% interest for $700 K staged over four payments in three years and 100 K shares, with work expenditures of $1.5 M. Commander is to retain a 2% NSR royalty with no buy-back clause.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • No Relevant News.

On the image below: Quartz veining in deformed intrusive rocks in the Sonoran desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of December, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 51st week of the year (December 20th to December 26th, 2021), at least 16 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, one obtained an environmental permit to keep operating, three released financing/shares/stock exchange related news, while five companies posted on project development or resource definition and one more on a property sale. ON MEXICO ISSUES, the environmental permit needed to keep Fortuna Silver’s San José mine in operation was finally granted by SEMARNAT. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Colibri Resources completed a 3,122 m RC drilling campaign at Evelyn; Silver Spruce is preparing to submit the environmental permit for El Mezquite. Southern Empire Resources initiated an air-borne magnetic and radiometric geophysical survey. ON MINING, Fortuna Silver Mines was granted the environmental permit to continue its operations at the San Jose mine in Oaxaca. The company had to sue SEMARNAT because the organism was not granting the permit although complaining with all regulations. In the end, not-public negotiations and technical reviews resulted in the permit being granted. ON FINANCING, Alamos Gold is to repurchase up to 30 M of its public shares. Prime Mining was added to the MVIS Global Junior Miners Index. Sonoro Gold closed its non-brokered placement for $3 M. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Almaden Minerals updated on its 2022 plans at Ixtaca; The environmental permit is being prepared for re-submittal as well as the human rights impact assessment (HRIA) report; A favorable outcome on a Supreme Court lawsuit is expected for H2 2022. Guanajuato Silver Co. provided drilling results for El Cubo and Pinguico in Guanajuato. Avino Silver & Gold Mines filed the mineral resource estimate for La Preciosa, in Durango. Silver Dollar Resources informed on the drilling of 1,134 m at its La Joya project in Durango. Azucar Minerals defined a large lithocap at a new target zone on its El Cobre project, Veracruz. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, GR Silver Mining sold El Salto and El Salto Sur mining concessions (covering 56,910 ha) to Grupo Minero Venturex, for past taxes and a 0.5% NSR. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, SilverCrest Metals, Peña Colorada and Industrias Peñoles informed on social measures for the betterment of communities near its operations.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • The Mexican environmental regulator (SEMARNAT) finally approved the environmental permit needed to keep Fortuna Silver’s San José mine (in Oaxaca) in operation. Thousands of workers and inhabitants of communities near the mine to be affected by the impending closure appreciate the outcome.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Colibri Resource Corp. completed 3,122 m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling in 22 holes at its Evelyin project in Sonora. The drill program, geological mapping and outcrop sampling were paused for the holidays.  “The Company will resume Phase I drilling at the El Sahuaro and Cerro Rojo targets, as well as other prioritized targets on the property in January, upon receipt and interpretation drill assay results”.
  • Southern Empire Resources Corp. initiated a high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric geophysical surveys at its Pedro project in Durango. The geophysical program comprises 384 line-km in 96 flight lines at 50 m spacing. In addition, a nine-hole 2,000 m drill core program is expected to start in January of 2022 in the 1,750 hectares mineral concession.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. informed it is in the reviewing process for submission of the environmental report (Informe Preventivo) on its El Mezquite project in Sonora. The company intends to carry an additional phase of reverse circulation drilling with up to fourteen holes comprising 1,500 to 2,500 m in the 180 hectares project.

ON MINING

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. informed the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMERNAT) granted a 12 year extension of the environmental impact authorization (abbreviated as MIA, in Spanish) at the San Jose mine in Oaxaca. SEMERNAT had previously denied the extension application and Fortuna had to appeal the decision. “After continued dialogue and technical evaluation, SEMARNAT confirmed operations at the San Jose Mine are conducted in accordance with all environmental obligations” and granted the extension on the existing MIA.

ON FINANCING

  • Alamos Gold Inc. filed for a normal course issuer bid permitting Alamos to purchase for cancellation up to 30 M class A common shares, representing 10% of the company’s public float of the common shares to date. “The price for any repurchased Common Shares will be the prevailing market price at the time of the purchase. All Common Shares purchased by Alamos will be cancelled“ (Mulatos, Sonora).
  • Prime Mining Corp. has been added to the MVIS Global Junior Miners Index as of December 17, 2021 (Los Reyes, Sinaloa).
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. announced the closing of its previously announced non-brokered placement for aggregate proceeds of $3 M. In total the company paid $47.4 K in finder’s fees and 263.4 K in non-transferable Finder’s warrants.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Almaden Minerals Ltd. presented its plans for 2022. The company is preparing the resubmittal of the environmental permit for the Ixtaca project in Puebla, documenting well beyond the legal and regulatory framework in Mexico for filing in H1 2022, as well as the human rights impact assessment (HRIA) report. Almaden expects a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico being used to dispute the constitutionality of the Mexican mineral title regime to be solved favorably, optimistically in H2 2022. Since the last press release in October 2021, three more drill holes have been completed in the South East Alteration zone target near Ixtaca, and “The geologic observations and complete assay data will be analysed and additional mineral studies will be conducted on the core in order to identify any geochemical or mineral vectors in order to plan follow-up work in this area”.
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. provided drilling results from the El Cubo and Pinguico in Guanajuato. At the Cebolletas and 1850 Stope true width (TW) highlighted intervals comprise 2.00 m @ 1.10 gpt Au, 85 gpt Ag; 0.45 m @ 4.33 gpt Au, 192 gpt Ag; 3.87 m @ 1.38 gpt Au, 124 gpt Ag; 1.40 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 99 gpt Ag in drilling by GR Silver and 1.62 m @ 2.85 gpt Au, 179 gpt Ag; 2.60 m @ 1.12 gpt Au, 131 gpt Ag; 1.71 m @ 0.46 gpt Au, 152 gpt Ag in drilling by Endeavour Silver. At El Cubo Villapando highlighted TW intervals comprise 6.35 m @ 0.69 gpt Au, 65 gpt Ag; 1.57 m @ 0.88 gpt Au, 98 gpt Ag. At El Pinguico, highlighted TW intervals comprise 4.05 m @ 0.68 gpt Au, 62 gpt Ag; 1.00 m @ 1.50 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag; 0.55 m @ 2.11 gpt Au, 505 gpt Ag; 1.65 m @ 2.45 gpt Au, 125 gpt Ag; 7.95 m @ 1.35 gpt Au, 39 gpt Ag; 0.75 m @ 8.81 gpt Au, 208 gpt Ag; 8.10 m @ 1.00 gpt Au, 93 gpt Ag; 0.55 m @ 1.91 gpt Au, 75 gpt Ag.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. filed the mineral resource estimate report on the La Preciosa project in Durango, which the company is proposing to acquire. The indicated mineral resource estimate comprises 17.4 M tonnes @ 176 gpt Ag, 0.34 gpt Au (202 gpt AgEq), containing 99 M Oz Ag, 189 K Oz Au (113 M Oz AgEq), whereas the inferred mineral resource includes 4.4 M tonnes @ 151 gpt Ag, 0.25 gpt Au (170 gpt AgEq), containing 21 M Oz Ag, 35 K Oz Au (24 M Oz AgEq).
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. informed 1,134 m of drilling have been completed in five holes at its La Joya project in Durango. “The initial drilling program is focused on target development on the Noria portion of the La Joya property with an emphasis on testing for possible structural extensions of known mineralized zones”.
  • Azucar Minerals Ltd. defined a large area of lithocap alteration in a newly outlined target at El Cobre project in Veracruz.” The new spectral mineral mapping in this area ….. has further defined a strong alteration signature with clear zoning including a central diaspore-pyrophyllite-shallow alunite/dickite and concentric halos of paragonitic and muscovitic white mica and inner propylitic epidote halo”. A soil sampling program is being completed for spectral and geochemical analysis intending to identify vectors to focus a drill program.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. announced the sale of El Salto and El Salto Sur non-core concessions, acquired from Mako Mining Corp. on March 2021, to the private Mexican company Grupo Minero Venturex S.A. de C.V.. The company received US$1 K, retaining a 0.5% NSR, and leaving Venturex responsible to pay all outstanding concession fees and related fines (Note by editor.- holding large titled mining concessions in Mexico is very expensive). In June GR Silver applied for the reduction of the surface of the 56,910 ha claims, but still has to receive the approval from the Dirección General de Minas (DGM).

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • SilverCrest Metals inaugurated the Tetuachi bridge across the Sonora River in Arizpe, Sonora.
  • Peña Colorada donated material and equipment to the Biosfera Sierra de Manantlán.
  • Industrias Peñoles invested seven million pesos in the park Bosque Venustiano Carranza in Torreon, Coahuila.

On the image below: epidote filled fractures with calc-sodic halo and late quartz veinlet in a copper project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of November, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment
Geologists Christian StClair and Tomás Tapia in a copper stained specularite vein ridge in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett

By Jorge Cirett

During the 47th week of the year (November 22nd to November 28th, 2021), at least 17 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, only three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, three more released Q3 reports, one reported concentrate theft, two released financing news and one on quarterly dividends, while four companies posted on project development or resource definition and one more on a mine in peril of closing by government red tape. ON MEXICO ISSUES, at MINNOVATION 2021 several companies received an award for social responsibility. In Oaxaca, inhabitants near Fortuna’s San José mine are being pressured to sign a document asking for the denial of expedition of an environmental permit, action that would result on the mine closure. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Ridgestone Mining is preparing to drill El Cobre target on its Rebeico property. In Chihuahua, Radius Gold informed on excellent drilling results from the California target at its Amalia project; Silver Spruce updated on exploration plans at Pino de Plata.   ON MINING, Impact Silver, Altaley Mining and Discovery Silver presented their Q3 2021 reports. Consolidated Zinc informed on the armed robbery suffered at its Plomosas plant in Chihuahua, where 90 tonnes of Zn concentrate were stolen. ON FINANCING, Galore Resources and Canasil resources informed on the closing of financing rounds that accrued CAD$818.5 K and $810.7 K respectively. Alamos Gold declared a $48 M quarterly dividend for its shareholders, adding to a total of $235 M delivered in 12 years. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GoGold Resources released initial metallurgical tests at Los Ricos North in Jalisco. Zacatecas Silver presented drilling results from the Panuco Central and Tres Cruces veins at its Zacatecas Silver project. Fabled Silver Gold informed on drilling results from its Santa Maria project in Chihuahua. First Majestic Silver filed an updated technical report for its Santa Elena and Ermitaño project in Sonora.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Fortuna Silver Mines is working with legal advisors to appeal the denial order received from SEMARNAT regarding its request for an extension of the environmental permit. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Industrias Peñoles, Fresnillo PLC, Torex Gold and Grupo Mexico informed on its support for communities, environment and education.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Alfonso Durazo, Sonora’s governor, praised the social responsibility of the mining industry. This as he delivered awards to companies on the Sonora Mining cluster, for abiding by Responsabilidad Social Empresarial (Corporate Social Responsibility). Companies receiving the award included Peñoles, Autlán, Molymex and  Alamos Gold, among others. The event was part of MINNOVACION 2021.
  • Inhabitants of communities near San José del Progreso, Oaxaca, where Fortuna Silver’s San José mine is located, denounce pressure and intimidation by agrarian and municipal authorities to sign documents asking for denial of the environmental permit by SEMERNAT (The Mexican environmental regulator), and to risk losing government aid if not complying with the request.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Ridgestone Mining Inc. finalized plans for a drill program on El Cobre property, within its 3,500 hectare Rebeico project in Sonora. The program envisages 2,700 m in 14 reverse circulation (RC) holes to test the mineralization below historical workings that run for 200 m along strike. Recent surface sample results include 1.0 m @ 3.5% Cu, 0.32 gpt Au; 1.5 m @ 1.5% Cu, 0.44 gpt Au; 3.0 m @ 2.65% Cu; 1.0 m @ 2.62% Cu; 1.5 m @ 2.21% Cu; 3.0 m @ 2.0% Cu.
  • Radius Gold Inc. informed on more drilling results from the California target at the Amalia project in Chihuahua. Highlighted core length results comprise 12.8 m @ 259 gpt Ag, 0.54 gpt Au (including 3.2 m @ 705 gpt Ag, 1.92 gpt Au); 39.7 m @ 204 gpt Ag, 0.35 gpt Au (including 19.1 m @ 346 gpt Ag, 0.63 gpt Au). Broad multiphase mineralization up to 50 m in width has been intercepted along 1 km of the California 2.8 Km long structure, to 300 m of depth. Other targets along the structure are still to be drilled due to the current lack of roads. Drilling is underway at the 1.5 km long El Cuervo vein target, a subparallel structure between the Amalia and California structures, where stockwork veining and brecciation have been mapped at up to 40 m in width.
  • Silver Spruce Resources Inc. updated on exploration at its 397-hectare Pino de Plata property in Chihuahua. A Lidar survey has been completed and the generated high-resolution topography provides a base for the incoming drilling, structural lineament mapping and future exploration. Negotiations continue with the surface owner to gain access to some of the drill targets.

ON MINING

  • Consolidated Zinc Ltd. informed that on November 16th a group of armed bandits entered its Plomosas mine in Chihuahua to steal 90 tonnes of zinc concentrate valued at US$90 K. The security guard and employees were unharmed, but locked in a transport container.
  • Impact Silver Corp. released financial and operating results for the Q3 2021. At Zacualpan, 34,587 tonnes were milled @ 156 gpt Ag to produce 152 K Oz Ag. At the Guadalupe mine production is being ramped-up to pre-pandemic levels, and a fourth drill rig has been added to the company’s fleet. The Capire open pit deposit and processing plant are being reviewed eyeing a re-start of operations.
  • Altaley Mining Corp. released quarterly reports for Q3 – 2021. At its Campo Morado mine in Guerrero, 168.4 K tonnes were processed, recovering 66% Zn, 29% Pb, to produce 10,743 tons of Zn concentrate (45% Zn, 2.29 gpt Au, 724 gpt Ag), 2,690 tons of Pb concentrate (22%Pb, 1.56% Cu, 5.45 gpt Au, 919 gpt Ag). Total cash cost was US$0.45 per Zn Lb and AISC of US$0.70 per Zn Lb.
  • Discovery Silver Corp. presented its financial results for the Q3 2021 and an update on the activities at the Cordero project in Chihuahua. Metallurgical tests show recoveries of 80-89% Ag, 83-91% Pb, 81-90% from locked cycle tests in sulfides and 54-80% Ag, 61-75% Au on oxide and transition ore cyanidation bottle roll procedures. An updated mineral resource estimate has been produced with information from 224,000 m of drilling in 517 holes, with 87% of the resource in the measured and indicated category. Phase 2 drilling is ongoing and focused on upgrading inferred resources, resource expansion of bulk-tonnage mineralization and testing the high-grade veins in the deposit. A PEA is expected to be released before the end of the current quarter, and a PFS on 2022.

ON FINANCING

  • Alamos Gold Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.025 per common share, and the repurchase of 383 K shares with a cost of $2.9 M. During the year Alamos has repurchased $8.9 M in shares. Thus far in 2021 the company has returned $48 M to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks, accumulating $235 M in dividends in 12 years (Mulatos, Sonora).
  • Galore Resources Inc. closed its non-brokered private placement financing, raising gross proceeds of CAD$818.5 K (Dos Santos, Zacatecas).
  • Canasil Resources Inc. announced the closing of the non-brokered private placement previously announced to gather $500 K, same that ended accruing $708.7 K in gross proceeds. The company also received $102 K from the exercise of warrants, taking the total to $810.7 K (Nora, Durango).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • GoGold Resources Inc. announced positive initial results of metallurgic tests at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. HQ core from 108 drill holes at the Casados, El Favor, La Trini and El Orito deposits was composited and tested in Canada laboratories. The composites from Casados, El Favor and La Trini were subjected to direct cyanidation leaching of Au and Ag, while the one from El Orito was treated by flotation to extract also the base metal content. Recoveries ranged from 86% to 96% Au and 90% to 96% Ag on Casados, El Favor and La Trini, while at El Orito were 86% Au, 90% Ag, 87% Pb, 90% Zn and 90% Cu.
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. released results from the drilling program targeting the Panuco Central vein and the Tres Cruces vein at its Zacatecas Silver project in Zacatecas. Assay results for four of the holes at Tres cruces have been received, and the highlighted intervals comprise 1.85 m @ 224 gpt Ag, 0.49 gpt Au; 2.17 m @ 798 gpt Ag, 0.34 gpt Au; 3.00 m @ 203 gpt Ag, 0.85 gpt Au. “Three holes targeted a historical high-grade intercept in Central Tres Cruces, over 1 km to the northwest and along strike of the eastern Tres Cruces holes. Assays for hole PAN 2021-013, which intercepted almost 5 metres of sulphidic quartz vein, are pending”.
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. informed on results from drilling at its Santa Maria project in Chihuahua. The drilling targeted and intercepted the down plunge extension of holes that recently returned significant gold grades, extending the zone 200 m below. Highlighted core-length intercepts comprise 1.5 m @ 69 gpt Ag, 0.63 gpt Au; 0.45 m @ 45 gpt Ag, 0.86 gpt Au; 1.05 m @ 165 gpt Ag, 0.58 gpt Au; 1.05 m @ 67 gpt Ag, 1.18 gpt Au; 3.3 m @ 138 gpt Ag, 1.46 gpt Au, 1.4% Pb, 2.0% Zn (including 1.85 m @ 107 gpt Ag, 2.40 gpt Au, 2.4% Pb, 3.5% Zn) in one hole.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. filed an updated technical report for its Santa Elena mine in Sonora. The report also includes the results of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the Ermitaño project, four kilometers from the Santa Elena processing plant. Measured and Indicated resources for both projects comprise 6.06 M tonnes @ 97 gpt Ag, 2.85 gpt Au, containing 18.9 M Oz Ag, 557 K Oz Au, while inferred resources stand at 6.25 M tonnes @ 80 gpt Ag, 2.43 gpt Au, containing 16.2 M Oz Ag, 490 K Oz Au.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc . “is working with legal advisors to file an appeal to the denial order received from SEMARNAT regarding its request to extend its environmental impact authorization (EIA) for its San José mine in Oaxaca. The company reported it continues to work with the authorities. However, due to the lack of concrete answers, it will use other legal alternatives”. The San Jose mine started operations back in 2011, but one of its environmental permits expired last month, and SEMARNAT (the Mexican environmental regulatory agency) is denying the permit on grounds of a pending evaluation on the regulation of the mine’s infrastructure and an indigenous consultation.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Industrias Peñoles and Fresnillo PLC informed on programs to aid education of the new generations in Coahuila, Durango, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Estado de Mexico, Sonora and Zacatecas.
  • Minera Media Luna (Torex Gold) is supporting the education of students in Guerrero with the donation of computing equipment and facilities as well as providing professional practices on its installations for up to 20 students at a time.
  • Fundación Grupo Mexico delivered through its “Vagón Verde” (Green train car) 8,000 tree saplings to the city of Celaya, Guanajuato.

On the image below: Geologists Christian StClair and Tomás Tapia in a copper stained specularite vein ridge in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of November, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 45th week of the year (November 8th to November 14th, 2021), at least 22 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, seven companies posted exploration advances on their properties, five released Q3 reports, two on financing related news and one on marketing services contracting, while five companies posted on project development or resource definition and one more on a project acquisition. ON MEXICO ISSUES, no relevant news. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Starcore International is exploring its Tecouitla and Meztli 4 concessions; Colibri Resources started RC drilling at Evelyn; Minaurum Gold informed on drilling at Alamos Silver; Silver Tiger reported high-grade results from drilling at El Tigre; Tocvan Ventures commenced field operations at Pilar. In Durango, Canasil Resources is to resume drilling at Nora.   ON MINING, Gatos Silver, Avino Silver, Pan American Silver, Fortuna Silver and Endeavour Silver (all silver companies) presented their Q3 2021 reports. ON FINANCING, Candelaria Mining contracted the service of two marketing companies. Heliostar Metals closed a financing round for $4 M. Great Panther announced the underwriting of $20 M in shares. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Fabled Silver released results from underground drilling at Santa Maria, Chihuahua. GoGold Resources reported drilling results from Los Ricos North in Jalisco. Pan American Silver disclosed further impressive drilling results from La Colorada Skarn in Zacatecas. Golden Minerals released RC drilling results from Rodeo, Durango. Osisko Development disclosed drilling results from the Sapuchi deposit at San Antonio in Sonora.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Millrock Resources singed an agreement with Mine Discovery Fund on El Batamote property in Sonora. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Coanzamex, Industrias Peñoles and Fresnillo PLC informed on its support for communities, science and education.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • No Relevant News.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Starcore International Mines Ltd. is to start drilling at it “Meztli 4” and “Tecouilta” mining concessions in Sonora. The first stage drilling is to explore five veins that have more than eight months of reconnaissance work and 2,000 surface samples. Starcore holds 14,451 hectares in the area, which includes the Creston molybdenum deposit. The veins range from 0.55 to 1.07 m in width at the surface, with grades of up to 4.19 gpt Au and 250 gpt Ag.
  • Monarca Minerals Inc. released results from reverse circulation drilling at San Jose, in Chihuahua. “Large volumes of skarn and altered intrusive rocks have been intersected in the drilling …….. Mineralization is hosted in both exoskarn and endoskarn and in silicified intrusive rocks, which are locally potassically altered”. Some of the highlighted hole-length intervals comprise 3 m @ 4.07 gpt Au, 6 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 0.5% Zn; 1.5 m @ 79 gpt Ag, 0.34% cu, 0.4% Pb, 1.5% Zn; 6.1 m @ 0.36 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag, 1% Cu; 3 m @ 3.11 gpt Au, 32 gpt Ag, 0.13 % Cu; 1.5 m @ 0.92 gpt Au, 2 gpt Ag; 4.6 m @ 0.13 gpt Au, 0.33% Cu.
  • Colibri Resources Corp. started reverse circulation drilling at its Evelyn project in Sonora. The first 5,000 m phase of drilling will take approximately two months, focusing on targets generated by high-grade surface and trench sample results coincident with magnetic gradients and lineaments and mapped structures.
  • Minaurum Gold Inc. informed on drilling results at its Alamos Silver project in Sonora. “. Drilling at the Alessandra vein recently discovered a blind Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn skarn that is open in all directions while ongoing drilling at Europa-Guadalupe continues to delineate a high-grade mineralized vein system which is now been extended by 40% to at least 800 meters in length. Europa-Guadalupe remains open at depth and along strike”. Highlighted core-length results comprise 1.60 m @ 174 gpt Ag, 1.3% Cu; 1.20 m @ 0.3% Pb, 2.4% Zn; 5.05 m @ 106 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 0.5% Zn; 2.25 m @ 228 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.17% Cu, 0.5% Pb, 1.3% Zn; 1.55 m @ 139 gpt Ag, 0.13% Cu, 0.1% Pb, 0.2% Zn; 1.65 m @ 240 gpt Ag, 0.4% Cu, 0.5% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 1.10 m @ 1.2% Pb, 7.6% Zn; 0.90 m @ 57 gpt Ag, 0.24 gpt Au, 1.0% Pb, 3.0% Zn; 3.85 m @ 57 gpt Ag, 0.56 gpt Au, 0.8% Pb, 2.1% Zn; 11.05 m @ 120 gpt Ag, 0.25 gpt Au, 1.12% Cu, 0.4% Pb, 1.8% Zn; 6.40 m @ 147 gpt Ag, 0.13% Cu, 0.3% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 0.95 m @ 435 gpt Ag, 0.35 gpt Au, 0.43% Cu, 1.4% Pb, 3.6% Zn; 0.70 m @ 513 gpt Ag, 0.26% Cu, 0.2% Pb, 0.3% Zn; 1.50 m @ 1.1 gpt Au; 2.85 m @ 91 gpt Ag, 0.24% Cu, 0.3% Pb, 0.5% Zn; 21.85 m @ 62 gpt Ag, 0.14% Cu, 0.2% Pb, 0.4% Zn.
  • Silver Tiger Metals Inc. reported high-grade results from drilling on the Seitz Kelley vein at El Tigre project in Sonora. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 17.5 m @ 31.53 gpt Au, 139 gpt Ag, 0.11% Cu, 0.9% Pb, 2.2% Zn, including 1.6 m @ 343.12 gpt Au, 238 gpt Ag, 0.1% Cu, 1.6% Pb, 2.6% Zn (which includes 0.5 m @ 1,097.8 gpt Au, 255 gpt Ag), and 7.1 m @ 0.21 gpt Au, 277 gpt Ag, 0.24% Cu, 1.8% Pb, 4.7% Zn. “The historical underground workings on the Seitz Kelly vein extended over a strike length of 1,000 meters on 11 working levels. Geological and assay plan maps from the original operations were recovered from the Anaconda Collection archives at the University of Wyoming. A total of 5,301 underground channel samples with gold and silver assays in the Seitz Kelly workings (levels, raises, winzes, crosscuts) were digitized and plotted. Mining on the upper levels of the Seitz Kelly vein was advanced to Section 5500N but only to 5100N on Level 6 and 5000N on Level 7 below the Espuelas Canyon (see Sooy and Seitz Kelly Vein Plan Map) when the mine shut down in 1930. Both drifts were advancing to the north in high grade ore”.
  • Tocvan Ventures Corp. commenced field operations at Pilar, in Sonora. The company intends to evaluate surface mineralization with trenching and channel sampling, metallurgical studies and additional 5,000 to 8,000 m of drilling.
  • Canasil Resources Inc. is planning to resume core drilling at the Nora project in Durango. The work is set to start on the third week of November, and is to focus on testing below and along strike extensions of the Candy vein high-grade already defined. Ten holes have tested the Candy vein for 500 m of the 3 Km traced strike on the surface, to a depth of 175 below, returning up to 11.29 true-width @ 5.31 gpt Au, 336 gpt Ag.

ON MINING

  • Gatos Silver Inc. reported third quarter 2021 operational and financial results. At Cerro Los Gatos in Chihuahua, 242.9 K tonnes were mined, 234 K tonnes milled at 2,544 tpd, averaging 256 gpt Ag, 0.30 gpt Au, 2.35% Pb, 4.10% Zn, containing 1.7 M Oz Ag, 1.3 K Oz Au, 10.8 M Lb Pb, 13.5 M Lb Zn, having recovered 89% Ag, 63% Au, 91% Pb, 74% Zn. By-product cash cost was $3.58 per AgEq Oz and By-product AISC $19.57 per AgEq Oz.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. presented its consolidated financial results for the third quarter 2021. During the period at the Avino mine in Durango, 58.2 K tonnes were milled to produce 77.9 K Oz Ag, 1,183 Oz Au, 685.5 K Lb Cu, at cash cost $6.75 per AgEq and AISC of $25.60. Currently mining and milling are proceeding at between 1,000 and 1,500 tpd, below the 2,500 tpd plant capacity. As announced before, the La Preciosa property was acquired and plans are being prepared to integrate production into the Avino operations.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. reported unaudited results for the third quarter 2021, including some figures from its Mexican operations. At La Colorada, in Zacatecas, 1.4 M Oz Ag, 700 Oz Au were produced at cash cost $12.65 and AISC $18.48 per Ag Oz. At Dolores, in Chihuahua, 484 K Oz Ag, 39.6 K Oz Au were produced at cash cost $767 and AISC $951 per Au Oz.
  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. reported third quarter 2021 financial results, including figures from its Mexican operations. At San Jose, in Oaxaca, 250 K tonnes were milled at an average rate of 2,862 tonnes per day (tpd), grading 185 gpt Ag, 1.22 gpt Au, with recoveries of 92% and 91% respectively, to produce 1.43 M Oz Ag, 8,910 Oz Au at cash cost $9.99 per Oz AgEq and an AISC of $15.51 per Oz AgEq.
  • Endeavour Silver Corp. released its financial results for the Q3 2021. The company operates the Guanaceví mine in Durango and the Bolañitos mine in Guanajuato, having suspended recently operations at the El Compas mine in Zacatecas. During the period 1.3 M Oz Ag, 10,541 Oz Au were produced at $8.16 per Oz Ag and AISC of $17.46 per Oz AgEq, net of gold credits.

ON FINANCING

  • Candelaria Mining Corp. has contracted the services of two marketing companies, Adelaide Capital Markets Inc. and Investor News Network (Caballo Blanco, Veracruz).
  • Heliostar Metals Ltd. closed the second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement offering for gross proceeds of $2.713.6 K, which combined with the first tranche amount to aggregate gross proceeds of $4 M (Cumaro, Sonora).
  • Great Panther Mining Ltd. announced an agreement under which the underwriters are to buy shares of the company for aggregate gross proceeds of $20 M (Guanajuato Mine Complex, Guanajuato and Topia, Durango).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. released results from underground diamond drilling on its Santa Maria property in Chihuahua. The highlighted core-length interval is 16.50 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 20 gpt Ag, including 3.0 m @ 0.11 gpt Au, 42 gpt Ag, and 1.50 m @ 0.11 gpt Au, 50 gpt Ag, and 1.50 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 33 gpt Ag. The interval is in a dike with 1 mm stockwork quartz/oxidized pyrite veining.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. reported results form 11 holes at Mololoa and 19 holes at El Nayar at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Some of the highlighted core-length intervals at Mololoa comprise 8.5 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 50 gpt Ag; 23.5 m @ 0.25 gpt Au, 78 gpt Ag; 1.4 m @ 1.87 gpt Au, 798 gpt Ag; 5.0 m @ 0.23 gpt Au, 75 gpt Ag; 19.9 m @ 0.39 gpt Au, 90 gpt Ag; 6.8 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 51 gpt Ag; 9.7 m @ 0.35 gpt Au, 97 gpt Ag, and 8.0 m @ 0.21 gpt Au, 70 gpt Ag; 7.1 m @ 0.33 gpt Au, 126 gpt Ag; 3.9 m @ 1.73 gpt Au, 288 gpt Ag; 16.6 m @ 0.50 gpt Au, 116 gpt Ag; 5.6 m @ 0.27 gpt Au, 81 gpt Ag; 5.5 m @ 157 gpt Ag; 1.5 m @ 0.36 gpt Au, 335 gpt Ag; 3.8 m @ 0.87 gpt Au, 161 gpt Ag; 14.1 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 92 gpt Ag; 3.1 m @ 3.20 gpt Au, 67 gpt Ag at El Nayar.
  • Pan American Silver Corp. provided results from 39 infill and step-out holes at La Colorada Skarn in Zacatecas. During the current year 36,000 m of infill drilling and 14,000 m of exploration drilling have been completed, and 18,000 m are planned before the year ends and a further 60,000 m in 2022. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 31.9 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.13% Cu, 3.5% Pb, 5.2% Zn; 77.1 m @ 119 gpt Ag, 0.26% Cu, 7.7% Pb, 13.6% Zn; 114.6 m @ 133 gpt Ag, 3.6% Pb, 4.8% Zn; 70.3 m @ 82 gpt Ag, 4.2% Pb, 10.0% Zn; 204.5 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.19% Cu, 3.2% Pb, 5.3% Zn; 181.7 m @ 60 gpt Ag, 0.13% Cu, 3.8% Pb, 4.3% Zn; 96.3 m @ 19 gpt Ag, 2.4% Pb, 3.1% Zn; 89.0 m @ 65 gpt Ag, 0.19% Cu, 3.3% Pb, 6.6% Zn; 264.1 m @ 60 gpt Ag, 0.23% Cu, 3.4% Pb, 6.8% Zn; 314.1 m @ 35 gpt Ag, 0.17% Cu, 0.17% Cu, 1.6% Pb, 2.8% Zn; 64.5 m @ 69 gpt Ag, 0.15% Cu, 2.1% Pb, 4.7% Zn; 111.0 m @ 41 gpt Ag, 0.22% Cu, 1.3% Pb, 4.3% Zn.
  • Golden Minerals Co. released assays from its reverse circulation and diamond drill programs at Rodeo, in Durango. Highlighted drilled-length intervals comprise 28 m @ 2.0 gpt Au, 18 gpt Ag; 34 m @ 2.3 gpt Au, 9 gpt Ag; 20 m @ 8.2 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag; 26 m @ 2.4 gpt Au, 23 gpt Ag; 24 m @ 3.7 gpt Au, 14 gpt Ag. “The 2021 drilling programs conducted at Rodeo consisted of 47 RC holes totaling 3,187m, plus 35 diamond holes totaling 2461m”.
  • Osisko Development Corp. announced drilling results from its exploration and category conversion drill program at its San Antonio project in Sonora. Mineralization at Sapuchi, Golfo de Oro and California is in a hydrothermal breccia 3,000 m long with intense sericite-chlorite alteration in sedimentary rocks, related to an intrusion and interpreted as of iron oxide gold style affinity (IOCG). A total of 27,000 m on 156 holes have been drilled in 2021, of which results for the first 41 holes at Sapuchi were presented on this press release. Core length results comprise 12.50 m @ 2.16 gpt Au; 10.25 m @ 2.37 gpt Au; 17.70 m @ 1.01 gpt Au, 12 gpt Ag; 13.85 m @ 1.50 gpt Au; 9.45 m @ 1.58 gpt Au, 32 gpt Ag; 20.45 m @ 1.08 gpt Au; 22.15 m @ 1.59 gpt Au; 12.65 m @ 2.94 gpt Au; 9.00 m @ 2.24 gpt Au, 14 gpt Ag; 39.90 m @ 1.02 gpt Au; 19.30 m @ 1.60 gpt Au; 22.00 m @ 1.30 gpt Au; 21.65 m @ 2.14 gpt Au; 29.20 m @ 1.52 gpt Au, 14 gpt Ag; 11.85 m @ 1.80 gpt Au; 9.10 m @ 2.19 gpt Au.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Millrock Resources inc. signed a binding letter agreement (and received a US$50 K payment) with Mine Discovery Fund Pty. Ltd. on its El Batamote property in Sonora. A definitive agreement will be signed once MDF incorporates a subsidiary company in Mexico. To earn a 100% interest in the concessions, cash payments for a total of US$1 M over five years should be made, execute US$6 M in exploration and pay Millrock US$250 K in shares. If the purchase option is exercised, annual advanced minimum royalty payments will have to be made, the first of US$50 K, and then increasing annually until a US$500 K is reached, remaining capped at that level until commercial production is achieved, when a 1% NSR on production enters into effect.  The Batamote property hosts porphyry copper mineralization in the Cananea – La Caridad trend.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Coanzamex informed on its sponsorship of the fire department in Parral, Chihuahua.
  • Industrias Peñoles and Fresnillo PLC informed on their support for basic science and education.
  • Grupo Mexico announced the donation of tree saplings to the Chihuahua government.

On the image below: Porphyritic dike on a porphyry copper project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Fourth Week of October, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 43rd week of the year (October 25th to October 31st, 2021), at least 34 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six companies posted exploration advances on their properties, six released Q3 reports, one on commencement of mining and one other in red tape issues, there were no financing related news, while ten companies posted on project development or resource definition and one more on a project acquisition. ON MEXICO ISSUES, a leftist senator asked for the Mining Fund to be reinstated for the benefit of communities. The head of the Energy Secretariat confirmed plans to create a lithium State company, and the government’s drive to monopolize the electricity market. Mixed market results for Mexican companies in 2021. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Colibri Resources updated on drilling preparations. In Chihuahua, Reyna Silver has drilled the first skarn intervals in the Guigui project, rising the stakes and probing that pursuing geological models can pay off. Radius Gold released good drill results from the California target in the Amalia project. In Durango, Silverton updated on exploration activities at Pluton. In Sinaloa, Brigadier Gold released trench results from El Placer vein system at its Picachos property. In Nayarit, Sierra Madre Gold and Silver released surface sample results.   ON MINING, Fortuna Silver is awaiting a resolution on an application to continue mining at San José, in Oaxaca. Agnico Eagle, Altaley Mining, Guanajuato Silver, Alamos Gold, Coeur Mining, Gold Resource and Fresnillo PLC presented their Q3 2021 reports. Guanajuato Silver shipped its first concentrate from El Cubo mill. ON FINANCING, for the first time in a long period, no relevant news on this matter. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Sonoro Gold plans a 10,000 m RC drilling campaign alongside the development of a 15 K tpd leach mining operation at Cerro Caliche in Sonora. A PEA has been filed. Barksdale Resources released good drilling results from San Javier, in Sonora. SilverCrest Metals continues construction on budget and on schedule at Las Chispas, Sonora. Excellon Resources presented high-grade drilling results from Platosa, in Durango. Silver Dollar is preparing for drilling at La Joya, Durango. Southern Silver Exploration updated the resource estimate at Cerro Las Minitas, Durango. GoGold Resources released drilling results from Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Orex Minerals pointed that Fresnillo PLC, its JV partner at the Coneto project in Durango, released a maiden resource estimation. Mag Silver reported production from development at Juanicipio, Zacatecas by its JV partner Fresnillo PLC.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Avino silver & Gold Mines acquired the La Preciosa project, neighboring its Avino mine in Durango. Advance Gold filed a patent for lithium extraction from clays and fine sands. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Fresnillo PLC informed on health campaigns in Zacatecas.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Geovanna Bañuelos, senator by the Partido del Trabajo (PT) asked for the Mining Fund to be reinstated in benefit to communities and municipalities where mining takes place.
  • Rocío Nahle, head of the Energy Secretariat, confirmed plans to create a lithium State company, as part of a wider reform in the electricity industry, same that is seen as containing expropriation streaks. The private sector is overwhelmingly against this reform, that is seen to conduct to higher energy prices and pollution, as well to scare other investments from the country.
  • Mixed results for Mexican Mining companies reflect changes in metal prices. Companies that have seen their stock tumble during 2021 include Fresnillo (-20.7% in Mexico, -18.3% in London). Peñoles (-11.4%) and Frisco (-4.2%) by their exposure to precious metals that have contracted by 5% in the case of gold and 7.4% for silver. Companies that have seen their stock appreciate include Autlán (+23.5%) and Grupo Mexico (+13.5%), the latter due to the 26.7% increase in the copper price.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Silverton Metals Corp. updated on the exploration activities at the Pluton project in Durango. The company’s processing and 3-D modelling of geophysical data is showing features not previously identified and defined new target areas. “Magnetometry reprocessing has been completed while ZTEM and gravity modelling are in progress. Permitting is underway for a seismic test line scheduled to be surveyed before year end. The seismic profile is expected to determine the depth to carbonate rocks” which might determine the depth to the favorable carbonate rocks.
  • Brigadier Gold Ltd. released results from additional trenches at El Placer Sur vein system at its 3,954-hectare Picachos project in Sinaloa. The property shows a porphyry Cu-Mo in an intrusive complex and Au-Ag-Cu-Pb-Zn veins. Intrusion hosted bulk tonnage coppers is exposed on the lower elevations, with sericitic breccias bearing Mo-rich stockworks a little bit above and peripheral to these, Au-Cu-Pb-Zn veins occur with propylitic, argillic and sericitic alteration on host rocks. At EL Placer Sur, veins historically mined on narrow widths are showing wider spans in trenches, like 10.65 m @ 2.08 gpt Au, 38 gpt Ag, 638 ppm Cu, 2.9% Pb, 3.5% Zn; 5 m @ 3.37 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag.
  • Radius Gold Inc. released high-grade results from drilling by Pan American Silver Corp. of the California target at the Amalia project in Chihuahua. “The California vein breccia system has been mapped for 2.8km” with 3,814 m of drilling limited to 1km. Reported intervals include 6.20 m @ 93 gpt Ag, 0.43 gpt Au; 27.30 m @ 90 gpt Ag, 0.26 gpt Au; 50.40 m @ 50 gpt Ag, 0.05 gpt Au; 3.95 m @ 487 gpt Ag, 2.15 gpt Au; 17.15 m @ 35 gpt Ag, 0.07 gpt Au; 1.75 m @ 578 gpt Ag, 0.27 gpt Au; 11.20 m @ 379 gpt Ag, 1.26 gpt Au; 26.90 m @ 353 gpt Ag, 2.59 gpt Au (including 7.50 m @ 976 gpt Ag, 7.38 gpt Au); 11.15 m @ 99 gpt Ag, 0.64 gpt Au.
  • Reyna Silver Corp. reported initial results for its 13-hole drilling program at Guigui, in Chihuahua. “The program was designed to narrow down the location of the probable source intrusion for the Santa Eulalia District- Mexico’s largest known Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD)”. Two holes cut a 200 m thick rhyolitic intrusion, starting at 1,309 m of depth, previously unknown in the district, with extensive high-grade mineralization at its base. The highlighted interval comprises 54.90 m @ 23 gpt Ag, 0.67% Pb, 1.86% Zn, including 15.80 m @ 60 gpt Ag, 2.19% Pb, 5.85% Zn. The epidote skarn present shows textural evidence for multiple stages of formation that point to repeated pulses of mineralization related to a possible multi-phase intrusive center (Note by Editor.- Congratulations to Peter Megaw, who has been relentlessly pursuing this beast for several
  • Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. released results from assaying of 319 reconnaissance surface samples at La Tigra, Nayarit. The samples average 0.48 gpt Au, with 10% of the total returning more than 1 gpt Au and a peak of 18.2 gpt Au.
  • Colibri Resource Corp. updated on preparations for drilling at Evelyn in Sonora. Current work includes geological mapping and sampling, as well as construction of drill access roads and pads. The incoming reverse circulation program of up to 10,000 m will be based on the surface distribution of higher-grade assay results coincident with magnetic gradients and lineaments, as well as mapped structures.

ON MINING

  • Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. informed the company filed with SEMARNAT (Environmental regulator) an application to extend by ten years the term of the environmental impact authorization (EIA) on its San Jose mine in Oaxaca. SEMARNAT has failed to resolve timely on the application, and Fortuna has obtained a provisional injunction from a federal court that allows the continued operation of the San Jose mine beyond the expiry date of the EIA. The company is seeking “an additional injunction to permit the continued operation of the San Jose Mine until the extension to the EIA is granted”.
  • Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. presented Q3 2021 results, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Pinos Altos, in Chihuahua, 444 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 4,826 tonnes per day (tpd), averaging 2.40 gpt Au, to produce 32,402 Oz Au at production cash cost $1,156 per Oz Au and total cash cost of $854 per Oz Au. At Creston Mascota, residual leaching produced 2,988 Oz Au at $593 per Oz Au and total cost of $486 per Oz Au. At La India, in Sonora, 1.23 M tonnes were processed at a rate of 13,402 tpd and a grade of 0.62 gpt Au, to produce 17,124 Oz Au at a production cost of $931 per Oz Au and a total cash cost of $971 pr Oz Au.
  • Altaley Mining Corp. provided preliminary production results for the quarter ending on September 30, 2021. At Campo Morado in Guerrero, 163.7 K tonnes were milled @ 1.2 gpt Au, 129 gpt Ag, 1.1% Pb, 4.5% Zn, recovering 22% Au, 46% Ag, 31% Pb, 74% Zn to produce 11.8 K tonnes of Zn concentrate and 2.7 K tonnes of Pb concentrate.
  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. announced the first shipment of Au-Ag concentrate from El Cubo mill in Guanajuato. Approximately 75 tonnes of concentrate produced on the recently refurbished processing plant, averaging 200 Oz Ag per tonne and 2 Oz Au per tonne.
  • Alamos Gold Inc. presented its third quarter 2021 production report, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Mulatos, in Sonora, 744.8 K tonnes of ore and 1.675 M tonnes of waste were moved, with 1.58 M tonnes stacked @ 1.08 gpt Au, containing 54,999 Oz Au with a recovery rate of 49% Au to produce 26,700 Oz Au. A further 6.3 M tonnes of waste were moved at La Yaqui Grande pit, as part of pre-stripping. Production was significantly impacted by an above-average rainy season.
  • Coeur Mining Inc. reported third quarter financial results including figures from its operation in Mexico. At Palmarejo in Chihuahua, 517.4 K tonnes were milled @ 1.55 gpt Au, 120 gpt Ag, recovering 93.7% Au, 85.5% Ag to produce 24,254 Oz Au, 1.7 M Oz Ag. La Preciosa deposit in Durango was sold to Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. for a total potential consideration between 58.8 M and $93.4 M plus two royalties.
  • Gold Resource Corp. reported Q3 2021 results. At the Don David mine in Oaxaca, 155.5 K tonnes were milled @ 1.26 gpt Au, 68 gpt Ag, 0.40% Cu, 1.9% Pb, 5.0% Zn, to produce 4,728 Oz Au, 324.6 K Oz Ag, 428 tonnes Cu, 2,157 tonnes Pb, 5,538 tonnes Zn.
  • Fresnillo PLC reported production of 12.7 M Oz Ag in the third quarter of 2021. The company maintains the 2021 guidance between 53.5 M Oz Ag and 59.5 M Oz Ag.

ON FINANCING

  • No Relevant News.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Sonoro Gold Corp. intends to resume drilling at the Cerro Caliche project in Sonora, with a 10,000 m reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign. The drilling is to proceed alongside the proposed development of 15,000 tonnes per day (tpd) heap leach mining operation. The six-month program is to focus in expanding oxide gold mineralization and some potential high-grade targets in a total of 12 zones, with holes averaging 100-110 m in depth.
  • Barksdale Resources Corp. released good drill results from the current 5,000m program at its San Javier project in Sonora. Results from the Cerro Verde zone testing gaps between historically known mineralization intercepted 38.5 m @ 0.38% Cu, 0.38 gpt Au and 51 m @ 0.32% Cu, 0.29 gpt Au in one hole, with a 27 m 1.97 gpt Au interval partially overlapping with these two zones. Another hole intercepted 105 m @ 0.63% Cu, 0.40 gpt Au, including 15 m @ 1.01% Cu; 9 m @ 1.57% Cu, 2.20 gpt Au; with a 18 m @ 1.77 gpt Au, 0.97% Cu interval partially overlapping and an independent 21 m @ 0.55 gpt Au interval. To date 24 diamond drill holes have been completed, of which the first four were drilled partially or completely in PQ size (for metallurgical studies), and the rest as HQ size.  
  • SilverCrest Metals Inc. advised project construction continues on schedule and budget at its Las Chispas property in Sonora. Well-advanced or completed areas comprise the plant detailed engineering, process plant construction, electrical powerline (81 Km) construction, bridge construction, confined camp construction, access road construction, underground development, underground infrastructure and stockpile growth, dry stack tailings facility and assay lab construction.
  • Excellon Resources Inc. presented results from underground drilling at Platosa, in Durango. Highlighted core-length intervals comprise 7.5 m @ 648 gpt Ag, 2.6% Pb, 1.4% Zn; 2.2 m @ 2,160 gpt Ag, 24.6% Pb, 7.2% Zn; 0.5 m @ 4,451 gpt Ag, 8.8% Pb, 12.2% Zn, 0.2 gpt Au; 3.4 m @ 501 gpt Ag, 5.8% Pb, 4.4% Zn; 0.9 m @ 1,310 gpt Ag, 9.8% Pb, 4.2% Zn, 0.1 gpt Au; 1.4 m @ 585 gpt Ag, 4.5% Pb, 3.0% Zn; 3.4 m @ 766 gpt Ag, 4.7% Pb, 3.5% Zn; 1.5 m @ 445 gpt Ag, 3.9% Pb, 7.4% Zn; 2.7 m @ 523 gpt Ag, 3.5% Pb, 8.5% Zn; 1.9 m @ 748 gpt Ag, 4.0% Pb, 12.8% Zn.
  • Silver Dollar Resources Inc. is relogging and resampling select historical drill core, along with targeted surface sampling and mapping to refine drill locations for its incoming drilling program at La Joya, Durango.
  • Southern Silver Exploration Corp. updated its mineral resource estimate on Cerro Las Minitas project in Durango. Indicated sulfide mineral resources stand at 12.32 M tonnes @ 106 gpt Ag, 0.07 gpt Au, 1.3 % Pb, 3.3% Zn, 0.16% Cu (347 gpt AgEq) containing 42.1 M Oz Ag, 28 K Oz Au, 358 M Lb Pb, 895 M Lb Zn, 44 M Lb Cu (137.3 M Oz AgEq) and inferred sulfide resources at 19.6 M tonnes @ 117 gpt Ag, 0.12 gpt Au, 1.2% Pb, 2.3% Zn, 0.23% Cu (314 gpt AgEq), containing 73.6 M Oz Ag, 78 K Oz Au, 500 M Lb Pb, 1,009 M Lb Zn, 98 M Lb Cu (197.7 M Oz AgEq).
  • GoGold Resources Inc. released the results of four drill holes from the El Favor East zone at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core-length results comprise 10.1 m @ 0.14 gpt Au, 42 gpt Ag; 27.5 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 40 gpt Ag; 22.0 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 151 gpt Ag (including 1.3 m @ 4.16 gpt Au, 827 gpt Ag); 20.0 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag; 4.8 m @ 0.28 gpt Au, 107 gpt Ag; 1.4 m @ 0.40 gpt Au, 29 gpt Ag; 1.3 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 60 gpt Ag; 12.1 m @ 0.32 gpt Au, 89 gpt Ag (including 1.3 m @ 1.94 gpt Au, 348 gpt Ag). The new drilling extended El Favor East for another 150 m.
  • Orex Minerals Inc. announced that the joint venture company which is 55% Fresnillo and 45% Orex received results from the first mineral resource estimate at the Coneto project in Durango. A total of 38,515 m of drilling in 106 diamond holes were used to calculate 5.32 M tonnes @ 1.67 gpt Au, 112 gpt Ag (3.15 gpt AuEq) containing 286 K Oz Au, 19.1 M Oz Ag (538 K Oz AuEq) in inferred resources.
  • Mag Silver Corp. reported 2021 third quarter production of underground development material from the Juanicipio project (56% Fresnillo PLC/44% Mag Silver). During the period 57.1 K tonnes were processed to produce 667.5 K Oz Ag, 1,107 Oz Au. “Construction of the Juanicipio processing plant continues to make good progress, with the focus now on transitioning from construction to commissioning activities”.
  • Sonoro Gold Corp. filed a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the Cerro Caliche project in Sonora. The report envisages a Pre-Tax NPV (5%) of US$6.7 M and an IRR of 52.7% with a price of US$1,750 per Oz Au; 7 years of life of mine producing an average of 45.7 K Oz Au for a total of 325 K Oz Au; recoveries of 74% Au and 27% Ag; AISC of US$1,351 per Oz Au; 349 K Oz Au measured and indicated resources at 0.41 gpt Au and 71 K Oz Au of inferred resources at 0.40 gpt Au.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Advance Gold Corp. filed a patent application to extract lithium and potassium from clay and fine sand salars. The company intends to use this environmentally friendly method from its properties in central Mexico. The method uses water and an electrical process to obtain a solution of Li and K that can produce a high-grade concentrate from which Li and K extracted using organic compounds.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. acquired the La Preciosa project in Durango from Coeur Mining Inc. through the purchase of the shares of holding companies. La Preciosa is neighboring to the Avino mine, with operational synergies due to its location. Furthermore, metallurgical testing of ore achieved 80% Au and 60% gold recovery using flotation methods currently used at Avino’s mill facilities. La Preciosa holds 99 Moz Ag, 189 K Oz Au in indicated resources and 21 M Oz Ag, 35 K Oz Au in inferred resources. Avino agreed to pay a cash consideration of $15 M on closing and $5 M a year after closing, and issue 14 M shares (~12% of Avino stock will be owned by Coeur). A contingent cash consideration of $8.75 M will be paid within one year of commencement of mining. “Coeur will retain ownership of a 1.25% net smelter return royalty on the Gloria and Abundancia areas of La Preciosa, and a 2.00% gross value royalty on all areas of La Preciosa other than the Gloria and Abundancia areas”.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Fresnillo PLC informed on health campaigns in Zacatecas.

On the image below: Calc-sodic alteration along epidote veinlets in intrusive rocks on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.

The Mining and Exploration News in Mexico: Highlights on the Second Week of October, 2021

/ Gambusino Prospector / Leave a comment

By Jorge Cirett

During the 41st week of the year (October 11th to October 17th, 2021), at least 25 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six companies posted exploration advances on their properties, six released Q3 reports and one on commencement of mining, two on financing and eight more on project development or resource definition and one more on mining concessions acquisitions. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Mexico’s president presented a proposal to change the law in the energy industry, but also restricting lithium exploration and production to the government. Several other elements could be included in the bill, referred to as “strategic minerals”, without elaborating, although a government party senator named cobalt, niquel, rare earths and even copper. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Benjamin Hill Mining released results from geophysical processing and from fluid inclusion studies that support a buried intrusive source for the mineralization at the Benjamin Hill property; Canuc Resources updated on its deep drilling program at San Javier; Colibri Resources received the permit to drill Evelyn. In Chihuahua, Kootenay silver increased land holdings at its Columba project. In Sinaloa, Vizsla Silver presented drilling results from the Tajitos zone at its Panuco project.   ON MINING, Guanajuato Silver commenced mining at El Cubo, in Guanajuato. First Majestic Silver, Golden Minerals, Gold Resource, Magna Gold, Aura Minerals and Avino Silver & Gold Mines presented its Q3 2021 reports. ON FINANCING, Candelaria Mining informed one of its lenders, Accendo Banco, had its operating permit revoked by Mexican authorities. Xali Gold announced Sun River Gold arranged a financing for US$6.5 M for the tailings project at El Oro, Estado de Mexico. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, GR Silver Mining filed a NI-43-101 technical report on the Plomosas project, Sinaloa. Orla Mining provided an update on the construction of the Camino Rojo Oxide project. Prime Mining released further drilling results from Los Reyes, Sinaloa. Fabled Silver Gold released underground drilling results for Santa Maria, in Chihuahua. GoGold Resources reported results from drilling at El Favor, on its Los Ricos North project located in Jalisco. Golden Tag resources is adding 4,500 m to its 2021 drilling program at San Diego, Durango. Capitan Mining reported results from drilling at El Capitan, in Durango. Zacatecas Silver is drilling the Panuco and Las Cruces areas, at its Zacatecas project, results pending.   ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Argonaut Gold acquired from Fresnillo PLC 4,791 ha in key concessions surrounding its San Agustin mine in Durango. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Minera Media Luna, Peñols, Newmont Peñasquito and Pan American Silver informed on community programs in education and health.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

  • Mexico is far from being a powerhouse in lithium production according to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2021 by BP. Australia, Chile and China hold 81.2% of reserves and 86.5% of lithium production, whereas Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, the United States and Zimbabwe account for 20.5% of reserves and 12.8% of the production. Camimex (Cámara Minera de México) points that the constitutional reform presented by the Mexican president lacks technical support, as even if there are several lithium projects in Mexico, none has proven economic viability. The most visible of these projects, in Sonora, is said to be the largest lithium prospect in the Globe, but its economic viability has still to be proven, as to date there is not a single mine of lithium in clays in the World.
  • Mexico will not grant lithium concessions, said the Mexican president. He stated that even if his electricity reform is not approved by congress, his government has the power to reject any request for a concession to mine lithium. “We will deny any request for a concession to mine lithium and we have the power to do so. We want this to be established in the constitution, lithium belongs to the state”.
  • Nationalistic views with control on “strategic minerals” have been voiced by Morena, the party in power in Mexico. Besides the explicit aim by the President to save all lithium extracting and processing activities for the government, his recent proposal also refers, without elaborating, to be applied in other “strategic minerals”. A senator form Morena mentioned these other minerals could include cobalt, nickel, rare earths and copper, although a spokeswoman from the Economy Secretariat mentioned that the list of strategic minerals was to be provided by the Mexican Geological Survey at a later date.

ON EXPLORATION

  • Canuc Resources Corp. updated on the exploration program at its San Javier project in Sonora. Three holes have been completed and a fourth one is in progress, currently at 922 m of depth and ongoing. Chalcopyrite has been encountered from 302 m and is still visible at 922 m of depth. “The drill hole has intersected a broad zone of variably stockworked and brecciated Barranca sediments with minor andesitic dykes. The Barranca sediments show contact metamorphism from about 461 m and downward, variable amounts of magnetite bearing veinlets, stringers and breccia matrix throughout”. The first two holes intercepted Barranca Formation sedimentary rocks with magnetite veinlets and best intercepts of 2.35 m @ 126 gpt Ag and 2.0 m @ 243 gpt Ag. The third hole was drilled on the Tarahumara Formation volcanic rocks for 500.5 m before being terminated due to drilling problems, intercepting several volcanic lithologies, chalcocite from 38 m of depth and sulfides including chalcopyrite from 332 m. Scattered gold and copper values on short intervals were intercepted, of up to 1.19 gpt Au and 0.41% Cu. Results for the current hole are still pending.
  • Colibri Resource Corp. received the needed permit to drill up to 56 holes at the Evelyn project in Sonora. “The fully funded drill program of up to 10,000 metres is expected to be conducted in two phases”.
  • Kootenay Silver Inc. increased its land holdings at its Columba project in Chihuahua. The company applied for a 10,825 hectare concession, supporting the decision to do so on the high-grade silver intercepts on drilling of the property.
  • Vizsla Silver Corp. presented the results from 23 new drill holes from the Tajitos vein at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 1.38 m @ 1.16 gpt Au, 79 gpt Ag; 1.34 m @ 7.94 gpt Au, 960 gpt Ag; 0.70 m @ 4.16 gpt Au, 2,082 gpt Ag; 2.15 m @ 1.09 gpt Au, 188 gpt Ag; 1.38 m @ 2.83 gpt Au, 527 gpt Ag; 8.7 m @ 0.51 gpt Au, 99 gpt Ag; 1.99 m @ 2.46 gpt Au, 615 gpt Ag; 0.86 m @ 3.37 gpt Au, 315 gpt Ag; 1.39 m @ 3.26 gpt Au, 73 gpt Ag; 1.3 m @ 2.47 gpt Au, 600 gpt Ag; 1.50 m @ 9.90 gpt Au, 2,607 gpt Ag; 0.7 m @ 5.73 gpt Au, 1,115 gpt Ag; 4.38 m @ 1.62 gpt Au, 216 gpt Ag. The footprint of the Tajitos zone has been recognized for 800 m along strike and 300 m of depth.
  • Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. informed the seven kilometer long trend of epithermal mineralization at its Benjamin Hill project in Sonora is related to a well-defined magnetic anomaly. A magnetic high more than 12 kilometers long and 4 km wide lies beneath the surface, crossing the property in a N-NE orientation, with the Au-Cu mineralization parallel to the crest of the magnetic high.  “Our hypothesis explains that the magnetic anomaly corresponds to a partially exhumed fertile pluton. We suggest the mineralization seen at surface was driven by the heat engine of a buried pluton providing hydrothermal fluids that formed mineralized tabular bodies enriched with Au, Ag, and Cu (i.e. veins and breccias), as well as fluids that caused hydrothermal alteration halos (phyllic, epidote-magnetite and argillic alteration)…”.
  • Mammoth Resources Corp. updated on drilling at its Tenoriba project in Chihuahua. The company informed heavy rainfall during August and September is subduing by now, and that they expect an increase in the drilling rate that produced only 420 m of core in 8 weeks. “Mammoth intends to initially drill 2 – 4 holes within each target zone then move to another target zone to drill a similar number of holes”. Results on the first holes are pending.
  • Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. informed on results of fluid inclusion studies at its Benjamin Hill property in Sonora. The salinity and homogenization temperatures point to an epithermal system with an overprinting magmatic influence, and exhumation depths  between 150 m and 750 m in the mineralized structures. “This observation combined with recent geophysical data, supports the hypothesis of the existence of a mineralized plutonic source with a high possibility for Au-Cu metallic enrichment and porphyry potential”.

ON MINING

  • Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. commenced to process silver-gold ore at its El Cubo mine and mill in Guanajuato. Prior to the start of mill operations, 20 K tonnes of material from El Cubo were mined and stockpiled, to be processed at 750 tonnes per day (tpd) in the plant with a capacity for 1,500 tpd, or over 500 K tonnes per year.
  • First Majestic Silver Corp. presented production results for the third quarte 2021, including figures from its three Mexican operations. At San Dimas, Durango, 214.2 K tonnes were processed at a rate of 2,328 tpd and a grade of 289 gpt Ag, 3.14 gpt Au, recovering 95% Ag, 96% Au to produce 20,767 Oz Au, 1.89 M Oz Ag. At Santa Elena in Sonora 234.9 K tonnes were processed grading 74 gpt Ag, 1.04 gpt Au, recovering 91% Ag, 96% Au to produce 508.6 K Oz Ag, 7,498 Oz Au. At La Encantada in Coahuila, 263.6 K tonnes were processed grading 134 gpt Ag, 0.02 gpt Au, recovering 80% Ag, 90% Au to produce 905 K Oz Ag, 114 Oz Au.
  • Golden Minerals Co. reported third quarter 2021 production from its Rodeo mine in Durango. The mill processed an average of 532 tpd at a grade of 4.0 gpt Au, recovering 76.5% Au to produce 4,777 Oz Au, 12,196 Oz Ag. Golden’s guidance for 2021 continues between 12 K – 14 K Oz Au and 25 K – 30 K Oz Ag.
  • Gold Resource Corp. presented preliminary third quarter 2021 production results. At its Arista mine in Oaxaca 98 K tonnes were milled at a rate of 1,353 tpd, grading 2.68 gpt Au, 91 gpt Ag, 0.37% Cu, 2.3% Pb, 4.8% Zn, to produce 6,933 Oz Au, 265.8 K Oz Ag, 1,808 tonnes Pb, 3,920 tonnes Zn. The cash cost per AuEq Oz was between $250-$290 and the AISC per AuEq Oz between $250-$290.
  • Magna Gold Corp. reported Q3 2021 production results. At San Francisco, in Sonora, 1.72 M tonnes were mined @ 0.46 gpt Au, and 4.52 M tonnes of waste moved (2.62 strip ratio), 1.76 M tonnes were processed @ 0.45 gpt Au, with 25,663 Oz Au placed in the pads to produce 19,102 Oz Au, 7,115 Oz Ag. The guidance for the year remains at 55-65 K Oz Au.
  • Aura Minerals Inc. announced preliminary production results for the third quarter of 2021, including figures from its Mexican operations. At Aranzazu, in Zacatecas, Aura produced 6,404 Oz Au, 106.1 K Oz Ag, 8.15 M Lb Cu, or 26,745 Oz AuEq.
  • Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. released its production report for the third quarter 2021. The Avino mine in Durango successfully recommenced operations at a 1,000 to 1,500 tpd rate (with a 2,500 tpd plant capacity) with 58.2 K tonnes produced, 61,8 K tonnes processed (with aid of some stock piled material) grading 48 gpt Ag, 0.83 gpt Au, 0.58% Cu, recovering 86% Ag, 75% Au, 85% Cu to produce 77.9 K Oz Ag, 1,183 Oz Au, 685.5 K tonnes Cu.

ON FINANCING

  • Candelaria mining Corp. informed one of its lenders, Accendo Banco S.A. had its authorization to operate as a banking institution revoked by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission. “The Company has a US$9.0 million loan facility in place with Accendo and to date has drawn US$1.5 million under the loan facility. The Company anticipates that its ability to draw any further funds from its loan facility with Accendo may be impaired by these developments.” (Pinos, Zacatecas).
  • Xali Gold Corp. announced that Sun River Gold has arranged a financing of US$6.5 M to build an put in operation the tailings reprocessing operation at El Oro, Estado de México. “Sun River has the option to acquire 100% of the Tailings Project from Minera CCM by making staged payments totalling US$500,000 (paid), bring the tailings into commercial production by October 31, 2021 (extended to March 31, 2022 due to COVID), and grant to the Company a 5% NPI, Life of Mine royalty (the “Candente Royalty”) as well as the Municipality’s 8% NPI on production from the properties” (El dorado, Nayarit).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

  • GR Silver Mining Ltd. filed a technical report on the Plomosas project, in Sinaloa. The report envisages 3.4 M Oz Ag, 53 K Oz Au, 73 M Lb Zn, 48 M Lb Pb (10.3 M Oz AgEq) in indicated resources and 8.6 M Oz Ag, 85 K Oz Au, 149 M Lb Zn, 116 M Lb Pb (21.0 M Oz AgEq) in inferred resources. The report includes information from over 100,000 meters of drilling in 476 historic and 80 new drill holes. A 14,000 meters drilling program with seven rigs is in progress.
  • Orla Mining Ltd. provided a construction update for the Camino Rojo Oxide project in Zacatecas. To date Camino Rojo is 89% complete with the ramp up of mining operations according to plan, and the crushing and conveying system, reclaim tunnel, overland conveyor and grasshopper conveyors completed. The Merrill-Crowe plant and refinery are 98% complete. In the year 757.1 K tonnes have been mined at a grade of 0.86 gpt Au, of which 511.2 K tonnes have been crushed and 220.2 K tonnes stacked.
  • Prime Mining Corp. informed on further drilling results from its Los Reyes project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width (TW) intercepts comprise 11.8 m @ 6.12 gpt Au, 62 gpt Ag, (including 5.5 m @ 12.02 gpt Au, 61 gpt Ag); 13.1 m @ 3.36 gpt Au, 83 gpt Ag; 13.2 m @ 2.18 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag; 8.4 m @ 2.85 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag; 1.4 m @ 3.89 gpt Au, 13 gpt Ag in the Zapote South step out holes, and 3.8 m @ 14.51 gpt Au, 82 gpt Ag; 2.2 m @ 3.96 gpt Au, 9 gpt Ag; 2.1 m @ 5.55 gpt Au, 164 gpt Ag; 2.90 m @ 2.07 gpt Au, 248 gpt Ag; 3.9 m @ 1.90 gpt Au, 78 gpt Ag; 0.9 m @ 3.86 gpt Au, 448 gpt Ag; 4.0 m @ 1.55 gpt Au, 230 gpt Ag in the Tahonitas step out drilling. The boiling level at Zapote, with its corresponding higher grades, has been identified 50 m below previous reports, expanding the exploration targets.
  • Fabled Silver Gold Corp. released further assay results from its Santa Maria property in Chihuahua. The underground drilling was successful in intersecting a geochemically anomalous intrusive rock with a 54.6 m interval grading 0.02 gpt Au, 9 gpt Ag (including three intervals 1.5, 1.5 and 1.2 m in width grading 20, 21 and 23 gpt Ag respectively) and another hole returning 4.5 m @ 13 gpt Ag.
  • GoGold Resources Inc. reported results of 10 new holes from El Favor east zone, extending the mineralized strike by over 450 meters at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Some of the core-length intervals intercepted comprise 27.0 m @ 0.44 gpt Au, 64 gpt Ag; 3.0 m @ 0.51 gpt Au, 86 gpt Ag; 22.3 m @ 0.31 gpt Au, 118 gpt Ag (including 1.0 m @ 3.96 gpt Au, 944 gpt Ag); 7.7 m @ 0.46 gpt Au, 147 gpt Ag; 24.2 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 105 gpt Ag (including 2.0 m @ 4.16 gpt Au, 794 gpt Ag); 6.1 m @ 1.32 gpt Au, 328 gpt Ag; 2.1 m @ 0.63 gpt Au, 179 gpt Ag; 11.4 m @ 0.26 gpt Au, 136 gpt Ag (including 6.0 m @ 0.38 gpt Au, 179 gpt Ag); 20.1 m @ 0.22 gpt Au, 68 gpt Ag (including 1.0 m @ 2.59 gpt Au, 563 gpt Ag); 18.3 m @ 0.30 gpt Au, 98 gpt Ag (including 5.6 m @ 0.90 gpt Au, 255 gpt Ag). El Favor East mineralization is now known for 900 m, of which 600 m have been drilled.
  • Golden Tag Resources Ltd. announced the addition of 4,500 meters of diamond drilling to its exploration program for 2021 at its San Diego project in Durango. That meterage is in addition to the 4,716 meters already sunk and reported in 2021.   The program discovered epithermal mineralization near the surface, the following are some selected core-length intervals: 273.65 m @ 0.10 gpt Au, 43 gpt Ag, 0.2% Pb, 0.3% Zn (76 gpt AgEq); 50.17 m @ 0.05 gpt Au, 31 gpt Ag, 0.9% Pb, 0.7% Zn; 99.53 m @ 0.09 gpt Au, 27 gpt Ag, 0.7% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 25.55 m @ 0.08 gpt Au, 37 gpt Ag, 0.3% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 86.64 m @ 0.03 gpt Au, 39 gpt Ag, 0.9% Pb, 0.6% Zn; 169.83 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 32 gpt Ag, 0.6% Pb, 0.8% Zn; 116.45 m @ 0.03 gpt Au, 42 gpt Ag, 0.6% Pb, 0.7% Zn; 134.37 m @ 0.13 gpt Au, 20 gpt Ag, 0.6% Pb, 0.7% Zn; 191.57 m @ 0.04 gpt Au, 35 gpt Ag, 0.8% Pb, 0.8% Zn.
  • Capitan Mining Inc. reported results form five reverse circulation (RC) drill holes at El Capitan, in Durango. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 6.1 m @ 0.15 gpt Au; 13.7 m @ 0.32 gpt Au; 44.2 m @ 0.13 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag; 6.1 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 5 gpt Ag; 10.7 m @ 0.12 gpt Au, 27.4 m @ 0.23 gpt Au; 62.5 m @ 0.38 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag; 35.1 m @ 0.14 gpt Au; 21.3 m @ 0.19 gpt Au; 18.3 m @ 0.15 gpt Au; 6.1 m @ 0.29 gpt Au; 13.7 m @ 0.39 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag; 85.3 m @ 0.16 gpt Au; 19.8 m @ 0.15 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag.
  • Zacatecas Silver Corp. provided an update on the drilling program at Panuco, within its Zacatecas property in Zacatecas. Four drill holes were completed for a total of 1,088m at Panuco, while two more were completed at Las Cruces vein system and one more is ongoing. Results are pending.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

  • Argonaut Gold Inc. has acquired key mineral concessions from Fresnillo PLC for a cash consideration of US$5.75 M. The acquired package comprises a 4,791-ha concession and four key small concessions totalling 27 ha, which will allow Argonaut to expand the pit, increase mineral reserves and extend mine life.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • Minera Media Luna informed on educational programs presented at communities in Guerrero.
  • Peñoles presented its company-wide water saving strategy on all its activities.
  • Newmont Peñasquito updated on activities with positive results in near-by communities.
  • Panamerican Silver informed on community health programs near its La Colorada mine in Zacatecas.

On the image below: Galena bearing milky quartz vein on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.