Business Enquirer Issue 108 | Tocvan Ventures | Nov'22

Exploring Sonora Tocvan Ventures

Exploring Sonora

PROJECT

BY WRITTEN BY Gary Smith Laura Watling Sonora, Mexico

CEO Brodie Sutherland speaks with Business Enquirer about the significant production opportunities in Sonora and the developments of Tocvan’s Pilar and El Picacho projects.

The Gold Belt of Mexico Mexico is swiftly becoming one of America’s premier gold exploration regions, with $600 million dollars being invested annually into exploration projects.

Within Mexico, the northern jurisdiction of Sonora produces over a third of Mexico’s gold.

“Sonora is a historic mining region, and so it’s very accessible,” explained Tocvan’s CEO, Brodie Sutherland, “the jurisdiction is built around and for mining. It also means we have access to some fantastic personnel who know the land exceptionally well”.

Utilising local knowledge is important to Tocvan, working with a professor of the University of Sonora, Dr Raul Lugo.

“Dr Lugo is an experienced geologist teaching geology students. It offers a great opportunity for Tocvan as well as the local students. We can share our findings with them and have

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supported dissertation research. It means we have access to up and coming talent in the field,” shared Brodie.

Tocvan is supported by a lean and effective team of seven technical staff and two support staff on site in Sonora, including a recent graduate from Dr Lugo’s class. Rodrigo Calles-Montijo, a geologist from Sonora with over 30-years of experience leads the technical team and operations.

“Rodrigo is a key part of our team. The relationships he has fostered in the industry are a big part of our success,” stated Brodie.

As well as gold, Sonora has a reputation for its silver, celestite and bismuth production, and is home to North America’s oldest copper mine.

Showcasing the Pilar Gold project

Found 130km south-east of Sonora, Tocvan’s Pilar Gold site is the most advanced project of its current offering.

With the site being in an area of historic drilling, with 15,000 metres of drilling having taken place in the past, it is fully accessible by road.

For Tocvan, exploration work at Pilar started

in September 2019, in which geochemical and geophysical studies were undertaken. Drilling started in December of the following year. To date, over 23,000 meters of drilling has been completed.

“We’re returning some really positive results at Pilar, some of the best drill results in the region, in fact,” said Brodie.

Earlier this year, Tocvan drilled 116.9metres of 1.2 g/t gold, including a highgrade zone of 10.2-metres of 12 g/t gold and 23 g/t silver. Immediately after, it stepped out 125-metres to the southeast and drilled 108.6-metres of 0.8 g/t gold, including a high-grade zone of 9.4-metres at 7.6 g/t gold.

“Both of these holes are some of the best ever drilled on the property and really showcase the potential,” Brodie shared. “What’s unique about our findings at Pilar is that the deposits in the oxide zone are proving amenable to heap leach, making it particularly cost effective to the producer,” he continued.

Moving forward at Pilar, Tocvan will be undertaking more exploration work to prove viability of the economic deposit through bulk sampling and continued drilling.

Introducing El Picacho

Whilst Pilar is well into its drilling phase, Tocvan’s El Picacho project is in a much younger stage.

Based on well-respected ranch land, El Picacho sits north of Pilar 250 kilometers, and spans 24 square kilometers.

Five primary zones of mineralisation have been identified across the property, with surface sampling and historic workings identifying high-grade gold and silver values.

“Early indications are showing an excellent opportunity for discovery of a multi-million

Map of Sonora, Mexico with the location of Tocvan’s Projects relative to other major projects in the region

Tocvan’s team in Sonora, Mexico

Sunset in Sonora

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ounce district at El Picacho,” said Brodie.

The El Picacho project has numerous goldsilver occurrences with trace to small amounts of other metallic minerals (As-Sb-Te-Pb-Zn).

“Our next steps for El Picacho will be to begin drill testing on several key target areas. It’s an exciting and pivotal time for the business,” shared Brodie,

“what is important to us at this particular site is that we continue to develop our relationship with the family that owns the ranch”.

The Most Valuable Asset

Whether it is the family which owns the ranch at El Picacho, Brodie’s well-respected colleagues in Sonora or the local inhabitants,

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people are of high priority to Tocvan.

“It’s important for us to be mindful and respectful of the local community, and so we invest a lot of time into our CSR and sustainability strategies,” said Brodie.

As Tocvan moves into a heavier drilling phase, it will ensure it manages disturbance. As well as utilising the existing infrastructure, it will also deliver water management where necessary.

“For example, if during our drilling exploration we come across a water course, we will work with the local community to ensure that we can turn this into an asset for them, such as establishing a usable well,” Brodie explained.

During a localised covid outbreak, Tocvan were able to showcase its heart for supporting the community, in collaboration with its drilling partner.

“Usual testing for the local community was taking place a three-hour drive away. We worked together with the community and our drilling partner to bring the tests directly to locals instead,” shared Brodie.

During its next drill campaign, as well as implementing a fuel management system, Tocvan hopes to utilise new technology to make the business more sustainable.

“Newly available technology will enable us to reduce our diesel use and in turn reduce our carbon emissions,” Brodie Said.

Stepping Up

Having been a Geologist for 16 years, CEO Brodie has witnessed the twists and turns of the mining industry.

“Of course, there are always challenges to this industry. Regional politics and permitting are continually changing, as is the sentiment towards gold and silver. However, I believe the outlook is

positive for Tocvan, our projects and the market in general,” he said.

“Within this industry, you always have to be open to opportunities, and in the coming 12-18 months Tocvan would be interested in exploring M and As to add strength to the business”.

Tocvan recently signed a $5 million dollar deal which Brodie described as “a big endorsement”, which has given the business the opportunity to advance its projects at a faster pace.

“We’re developing rapidly from both a business and project perspective, I’m really excited to step into Q3 and 4,” said Brodie.

www.tocvan.com

WHO ARE WE?

We are a Mexican Company of professionals certificates on the area of Earth sciences, with extensive experience National and International.

We are a Mexican company of certified professionals in different areas of mining that provide our clients in the mining sector with highlevel services and consulting, with extensive international and national experience.

We develop, manage and control the database and in the same way we offer high consulting support.

We have staff associated with companies of high international recognition in consulting

issues related to certifications and mining operations.

With a large logistics team of materials for the development of exploration and/or drilling programs.

Exploring Sonora

info@busenq.com