TNM Drill Down YTD Silver: The Americas dwarf other regions in best silver results

Building on our popular weekly TNM Drill Down feature ranking the best gold assays of the week, The Northern Miner has compiled the top 10 drill results for major metals year to date. Today, we present the best silver assays for the year to Aug. 1, 2023. Drill holes are ranked by silver grade x width, as identified by data provider Mining Intelligence.  

Gogold Resources at Los Ricos 

Gogold Resources (TSX: GGD) reported on Jan. 23 that drill hole LRGAG-22-118 at the Los Ricos South project in Jalisco state, Mexico, cut 55 metres grading 2,152.7 grams silver per tonne from 95.6 metres depth for a grade x width value of 118,398.5.   

“We’ve drilled an additional 100 holes in the Main zone at Los Ricos South since our initial July 2020 mineral resource estimate and we believe they are proving to be quite impactful on our upcoming updated resource and preliminary economic assessment,” Brad Langille, president and CEO, said on Aug. 2 in a release. “Our team is diligently working to complete the studies expected to be released before the end of summer.” 

The Halifax-based company’s Los Ricos South project posted an initial resource estimate in 2020 of 10 million measured and indicated tonnes grading 199 grams silver equivalent per tonne for 63.7 million oz. silver. It also holds 3.3 million inferred tonnes grading 190 grams silver equivalent for 19.9 million ounces.  

The Los Ricos North project holds 22.3 million indicated tonnes grading 122 grams silver equivalent for 87.8 million oz. silver equivalent and 20.5 million inferred tonnes grading 111 grams for 73.2 million oz. silver equivalent, according to a 2021 resource estimate. 

Gogold operates the Parral Tailings mine in Chihuahua state that generated second-quarter revenue of US$8.5 million on the sale of 360,011 silver equivalent. The mine produced 375,112 silver equivalent oz. consisting of 203,894 oz. silver, 1,512 oz. gold and 135 tonnes copper during the quarter.   

Kuya Silver at Silver Kings 

Kuya Silver (CSE: KUYA) reported the second-best hole in April at the Silver Kings advanced exploration project in northern Ontario. The Toronto-based company cut 16,883 grams silver per tonne over 3 metres from 235.2 metres down hole 23-SK08 for a grade x width value of 51,187.52. 

In July, Kuya said it was starting 6,000 metres of drilling to expand the Campbell-Crawford target on the property near the town of Cobalt, 500 km northwest of Ottawa.  

“We would also expect to test other targets that we have built up recently,” exploration vice-president David Lewis said in a release. “The initial Angus Vein discovery was made by exploratory drill testing of historically overlooked areas, and we have several other similar targets in this world-class mining district.” 

Aya Gold & Silver at Zgounder 

Aya Gold & Silver (TSX: AYA) provided the outlier on the list. In May, drilling at its Zgounder mine in Morocco returned 1,611 grams silver per tonne over 27 metres for a grade x width value of 43,497 from 22 metres deep in hole ZG-RC-23-2260-70.  

“Hole ZG-RC-23-2260-70, which is the fifth-highest drill intercept on a grade-thickness basis, particularly demonstrates the continuity of the deposit,” company President and CEO Benoit La Salle said. “Further, preliminary results from the Zgounder Regional program, although anomalous, confirm the potential for the discovery of satellite deposits for the Zgounder mine.” 

The Montreal-based company said in July it was expanding drilling this year at Zgounder and Boumadine, both in the kingdom’s northeast. It is also expanding the Zgounder mine itself, which increased output by 15% in the second quarter to 526,703 oz. silver compared with the same period last year.  

Zgounder hosts total measured and indicated resources of 9.7 million tonnes grading 306 grams silver per tonne for 96 million oz., and inferred resources of 542,000 tonnes at 367 grams silver for 6.3 million oz., according to a January 2022 resource estimate.