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During the 31^st week of the year (August 1^st to August 7^th, 2022), at least 21 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, six companies posted exploration advances on their properties and four presented production results for the second quarter. Only one company reported on the closing of a private placement, one on the granting of incentive options to officers, directors and consultants, one on a $5 M loan facility and one in a share consolidation plan. One company filed an amended report. One company closed the sale of its Mexican properties, and one more amended the option agreement of a property.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, no relevant news. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Silver Spruce completed an RC drilling program at Diamante; Tocvan Ventures informed on drilling at Pilar. In Chihuahua, Kootenay Silver informed on drilling at Columba; Mammoth Resources presented drilling results from Tenoriba. In Zacatecas, Alien Metals updated on work at Donovan 2 and San Celso. In Oaxaca, Vortex Metals updated on exploration at Riqueza Marina and Zaachila projects. ON MINING, Coeur Mining, Torex Gold, Equinox Gold and First Majestic Silver presented financial and operational results for the second quarter 2022. ON FINANCING, Heliostat closed a private placement for $3 M. Bear Creek Mining entered into a US$5 M loan facility. Tocvan is granting incentive stock options and Ridgestone Mining is proposing consolidation of its shares.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Discovery Silver is filing an amended technical report for the Cordero project in Chihuahua. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Great Panther Mining closed the sale of its Mexican properties to Guanajuato Silver Company. ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Grupo Mexico’s metallurgical complex at Nacozari, in Sonora, was granted the “Great Place to Work” certification.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• No Relevant News.

ON EXPLORATION

• Silver Spruce Resources Inc. along with Colibri Resource Corp. completed its phase 1 drilling program at the 1,057 ha Diamante project in Sonora. The 2,005 m reverse-circulation program in 19 holes, up to 135 m in depth, covered the La Prieta, and Pillado targets. “Mineralization is reported visually as pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, argentiferous galena, argentite, hematite and probable metal oxides, carbonates and sulphates, including copper carbonate (malachite), copper sulphates and plumbojarosite”.
• Vortex Metals Inc. provided an update in exploration of its Riqueza Marina and Zaachila projects in Oaxaca. The late David Jones identified this area in the early 2000’s ”…. Copper-gold mineralization within both the Riqueza Marina and Zaachila projects is associated with geologic processes operative in the Late Jurassic to Middle Cretaceous within a back-arc sequence of bi-modal volcanics and volcaniclastics deposited on the sea floor. Early exploration conducted by Dave Jones identified several copper and gold anomalies over a broad area but clearly associated with specific rocks, i.e. exhalite, rhyolite debris aprons or breccia. These associations prompted the identification of a geologic environment which incorporated these features. The Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) model incorporates the geologic and geochemical features observed to date”.
• Kootenay Silver Inc. informed significant progress has been made on the 15,000 m drilling campaign at Columba, in Chihuahua. The current program will test extensions of the F, D, B and JZ veins and exploratory step-outs on other prospective veins. The V vein has been traced for over 700 m of strike and 200 m of depth with an average of 2 m in width, the D vein has been hit along 430 m of strike and 340 m of depth with an average of 6.9 m in width.
• Tocvan Ventures Corp. informed that seven reverse circulation drill holes for a total of 1,382 m have been completed on the phase III drill program at Pilar, in Sonora.
• Alien Metals Ltd. updated on exploration work at its San Celso and Donovan 2 projects in Zacatecas. Three holes totaling 201 m were drilled at San Celso and four holes at Donovan 2 for 410 m. No significant intersections were returned for San Celso. At Donovan 2, a 1.87 m interval returned 0.33% Cu, although the recovery was in the 15-20% range. A weak Zn anomaly correlates with a similar zone in a previous hole.
• Mammoth Resources Corp. provided results from four holes at its Tenoriba project in Chihuahua. The four holes totaled 388.95 m brining the total to 2,623.55 m in 21 holes. Highlighted intercepts comprise 81.0 m @ 0.45 gpt Au, 2 gpt Ag (including 12.0 m @ 1.03 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag); 10.6 m @ 1.14 gpt Au, 18 gpt Ag; 30.0 m @ 0.32 gpt Au, 3 gpt Ag; 48.0 m @ 1.11 gpt Au, 7 gpt Ag (including 4.5 m @ 2.88 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag).

ON MINING

• Coeur Mining Inc. reported second quarter 2022 financial results, including figures from its operations in Mexico. At Palmarejo, in Chihuahua, 539.6 K tonnes were milled @ 1.68 gpt Au, 125 gpt Ag, recovering 92.4% Au, 84.2% Ag, to produce 27,109 Oz Au, 1.79 M Oz Ag. Four drill rigs are to be active in the third quarter 2022 on infill drilling of the Hidalgo and Nacion zones and expansion drilling on the NW Hidalgo and La Carmela zones.
• Torex Gold Resources Inc. released financial and operating results for the second quarter 2022. During the period, 123,363 Oz Au were produced at its El Limon-Guajes project in Guerrero, at total cash cost $703 per Oz Au and AISC of $911. Construction at Media Luna (close to El Limon-Guajes) is well underway with a physical progress of 5%, including the development of 2,100 m at the Guajes tunnel and 700 m at South Portal. At the end of the period the company had net cash of $306.3 M with no debt and an undrawn $150.0 M credit facility.
• Equinox Gold Corp. announced its second quarter 2022 financial and operating results. The report includes the sale of the Mercedes mine in Sonora to Bear Creek Mining Corp., but does not elaborate on production numbers for Mercedes or Los Filos in Guerrero, other than a guidance of 155-170 K Oz Au production from Los Filos in 2022.

First Majestic Silver Corp. presented financial results for the second quarter 2022. During the quarter the company negotiated and signed a conclusive agreement with the Mexican tax authority (SAT) though the office of the taxpayer ombudsman (PRODECON) to settle an uncertain tax position relating to intercompany debt financing in Mexico, with a one-time payment of $21.3 M. Consolidated production in Mexico was 6.16 M Oz AgEq, as shown in the table below.

ON FINANCING

• Bear Creek Mining Corp. entered into a US$5.0 M loan facility with Auramet International LLC.. Bear Creek will sell Auramet 100% of the outrun from the Mercedes mine in Sonora until the note is paid in full and 50 K Oz thereafter (Mercedes, Sonora).
• Heliostar Metals Ltd. closed its non-brokered private placement offering for gross proceeds of $3 M (Oso Negro and El Picacho, Sonora).
• Tocvan Ventures Corp. announced the approval of the grant of 1.3 M incentive stock options to officers, directors, and consultants of the company (Pilar, Sonora).
• Ridgestone Mining Inc. intends to seek shareholder approval at its upcoming annual general meeting to consolidate its commons shares in a 20 to 1 ratio. “The proposed Consolidation remains subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange”.

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Discovery Silver Corp. is filing an amended technical report on the Cordero project in Chihuahua. The phrase “the Cordero project is technically and economically viable” was removed, as “the economic analysis is a preliminary economic assessment and cannot demonstrate economic viability”. Discovery is well advanced on a pre-feasibility study (PFS) to be completed on Q4 2022, which is to outline the technical and economic viability of the project.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Great Panther Mining Ltd. closed the previously announced sale of the Guanajuato Mine Complex (Guanajuato), the Topia mine (Durango) and the El Horcón and Santa Rosa projects (Guanajuato) to Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd.. The deal comprised US$8 M in cash, plus additional cash of US$1.35 M, US$6.7 M in GSilver shares, US$500 K when Topia produces an aggregate of 2.5 M Oz Ag and US$750 K if the silver price rises above US$27.50 per Oz for a month within two years of closing, and US$750 K if the silver price closes above US$30.00 per Oz for a month within three years of closing.
• Ridgestone Mining Inc. announced the amendment of the property agreement on the Guadalupe y Calvo project in Chihuahua. The revised option agreement with Endeavour Silver extends the cash, share and work commitments of year 2 from February 2023 to March 2024, that of year 3 from February 2024 to March 2025 and that of year 4 from February 2025 to March 2026.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Grupo Mexico’s metallurgical complex in Nacozari, Sonora, obtained the certificate “Great Place to Work”. The certification is recognized in more than 60 countries.

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