The Copalquin District lies within a prolific gold-silver trend with a rich mining history spanning more than 150 years. The region’s mining legacy began in 1848, with early production ceasing during the Mexican Revolution. El Refugio was first mined in 1849, and by 1897, the area hosted 10 stamp batteries and cyanidation plants, reflecting its significance as an early mining center. In 1935, Minera CIBOLA processed ore from the San Manuel and El Cometa mines, followed decades later by detailed sampling of historical workings by Industrial Mineral Mexico S.A. de C.V. (IMMSA) in 1983. In 1995, Alta Pimeria and Kennecott outlined a substantial exploration target—an estimated one million ounces of gold and 50 million ounces of silver. Bell Coast Capital Corp (BCCC) advanced the project in 1997 with a helicopter-supported, 31-hole, 2,500-metre diamond drill program from six to eight drill pads. This first-pass drilling returned strong results; however, BCCC withdrew due to financing challenges during a period of depressed metal prices. Prior to exiting, BCCC also completed extensive geochemical sampling and mapping, leading to the identification of three large-scale anomalies.
Historic Articles
Articles in the Engineering and Mining Journal 1897 and 1900 give some details about past developments and production of gold and silver from the Copalquin Mining District.