TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canadian junior Mag Silver has appointed Michael Petrina as vice-president of operations, the firm said on Friday.

Petrina was most recently vice-president of mining at Hawthorne Gold.

“Mike's experience and expertise will go a long way to provide Mag with the direction needed to move forward,” CEO Dan McInnis said in a statement.

“We expect Mike to also play a key role in our strategic initiatives as we look to grow the business."

Mag has a joint venture with Fresnillo on the Juanicipio property in Mexico, and is also exploring its own precious-metals prospects in the country.

Last month, the company announced an initial mineral resource estimate for the Pozo Seco molybdenum/gold discovery on its 100%-owned Cinco de Mayo property in northern Chihuahua state.