Tocvan advances Gran Pilar with new drilling, geophysics and pilot mine preparations in Mexico

Tocvan completed six new drill holes at Gran Pilar, along with drone geophysics and water monitoring wells, as it advances toward pilot-scale mining in Sonora, Mexico.

Tocvan Ventures is stepping up activity at its flagship Gran Pilar Gold-Silver Project in Sonora, Mexico, after completing a new phase of exploration that included six reverse circulation drill holes across four new high-priority target areas. The company also finalized a high-resolution drone magnetic survey over its principal target zones and completed two water monitoring wells as part of the environmental baseline program for its permitted pilot mine development.

The combined work reflects a broader strategy to expand the project’s mineralized footprint while also advancing the technical and environmental groundwork needed for future pilot-scale production.

New drilling targets resource growth in the South Block

The current drill program is focused on expanding the known mineralized footprint in the South Block, which Tocvan says represents a direct extension of the historic Main Zone. The company reported that all RC holes were drilled to planned depths and that samples have already been submitted for analysis.

Tocvan said completing six holes across four new target areas in a short period highlights the team’s execution capacity and its push to test as many prospective zones as possible.

Drone magnetics and water wells support the next development stage

In addition to drilling, the company completed a high-resolution magnetic survey using drones over the project’s main target zones. Tocvan said the survey adds another layer of data that should improve target definition and support future exploration planning.

At the same time, the company installed two water monitoring wells as part of the environmental baseline work required for the permitted pilot mine. Tocvan said this step is intended to ensure it maintains high environmental standards as it progresses toward pilot production.

Recent financing is funding drilling, infrastructure and pilot mine work

Tocvan said it is deploying capital from its recently closed C$10 million bought-deal financing across several fronts: ongoing South Block drilling, the upcoming restart of drilling in the North Block, site infrastructure development for a 50,000-tonne pilot facility, and preparatory work for pilot-scale mining.

The company’s 2026 exploration plan includes at least 20,000 metres of drilling at Gran Pilar, plus an additional 6,000 metres at its El Picacho project.

Gran Pilar continues to build on strong previous drill results

Gran Pilar covers more than 21 square kilometres of prospective ground in a stable mining district in Sonora, one of Mexico’s most active regions for gold and silver exploration. Tocvan has previously reported notable drill results from the project, including 83.5 metres grading 1.3 g/t gold, including 9.7 metres at 10.3 g/t gold, and 97.4 metres at 0.7 g/t gold, including 36.3 metres at 1.6 g/t gold from 2025 diamond drilling.

Those earlier results, combined with the current drill campaign, continue to support the company’s view that Gran Pilar has room for significant growth and could advance in stages from exploration toward early production. That final point is a reasonable inference based on the company’s stated pilot mine strategy.

2026 shapes up as a pivotal year for Gran Pilar

With drilling active, geophysics completed, environmental baseline work expanding and pilot infrastructure planning underway, Gran Pilar is entering a more intensive stage of development. The next round of assay results and operational milestones will be important in determining how quickly Tocvan can move the project toward a pilot mining phase.

For Tocvan, 2026 is shaping up as a critical year to demonstrate that Gran Pilar can evolve from an advanced exploration asset into a project with near-term production potential in one of Mexico’s most established mining regions.