Southern Silver Exploration Corp. TSXV:SSV has reported what it describes as “bonanza-grade” silver intercepts from the first round of drilling at its recently acquired Puro Corazon claim in Durango, Mexico, marking an early boost for the Canadian explorer as it works to fold the target into its flagship Cerro Las Minitas project.
Rush assays from hole 25CLM-203 revealed a near-surface zone of exceptionally high-grade silver-lead-zinc mineralisation hosted in a replacement-style sulphide lens that sits outside the area’s main skarn system. The highlight interval returned 10.5 metres averaging 560 g/t silver, alongside elevated lead and zinc grades, with a higher-grade core of 3.4 metres at 1,067 g/t silver equivalent within 200 metres of surface.
Two additional narrower intercepts a few metres down-hole were also mineralised, combining to 2.6 metres at 280 g/t silver equivalent.
“Strong start” at Puro Corazon
The company said the mineralisation comprises semi-massive to massive sulphides, dominated by sphalerite and galena, within limestone host rocks, in an area previously considered peripheral to the principal skarn target and historic workings.
“We’re off to a strong start at Puro Corazon,” said Rob Macdonald, vice-president of exploration. “These initial bonanza-grade intercepts confirm the near-surface, high-grade nature of the mineralisation and the overall prospectivity of the claim. With roughly 40% of the planned drilling now complete, I expect more positive results through early 2026.”
Drill hole 25CLM-203 also cut several deeper mineralised zones interpreted as part of the broader skarn system, with assays pending. Follow-up step-out holes have intersected similar massive to semi-massive sulphides both laterally and at depth, and the company said samples from these intervals are now at the lab.
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The early results form part of a 21-hole, 12,000-metre programme designed to test Puro Corazon both across strike and down to roughly 450 metres depth. Ten holes, totalling 4,000 metres, have been completed, with three currently in progress.
Southern Silver has also received assays from hole 25CLM-202, drilled adjacent to the historic Santo Niño workings north of the Puro Corazon boundary. That hole delivered 2.4 metres averaging 62 g/t silver, 3% lead and 5.2% zinc, modest compared to the headline figures but consistent with skarn-style mineralisation found elsewhere on the broader Cerro Las Minitas property.
Underground sampling campaign
Alongside drilling, the company has launched an underground sampling campaign at the old Puro Corazon mine, where up to 2,000 channel samples will be collected across 13 levels. The data will feed into updated resource models and help identify possible locations for future bulk sampling.
The company aims to integrate the Puro Corazon results into a revised mineral resource estimate for Cerro Las Minitas, followed by an updated preliminary economic assessment expected after final assays arrive in the first quarter of 2026. Work is also advancing on baseline studies, including hydrology, geotechnical and archaeological surveys, to support future permitting and de-risking of the project.
Southern Silver’s 100%-owned Cerro Las Minitas project lies within Mexico’s prolific Faja de Plata, host to several large-scale silver, lead and zinc deposits. A 2024 economic assessment outlined a substantial underground operation with “robust” economics in what the company describes as a mining-friendly jurisdiction. The explorer also holds the recently acquired Nazas gold-silver property in Durango and two early-stage projects in New Mexico.
The company says it anticipates “significant news flow” in the coming months as drilling at Puro Corazon continues.
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