Drill Results Map — Mexico

Mexico — the world's largest silver producer, with hundreds of high-grade epithermal deposits in the Sierra Madre Occidental — is a prime target for junior exploration companies. Here's how to create a professional drill results map using Exploration Maps in 15–30 minutes.

Example drill results map created in Exploration Maps — Example drill results map exported from Exploration Maps — style your Mexico data the same way.

About Mining in Mexico

Mexico is the world's largest silver producer and a top-ten gold and copper producer. The Sierra Madre Occidental hosts hundreds of high-grade silver-gold epithermal deposits. Many Canadian and US junior companies hold Mexico exploration properties, making NI 43-101 the standard reporting framework for projects listed on Canadian exchanges.

Key minerals: silver, gold, copper, zinc, lead, iron. Notable deposits: Peñasquito, Herradura, Fresnillo, La Ciénega. Mining districts: Sierra Madre Occidental, Sonora, Chihuahua, Guerrero Gold Belt.

The Secretaría de Economía — Dirección General de Minas administers mineral rights in Mexico. Claim data is accessible through Sistema Integral de Administración Minera (SIAM).

Getting Mining Data for Mexico

Portal	Formats	Notes
Sistema Integral de Administración Minera (SIAM)	Shapefile, KML	Mexico's SIAM (Sistema Integral de Administración Minera) exports concession polygons in ITRF2008, which is functionally equivalent to WGS84 for mapping purposes. Spanish-language column headers are standard — use the Column Mapper in Exploration Maps to manually assign the latitude and longitude fields.

How to Create a Drill Results Map for Mexico

For a full step-by-step guide to drill results maps, see How to Make a Drill Results Map.

Import your drill collar CSV (columns: hole ID, latitude, longitude, depth, assay)
Assign the Drillholes layer role
Import the property claims boundary as GeoJSON
Add callout labels to key holes showing hole ID and best intercept
Use Badge Label type to highlight the highest-grade holes
Configure the title with program name and date
Set the Landscape 16:9 ratio for news release figures
Export as PNG at 2× for email and PDF for the news release attachment

Labelling a drillhole with its best intercept in Exploration Maps.

Tip for Mexico: Sierra Madre Occidental silver-gold properties frequently involve multiple overlapping or adjacent concession polygons — show each concession as a separately labeled polygon (not merged) because individual concession numbers and areas appear in NI 43-101 property descriptions and must be individually identifiable.

Recommended Settings for Mexico

Basemap: Light or Satellite
Design theme: Investor — Navy & White
Export format: PNG at 2× for investor presentations, PDF (Letter or A4) for NI 43-101 reports
Coordinate system: Ensure source data is in WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

Common Use Cases in Mexico

Exploration news releases
NI 43-101 technical reports
Investor day presentations
Analyst briefings

Frequently Asked Questions

What file format do I need for Mexico mineral claims data?

Mexico mineral claims boundaries are available from Sistema Integral de Administración Minera (SIAM) and can typically be downloaded as Shapefiles or KML. Convert these to GeoJSON at mapshaper.org before importing into Exploration Maps.

Who regulates mineral claims in Mexico?

Mineral claims in Mexico are regulated by the Secretaría de Economía — Dirección General de Minas. All tenure and claims data can be queried through Sistema Integral de Administración Minera (SIAM).

What minerals are typically mapped in Mexico?

Mexico is known for its silver, gold, copper, zinc deposits. Key producing and exploration-stage properties include Peñasquito, Herradura, Fresnillo. The main mining districts are Sierra Madre Occidental, Sonora, Chihuahua.

Can I export a Mexico drill results map for a NI 43-101 report?

Yes. Exploration Maps exports PNG and PDF at 2–3× pixel ratio, suitable for inclusion in NI 43-101 technical reports as required figures. The export includes north arrow, scale bar, legend, and title block — all standard map elements required for NI 43-101 compliance.