MxMining

Aun con la aparente inestabilidad de los precios en la mineria de plata, la exploracion de plata en mexico continua con fuerza.

El precio de la plata ha estado rebotando últimamente como una pelota de playa y la plata aparece con muy bajo rendimiento comparada con el oro, sin embargo, la industria de plata sigue teniendo bastante actividad en México.

MxMining tiene disponible en su base de datos 37 Minas de Plata Mexicanas en produccion, asi como muchos otros proyectos de exploración en plata y otros minerales. La plata es el objetivo mineral más común en todos los proyectos listados en MxMining siendo 207 proyectos que apuntan a la plata, seguida de 187 proyectos que apuntan al oro.

Uno de los más recientes arranques en producción de plata en México, es el Proyecto Dolores en el estado de Chihuahua. El Proyecto Dolores es dirigido por Minefinders Corporation el cual anunció que el primer vaciado de oro y plata en éste proyecto se llevó a cabo el 17 de Noviembre de 2008.

Cotton and Western Mining Incorporated está actualmente trabajando con la meta de juntar dos proyectos con depositos de mineral de hierro en el estado de Baja california, México.

Cotton and Western ha completado los acuerdos de ante proyecto con una fabrica de acero China que percibira toda la producción mineral de hierro producida en Baja California, México. Se espera que la producción comience en Junio de 2009.

El screenshot de Google Earth a la izquierda, fue tomado de nuestra base de datos: Mapa de Mineria en México. El grafico muestra la localización de los dos depósitos de hierro que Cotton and Western Mining planea para explotación. La línea verde es la ruta probable que C & W utilizara para transportar el mineral hacia el puerto de Ensenada situado a una distancia de 100km de los dos proyectos.

C & W manifiesta que "la norma a seguir [que] es primordial en nuestro objetivo de explotación minera", es que los depositos minerales de hierro tengan un mínimo de 10.000.000 toneladas métricas de mineral utilizable, que el depósito mineral de hierro está situada a 100 kilómetros de un puerto comercial; que el depósito mineral de hierro sea rico en Magnetita y con un promedio en contenido de Fe mayor al 60% y ademas, que el depósito mineral de hierro este bajo el basico rastro de de Sulfuro, Silicio, Fósforo y con muy poco contenido o nada de vanadio o titanio.

The La Colorada Mine is located about 40 kilometers from Hermosillo, the capital of the state of Sonora in Mexico. Production of gold from the La Colorada Mine area dates back to at least 1876 when it is believed that they worked underground on high grade veins. Remnants of the underground workings like tunnels and light rail for ore carts can still be found in the area.

There has been no mining activity at the La Colorada Mine for about 6 years, but today the La Colorada area is being explored by Pediment Exploration for its' gold and silver potential.

MxMining was able to visit the area and speak to a few of the local people about the re-opening of the La Colorada Mine. We spoke to one gentleman who lived in the area and was collecting wood with his children. He told us with a smile on his face, maybe in the remembrance of better times, that most people in the La Colorada Village are "just waiting for the mine to re-open".

La Colorada Mine History:

• Produced Over 3 Million Ounces of Gold Between 1876 and 1914.

Like it or not there is still a lot of illicit product producing areas in Mexico and since miners are explorers too, we get into areas that aren't regularly traversed by the normal populous. While I've never personally had a problem in any area or with any people I believe it would be pretty easy to get into if your presence wasn't announced before hand.

The overwhelming aroma of a nearby plantation is more often than not a signal that you should be making some noise to announce your presence so as not startle anybody nearby. Fact is - you're in somebody else's territory and if you want their blessing and the ability to stay there in peace you're best advice is to ignore these going ons as much as possible. Announcement of your movements and plans well ahead of time is also appreciated by the local populous as they will usually move their business, at least temporarily, if they have enough notice.

ArcelorMittal is a fairly quiet company when it comes to letting people know where they're working and what they're doing but since they're one of the largest steel companies in the world they can probably very well afford to be as quiet as they are.

If you're not familiar with the name ArcelorMittal you might recognize the two original companies "Arcelor" and "Mittal Steel", these two companies recently joined forces and assumed the name ArcelorMittal. This move has likely made them the most powerful steel products company in the world today.

For the past year ArcelorMittal has been working quickly and quietly on a new plant called the "El Volcan Proyecto" just outside of the city of Obregon in the state of Sonora and of cource every time we pass by the new plant we give it a once over to see what is going on. The last time we went by it looked like they were in the process of doing some test runs and getting all the little things worked out.

I finally made it over to the 8th International Sonora Mining Seminar today and it was everything I expected. Lots of people pawning their goods and services - a great place to make contacts. If you missed it this year you're going to have to wait a couple more years for the next one that takes place in Sonora.

With all the people sometimes I just needed a break outside in the nice hot Sonora sun so I went in and out of the exposition part a few times during the day. One of the times I entered I noticed a display where school youngsters drew symbolic pictures of how they imagine mining and the environment working together. It was a contest in which I believe a few different Sonora primary schools took part in.

It seems that the Bank of Mexico is going to restrict the selling of the Mexican Libertad Silver Coin to even its' largest customer Banco Azteca.

For the rest of 2008 Banco Azteca will be limited to buying from the central bank just another 60,000 coins which is about equal to Banco Azteca's monthly sales for the month of August and September of this year. I guess that I can expect to go to Banco Azteca tomorrow morning and find absolutely nothing available to purchase as there will probably be a mad rush to get them before you can't.

Banco Azteca is one of the few banks in Mexico that actively markets the silver libertad coins and almost always has them in stock. Usually if they dont have them in stock at any particular branch they will have them within a few days.

While I don't want to be thrown into the tin-foil hat crowd I am starting to get the feeling that something is wrong with the spot price for silver.

Even through there's been a thrashing of metal prices in the last few months Pan American Silver keeps on winning with their two operating silver mines in Mexico. Their mine profits might be taking a hit from a lower silver price in the past few months but it's probable that the markets could knock a couple more dollars off the price and Pan American Silver would still be in the green.

PanAm says that Alamo Dorado Mine in the state of Sonora had a total cash cost per ounce in the year 2007 of just US$4.41. The Alamo Dorado Mine produced over 3,800,000 ounces of silver and over 13,000 ounces of gold during the same period.

Located more in the south the La Colorada Mine in the state of Zacatecas had a total cash cost per ounce in the year 2007 of US$6.88.

According to the 1960 census, 23% of Mexico's cultivated land belonged to ejidos so if you're in the mining industry in Mexico it's likely that you'll run into this type of land ownership.

Wikipedia defines an Ejido as:

The ejido system is a process whereby the government promotes the use of communal land shared by the people of the community. This use of community land was a common practice during the time of Aztec rule in Mexico.

Sometimes in Mexico it is very hard to determine land ownership and even if you think you know whose land it is you'll probably want to check to know for sure if there are any disputes about the property boundaries.

When it comes to the ownership or any disputes about the boundaries of ejidos there are a couple of federal entities that can help you or the ejidatarios to deal with the issues involved. A lot of times if there are issues regarding the ownership of the land the problems can be rectified by providing

This is quite old news but my opinion is that something really strange happened with Noront when they came to Mexico. My biggest question out of the whole thing is "Where EXACTLY is the El Verde Property?"

Here's a short quote from their Nov7/2007 News Release.

El Verde Proyecto

The El Verde property agreement called for payments totaling $745,000 US, 650,000 shares and work costs of at least $600,000 on or before November 10, 2010. By executing these payments and performing the required work programs Noront would earn a 100% interest in the claims subject to a 1.5% NSR. Noront would have the right to purchase 2/3 of the NSR or 1% at any time by paying $1.5 million US. Please refer to Noront press release dated November 23, 2007 for details of the agreement and a history of the project.

The amended agreement calls for a one time payment of 60,000 shares in exchange for a 100% interest in the claims subject to a 1.5% NSR. Two thirds of the NSR or 1% may be purchased at any time by Noront for $1.5 million US.

What really gets me is how substantial these numbers were at the time and how much different they are from the amended agreement.

Once in awhile we encounter something that makes us sit back and take a "wow" and today for me that was the transparency of Kimber Resources Incorporated's operations.

Kimber Resources is really on the ball when it comes to using the latest technology to more than surpass a simple responsibility of passing on their public company information to their shareholders and potential investors. Their web site at http://www.kimberresources.com is not only full of their property information but it also includes a full outline of their quality control and you'll also find an explanation about how they use the results of Core and Reverse Circulation Drilling in their data.

This company seems to know the real meaning of full disclosure.