Silver Stocks and the Land Grab for Silver Assets
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The Company is focused on advancing its portfolio of two prospective silver exploration and resource development projects, the Calico Project, in San Bernardino County, California, and its option on the Cinco de Mayo Project, in Chihuahua, Mexico.
With strong demand and a supply deficit since 2021, silver miners are actively acquiring land and developing projects to increase production and address the shortfall.
In line with the sector's growth strategy, Apollo Silver Corp. (TSXV: APGO) (OTCQB: APGOF) (FSE: 6ZF0) recently announce it has acquired 2,215 hectares of highly prospective claims contiguous to its Waterloo property at its Calico Silver Project.
From the news:
The newly acquired claims, referred to as the Mule claims, comprise 415 lode mining claims and were acquired from LAC Exploration LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp. (TSX: LAC) (NYSE: LAC), which was the previous operator of the property. Preliminary mapping and sampling conducted by the previous operator of the Mule claims identified several high-grade silver targets, which will be evaluated as part of Apollo's future exploration planning.
Additionally, a mapping and sampling program was recently completed at the Burcham gold prospect area in the southwest region of the Waterloo property (see news release dated February 12, 2025). This program confirmed the Calico fault system's role in controlling silver (Ag) and gold (Au) mineralization in the area and identified potential for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb) mineralization associated with stratabound and manto lenses.
Highlights:
Mule claims expand the Calico Project land package by over 285%, from 1,194 hectares to 3,409 hectares of contiguous claims.
Mule claims trend along the mineralized Calico Fault System responsible for mineralization seen at Calico.
Reports from the prior operator indicate that there are several strongly anomalous silver values on the property, which Apollo will attempt to ground-truth in the coming exploration programs.
Sampling done across the Mule claims by previous operator has identified a large Ag anomaly associated with the same suite of host rocks at the Waterloo property.
Exploration at the Burcham prospect at Waterloo included assays from 27 surface samples:
Assay peaks up to 14.10 g/t Au, 20.70 g/t Ag, 0.17% Cu, 22.80% Zn and 5.74 % Pb from various samples.
Identification of strata-bound lenses and mantos that show strong potential for Cu, Zn and Pb mineralization.
Ross McElroy, President and CEO of Apollo commented, "The addition of the Mule claims substantially enhances the Calico Project. Calico already hosts three discrete drill-delineated zones with resource estimates along a 4-km-long trend within the Calico fault zone. The Mule claims increase the project's land area by 2.5 times, strategically located to the east along this highly prospective mineralized corridor, offering significant potential for further discoveries. Apollo is committed to unlocking value in California for our shareholders."
The Mule claims, comprising 415 lode mining claims administered by the Bureau of Land Management, feature a continuation of the mineralized Calico Fault System, as identified through mapping and sampling by the previous operator. The sedimentary rocks of the Barstow Formation, which hosts the Waterloo silver deposit and the volcanic Pickhandle Formation are prevalent across the acquired claims. The contact between the Barstow and Pickhandle Formations has demonstrated potential for gold mineralization, similar to that at Waterloo. Sampling across the Mule claims has identified several strong Ag and Au anomalies. Apollo plans to conduct a follow-up exploration program to develop exploration targets and delineate this highly prospective contact.
Earlier this month, Pan American Silver Corp. and MAG Silver Corp announced a definitive agreement for Pan American to acquire all issued and outstanding common shares of MAG through a plan of arrangement. MAG, a tier-one primary silver mining company, holds a 44% joint venture interest in the large-scale, high-grade Juanicipio mine, operated by Fresnillo plc, which holds the remaining 56% interest in the joint venture.
More from the news:
Under the terms of the transaction, MAG shareholders will receive total consideration of approximately $2.1 billion, equivalent to $20.54 per MAG share, based on the closing price of Pan American's common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 9, 2025. The consideration comprises $500 million in cash and 0.755 Pan American shares per MAG share, subject to proration. This represents premiums of approximately 21% and 27% to the closing price and 20-day volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of MAG's common shares on the NYSE American (NYSEAM) as of May 9, 2025. Upon completion, existing MAG shareholders will own approximately 14% of Pan American's shares on a fully diluted basis, benefiting from participation in a larger, diversified, and growth-oriented silver and gold producer.
Michael Steinmann, President and CEO of Pan American commented: "Our acquisition of MAG brings into Pan American's portfolio one of the best silver mines in the world. Juanicipio is a large-scale, high-grade, low-cost silver mine that will meaningfully increase Pan American's exposure to high margin silver ounces. Furthermore, we see future growth opportunities through the significant exploration potential at Juanicipio as well as MAG's Deer Trail and Larder properties. This strategic acquisition further solidifies Pan American as a leading Americas-focused silver producer. We would like to thank the Fresnillo and the Juanicipio management teams for the constructive interactions and impressive site visit. Together, we bring many decades of operator experience in Mexico and Latin America to the Joint Venture and we are looking forward to a collaborative future and value generation for all shareholders involved."
George Paspalas, President and CEO of MAG commented, "This transaction represents a compelling opportunity for our shareholders, providing an immediate premium and meaningful exposure to Pan American's world-class assets and proven growth strategy. We are proud of what we've accomplished at MAG, particularly our partnership with Fresnillo which has created extraordinary value at the exceptional Juanicipio mine. Through the acquisition of our interest by Pan American - a respected leader in the global precious metals industry - our shareholders will participate in an exciting future defined by operational excellence, substantial exploration potential, and strong financial stewardship with significant portfolio exposure."
Dolly Varden Silver Corporation recently announced that, following its news release dated May 5, 2025, it has completed the acquisition of the Kinskuch Property in northwest British Columbia's Golden Triangle.
From the news:
The Kinskuch Property is adjacent to the Company's Kitsault Valley Project and dramatically increases the Kitsault Valley Project size to approximately 77,000 hectares, covering some of the most underexplored and prospective rocks for silver, gold and copper mineralization in the Golden Triangle.
Dolly Varden completed its acquisition of the Kinskuch Property from Hecla Mining Company for consideration of $5 million, which was satisfied by Dolly Varden issuing 1,351,963 common shares of the Company to Hecla. Hecla will also retain a 2% net smelter return royalty on the Kinskuch Property area (the "NSR"). The NSR will include a 50% buyback right, for $5 million, that will allow Dolly Varden to reduce the royalty to 1% at any time. As per an existing agreement between Dolly Varden and Hecla, Hecla will maintain a designated position on Dolly Varden's Technical Committee, working together to unlock the potential of the underexplored areas.
The year began with a significant development for the sector when, in January, First Majestic Silver Corp. and Gatos Silver, Inc. announced the completion of First Majestic's acquisition of Gatos Silver under the agreement and plan of merger, as detailed in their joint news release dated September 5, 2024.
More from the news:
On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, both First Majestic and Gatos Silver announced that they received all necessary shareholder approvals at the respective special meetings of each company's shareholders. Approximately 98.44% of the votes cast at the special meeting of First Majestic's shareholders were voted in favour and approximately 99.23% of the votes cast at the special meeting of Gatos Silver's stockholders were voted in favour.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, First Majestic has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Gatos Silver and Gatos Silver is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Majestic. Stockholders of Gatos Silver will receive 2.55 First Majestic common shares for each Gatos Silver Share held, and cash in lieu of fractional First Majestic Shares .
"With the closing of this transaction, First Majestic is integrating a high-quality, long-life, positive-free-cash-flow operation into our portfolio of producing mines in Mexico. Cerro Los Gatos is truly a world-class district with robust production and cost efficiency, combined with significant exploration potential," said Keith Neumeyer, President and CEO. "Over the coming quarters, we will communicate our plans for Cerro Los Gatos, including strategies to realize synergies and integration throughout the business. I take this opportunity to personally welcome Gatos Silver shareholders into First Majestic as we create the industry's leading intermediate primary silver producer. Finally, I welcome our joint venture partner, Dowa Metals and Mining, with whom we look forward to working closely at Cerro Los Gatos as a supportive and trusted partner."
These acquisitions underscore the growing trend of land asset expansion and consolidation among silver miners.
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