By Miguel A Heredia

During the 19^th week of the year (May 7^th to May 13^th, 2018), at least 40 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico, with eight informing on exploration results, nine reporting Q1 2018 results, four announcing financing, sixteen communicating deals and corporate issues, and  seven reporting on resources & development. ON MEXICO ISSUES, Fernando Alanis Ortega was appointed President of CAMIMEX for the period 2018-2010. Investment in the mining sector reached $4,287 M USD in 2017, representing an increase of 14.3%. ON EXPLORATION, In Sonora, Colibri Resource reported drilling results at its El Pilar project, and Azure provided an update on its El Alacran project. In Chihuahua, Sable commenced a 4,000m diamond drill program on its Margarita project; Prospero and Fortuna revised its 2018 work program for Bermudez and Trias projects in Chihuahua, and Buenavista project in Durango.  In Zacatecas-Durango, Canasil announced plans to resume drilling at its La Esperanza project. In Guerrero, Alio announced that a regional exploration work is underway on its Ana Paula project. In Oaxaca, Megastar signed an option agreement to acquire a mining project. ON MINING, Alio Gold, Pan American Silver, Americas Silver, Excellon, GoGold, Hecla, Premier Gold, and Torex reported Q1 2018 results from their Mexican operations. Gainey completed upgrade of its Huajicori mill in Nayarit. ON FINANCING, Almaden announced a non-brokered private placement for $7M.  Minaurum raised $4.7M in its first tranche of a total $6M non-brokered private placement. Prize Mining announced a non-brokered private placement for $2M. Silver Spruce closed a non-brokered private placement for $287.7K. ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Alio initiated the construction of a 1,200m underground decline at its Ana Paula project in Guerrero. Hecla provided an exploration update on its San Sebastian Mine.  Leagold reported underground drilling results for its Los Filos mine in Guerrero. Premier Gold filed a technical report for its Mercedes mine in Sonora.  Sierra Metals reported mine development at its Cusi and Bolivar mines in Chihuahua during Q1 2018 period. US Antimony reported progress on the construction of the leach plant for the Los Juarez Au-Ag-Sb deposit in Queretaro. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Alamos Gold, Endeavour, Excellon, and Fortuna reported results of its 2018 annual general meetings. Alamos also announced changes to its Board of Directors. Almadex approved spinout transaction. Great Panther announced the departure of its COO. Canuc announced the appointments of its CFO and Corporate Secretary. New Gold announced the appointment of its President and CEO. Candente reached an agreement with 3^rd Eye Research to retain IR services. First Majestic completed the acquisition of Primero Mining. Goldplay received approval on the San Marcial option agreement in Sinaloa with SSR Mining. One World Lithium announced the granting of stock options. Primero announced receipt of Mexican antitrust clearance for arrangement with First Majestic. MX Gold signed a definitive agreement to sell interest at its Magistral project in Durango.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• Fernando Alanis Ortega, was appointed President of the Mexican National Chamber of Mines (CAMIMEX) for the period 2018-2010, replacing the outgoing Daniel Chavez Carreon.
• CAMIMEX, reported that the investment in the mining sector reached $4,287 M USD in 2017. Although this represents an increase of 14.3% over the previous year, it is still 48.5% lesser that the invested record in 2012 which reached $8,043M USD.

ON EXPLORATION

• Colibri Resource Corporation, reported drilling results from its El Pilar project in Sonora. Highlights are 9m of 8.16 g/t Au, including 1.5m of 33.4 g/t Au. The company has completed 2,117m in 20 RC holes “aimed to test for continuity within previously interpreted zones of mineralization, test for extensions to the known mineralization, and explore locally for new zones of gold mineralization”.
• Azure Minerals Limited, provided an update on results from its El Alacrán project in Sonora, currently operated by Minera Teck S.A. de C.V. Teck drilled 14 holes to test extensions of Au mineralized zones at Loma Bonita area. Results suggest potential expansion of the Loma Bonita epithermal Au-Ag mineralized system at depth south towards Cerro San Simon, where four holes were drilled to test resistivity anomalies. Teck also drilled four holes at Cerro Colorado Zone to test mapped targets and geophysical anomalies generated by IP surveys and airborne magnetics, confirming potential for porphyry copper mineralization. Geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys are being carried out in H1, 2018 and will be followed by further drilling in H2, 2018.
• Sable Resources Ltd., commenced a 4,000m diamond drill program to test 1.7km of Ag-bearing epithermal quartz veins at its margarita project in Chihuahua. The aim is to test for high-grade precious metal horizon 200m below mineralized surface samples.
• Prospero Silver Corp., and Fortuna Silver Mines Inc., revised its 2018 exploration program, deciding to conduct a 6,000m drill program to test targets at its Buenavista, project in Durango, as well as at its Bermudez and Trias projects in Chihuahua.
• Canasil Resources Inc., announced plans to resume drilling at its La Esperanza project in Zacatecas-Durango. The drill program was designed to test the northwestern and southeastern extension of the La Esperanza vein 50m below of the high grade found in hole ES-17-16.
• Alio Gold Inc., announced that a regional exploration work is underway on its Ana Paula project in Guerrero which includes an airborne magnetic survey targeting further breccia or skarn targets.
• Megastar Development Corporation, signed an option agreement with Paradex Inc., and Minera ZalameraA. de C.V., to acquire 100% of the Rama de Oro project in Oaxaca. “The Project is hosted by caldera-related Tertiary volcanic rocks (e.g. El Aguila model) crosscut by hydrothermal veining inferred to be related to late-stage granitic magmatism locally exposed as dikes and underlying the adjacent ‘Nueve Puntos’ mountain”. Exploration work on the property has identified a 4 square-Km zone of quartz veining, silicification, and clay alteration of volcanic rocks. Sampling on this altered zones have returned anomalous values of Au, Ag, As, Hg, and Sb, suggesting the upper part of a precious metal epithermal system.
• Prize Mining Corporation, reported sampling results at its Manto Negro Copper project in Coahuila. Significant results include 6m of 2.73% Cu and 58 g/t Ag, 5.2m of 1.78% Cu and 40 g/t Ag, and 7m of 1.65% Cu and 36 g/t Ag.

ON MINING

• Alio Gold Inc., announced Q1 results from its san Francisco mine in Sonora, Alio produced 17.6K Oz Au and ~9K Oz Ag at an AISC of $1,262 per Oz Au.
• Pan American Silver Corp., reported results from its Dolores and La Colorada mines in Chihuahua and Zacatecas states respectively. Au and Ag production during the period of Q1, 2018 was 34.4K Oz Au and 1.2M Oz Ag at Dolores mine and 1K Oz Au and 1.65M Oz Ag at La Colorada mine.
• Americas Silver Corporation, reported Q1 2018 results from its Cosala operations in Sinaloa. Americas processed 163.8K tonnes to produce 397K Oz Ag, 7.6 M Lb Pb, and 7.3M Lb Zn.
• Excellon Resources Inc., reported Q1 2018 results from its La Platosa mine in Durango. The company processed 18.9K tonnes (including 5.9K tonnes of historical stockpile) at average grades of 359 g/t Ag, 3.8% Pb, and 6.4% Zn to produce 194.5K Oz Ag, 1.3M Lb Pb, and 1.8M Lb Zn.
• Gainey Capital Corp., completed upgrade of its Huajicori mill in Nayarit to process 300 tonnes per day.
• GoGold Resources Inc., announced Q1 2018 results from its Parral Tailings project in Chihuahua. The company stacked 439.3K tonnes on the leach pad to produce 265.6K Oz Ag and 1908 Oz Au.
• Hecla Mining Company, reported Q1 2018 results from its San Sebastian mine in Durango. The mine produced 512K Oz Ag and 4,500 Oz Au.
• Premier Gold Mines Limited, announced Q1 2018 results from its Mercedes mine in Sonora. The company milled 168.3K tonnes of 2.91 g/t Au and 31.8 g/t Ag to produce 15K Oz Au and 57.4K Oz Ag.
• Torex Gold Resources Inc., reported Q1 2018 results from its El Limón-Guajes Mine Complex in Guerrero. Torex processed 785K tonnes of 3.29 g/t Au to produce 67.2K Oz Au at an AISC of $954 per ounce.

ON FINANCING

• Almaden Minerals Ltd., announced a non-brokered private placement for $7M. Net proceeds will be used for exploration and development of its Ixtaca project in Puebla.
• Minaurum Gold Inc., raised $4.7M in its first tranche of a total $6M non-brokered private placement. Net proceeds will be used for its ongoing exploration program at the Alamos Silver project in Sonora.
• Prize Mining Corporation, announced a non-brokered private placement for $2M. Net proceeds will be used to conduct a geological, diamond drill and engineering assessment on its Manto Negro Copper project in Coahuila The aim is to produce a 43-101 compliant mineral resource.
• Silver Spruce Resources Inc., closed a non-brokered private placement for $287.7K. Net proceeds will be used at Its Pino de Plata project in Chihuahua, aimed to drill target sites on the property.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Alio Gold Inc., initiated the construction of a 1,200m underground decline at its Ana Paula project, which is expected to be completed in Q3 2018. It will enable commencement of the first phase of the proposed underground diamond drill program, which will consist of 12,000 m in 55 holes. The company completed a six-hole 3,800m drill program below the proposed open pit to better define the geometry of the complex high-grade breccia and know the mineralization extent. Alio is also currently carrying out a drilling program on a high priority surface target 150m north of the proposed open pit, on which a detailed geological mapping at a scale 1:2,000 will be conducted.
• Hecla Mining Company, provided and exploration update on its San Sebastian mine in Durango. An Infill drill program is been conducted to expand high-grade polymetallic zones similar to the Hugh Zone on the Middle and Francine veins, as well as oxide mineralization along the Professor and Francine veins. Significant results are 1.34m of 135 g/t Ag, 23.5% Pb, 18.5% Zn, and 7.9% Cu on the polymetallic zone, and 1.58m of 1,200 g/t Ag and 4.98 g/t Au on the oxide mineralization. At West Middle vein, the most significant intercepts are 1.34m of 317 g/t Ag, 10.1% Pb, 18% Zn, and 3% Cu, and 0.85m of 304 g/t Ag, 8.5% Pb, 9.4% Zn, and 3.8% Cu.
• Mexican Gold Corp., reported step-out drilling results from the El Dorado / Juan Bran and Santa Cruz zones within its Las Minas projects in Veracruz. Significant interceptions are 8m of 1.06 g/t Au and 6 g/t Ag, including 6m of 1.36 g/t Au and 8 g/t Ag; 6m of 2.52 g/t Au and 10 g/t Ag; 14m of 1.96 g/t Au and 0.3 g/t Ag, including 6m of 3.49 g/t Au and 0.5 g/t Ag; and 24m of 1.24 g/t Au and 3 g/t Ag, including 10m of 2.12 g/t Au and 4 g/t Ag. The drill results tested the continuity of mineralization at El Dorado / Juan Bran zone and extended the mineralized zone to depth as well as cutting multiple mineralized intervals in the upward extension of the Santa Cruz zone.
• Leagold Mining Corporation, reported underground drilling results for its Los Filos mine in Guerrero. Highlights are 4.1m of 24.2 g/t Au, 6.95m of 23.6 g/t Au, and 9.1m of 8.7 g/t Au from the Nukay, Conchita and Creston Rojo deposits respectively. The aim of the drilling program which comprises over 12,000m to date from 62,000m planned for 2018 is to identify additional resources along the contact of the circular intrusive orebodies.
• Premier Gold Mines Limited, filed a technical report to release  updated mineral reserves for its Mercedes Mine in Sonora, with 3.3M tonnes of 3.94 g/t Au containing 417K Oz Au, and measured and indicated mineral resources for 3.68M tonnes of 4.32 g/t Au containing 511K Oz Au.
• Sierra Metals Inc., reported mine development at its Cusi and Bolivar mines in Chihuahua during Q1, 2018. At Cusi, mine development totaled 676m. The company also carried out 1,448m of underground infill drilling, and 7,398m from surface. At Bolivar, mine development totaled 1,177m, with 650m to prepare stops for mine production, 466m to deepening ramps and developing service ramps for ventilation and pumping, and 61m of raises.
• US Antimony Corporation, reported progress on the construction of the leach plant for the Los Juarez Au-Ag-Sb deposit in Queretaro. Testing and shake-down of the plant is anticipated in Q4 2018.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Almadex Minerals Limited., approved a spinout transaction of its early stage exploration projects, royalties interests, and certain other assets. Almadex will be re-named Azucar Minerals Ltd., upon closing of the transaction.
• Candente Gold Corp., reached an agreement with 3^rd Eye Research to retain IR services.
• First Majestic Silver Corp., completed the acquisition of Primero Mining Corp. With the arrangement now completed the Primero´s shares will be delisted from the TSX. The company also announced the termination of the silver purchase agreement with Wheaton

Precious Metals Corp., relating to the San Dimas mine.

• Goldplay Exploration Ltd., received the approval to acquire the 100% of the San Marcial, Sinaloa option agreement with SRR Mining. Goldplay will pay, over a three year option period, $2.6 M in cash, issue 3.5M common shares, and incur in exploration expenses for $3M.
• Primero Mining Corp., announced receipt of Mexican antitrust clearance for the arrangement with First Majestic.
• MX Gold Corp., signed a definitive agreement to sell its 50% interest on its Magistral project in Durango for a purchase price of US$4.5M.

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

On the picture above, an oxidized quartz vein with a high content of disseminated pyrite in a prospect in Oaxaca, Mexico. Photo by Miguel A Heredia.