Mercado Minerals (CSE: MERC) has more than doubled the known strike length of the El Triunfo vein at its Zamora silver-gold project in Sinaloa, Mexico, after new mapping and sampling traced the structure a further 190 metres to the south.
The vein now extends over 370 metres, up from 180 metres. A chip sample composite across its full 1.55 metre true width returned 381 g/t silver and 0.85 g/t gold, with a 0.60 metre section inside it grading 815 g/t silver and 1.66 g/t gold.
Highlights from the surface chip sampling include:
- E852089–E852091: 381 g/t silver and 0.85 g/t gold over 1.55 metres
- Including 815 g/t silver and 1.66 g/t gold over 0.60 metres
- E852086: 128 g/t silver and 0.26 g/t gold over 0.60 metres
- E852085: 37 g/t silver and 0.13 g/t gold over 0.70 metres
Field crews also found a second historic working along the vein, where a stockpile grab sample returned 674 g/t silver and 1.00 g/t gold.
El Triunfo is a north-striking banded quartz vein that ranges from 0.40 to 1.55 metres thick. It carries pyrite and fine-grained dark sulphides that likely include acanthite, a silver sulphide.
Zamora has been climbing Mercado’s priority list. “This project can very much become our flagship quickly,” Chief Executive Daniel Rodriguez told The Deep Dive in September. He noted that the ground has only ever been sampled and prospected.
The company currently holds 378 hectares at Zamora and is working through an administrative process to return roughly 3,000 more hectares to good standing. In a separate September interview with Resource Talks, Rodriguez said he expected that to wrap up within 5 to 6 months. He added that because Mercado already owns the concessions, “it’s not a competitive bid.”
He also described Zamora as the part of the business most likely to move the needle. “With the grades that you see on that project, it is very much worth us going and chasing and drilling for the first time,” he said.
The latest results come four days after Mercado reported 0.40 metres of 1,615 g/t silver and 1.77 g/t gold from the Campanillas–La Franca vein, along with a 1,075 g/t silver and 1.14 g/t gold result from El Triunfo. The company signed a letter of intent in September to acquire the La Franca concession, which would consolidate 750 metres of combined vein strike with its surrounding Campanillas ground. An access agreement signed with the local ejido in August opened the door to drill permitting.
Mercado is now building roads and pads ahead of an inaugural 1,500 metre drill program at Zamora. The property hosts 14 known silver-gold vein occurrences with more than 8 kilometres of cumulative strike, none of which has ever been drilled.
Mercado Minerals last traded at $0.12 on the CSE.
