en.Wedoany.com Reported - Canadian mining company Sierra Madre Gold and Silver Ltd. has obtained an environmental permit from Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, or Semarnat), authorizing exploration work in the East District (Distrito Este) of its La Guitarra gold-silver mine complex. The federal permit authorizes the activation of 22 drilling platforms, from which multiple boreholes are planned to be executed.

Based on historical maps, old mining data, and surface mapping, the company has developed a detailed three-dimensional (3D) structural model for the vein system in the East District. As part of a comprehensive drilling program with a total budget of 30,000 meters, the first phase of drilling will test up to 30 mapped vein systems. Currently, the mining company is evaluating proposals from specialized contractors, and drilling activities are expected to commence within the next 60 days after the supplier is selected. Initial work will focus on the Tlacotal area, where the company holds surface ownership and corresponding mining permits. In this area, seven sub-horizontal boreholes will be drilled first, each ranging in length from 1,000 to 1,500 meters.

Sierra Madre's Director of Operations, Greg Liller, emphasized the previous geological work and noted that the East District represents one of the best mining exploration opportunities in Mexico. According to the 2023 NI 43-101 technical report, the conceptual exploration target estimate for this section ranges from 770,000 to 1.54 million tonnes, with grades ranging from 2.4 to 3.6 grams per tonne of gold and 440 to 670 grams per tonne of silver. This estimate only covers five vein systems within a 7.7-kilometer length, and the current drilling campaign aims to expand the mineral resource potential of the complex.