VANCOUVER, Canada, December 8, 2020 – Sonoro Gold Corp. (TSXV: SGO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP) (“Sonoro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce assay results from its ongoing drilling program at the Cerro Caliche Project in Sonora State, Mexico confirming strategic extensions to several shallow gold mineralized zones in the northwest-central region of the concession.
El Rincón Zone, Northwest Region
Results from the El Rincón zone, located one km to the northwest of the Veta de Oro Zone, confirm the area as an extension of the Veta de Oro gold mineralized zone. At El Rincón, SCD–020 intercepted 20.95 meters averaging 0.847 g/t AuEq and SCD–021 intercepted 21 meters averaging 1.13 g/t AuEq, including 2.9 meters averaging 4.55 g/t AuEq. In its April 29, 2019 News Release, the Company announced scout drill hole SCR-047, which intercepted 10.67 meters averaging 0.744 g/t AuEq. Together with two of the four core holes drilled at El Rincón, strong similarities can be seen between the intercepts at El Rincón to those at Veta de Oro.
SCD-021 is the southeastern-most drill hole at El Rincón and the furthest step-out hole toward Veta De Oro. Future drilling at El Rincón will continue to step out to the southeast to further investigate the zone’s projected extension towards the Veta de Oro Zone.
Veta de Oro Zone, Central Region
Two holes were drilled at the Veta de Oro zone, where gold mineralization is noted as being on strike with El Rincón zone. Hole SCD-011 in the southern part of Veta de Oro, intercepted 1.1 meters averaging 1.11 g/t AuEq. Proceeding along strike to the northwest by approximately 100 meters toward El Rincón, SCD-015 intercepted 16.25 meters averaging 0.741 AuEq, including three meters averaging 2.11 g/t AuEq. The findings complement the encouraging results previously announced from scout drill hole SCR-057 which returned 10.67 meters averaging 2.728 g/t AuEq, including 6.1 meters averaging 4.35 g/t AuEq, and scout hole SCR-056 which returned 3.05 meters averaging 5.484 g/t AuEq.
The combined El Rincón – Veta de Oro gold mineralized zone, which remains open along strike to the northwest, also continues southeast for an additional 500 meters along a zone of vein stockwork from Veta de Oro Zone to Abejas, resulting in a total mineralized vein system length of approximately 2 km.
Japoneses Zone, Central Region
At the 1.3 km long Japoneses gold mineralized zone, infill drilling continues to add to the mineralized body with the most recent four drill holes identifying long intercepts of gold mineralization from surface. Infill drilling is being conducted to close the spacing between earlier drill holes to enable the resulting assays to be incorporated into future resource calculations.
Highlights at Japoneses include SCR-135, which intercepted 21.33 meters averaging 0.58 g/t Au, and SCR-136, which intercepted 24.38 meters averaging 0.748 g/t Au, including 21.34 meters averaging 0.81 g/t Au and 6.1 meters averaging 2.02 g/t Au. The area tested by this hole and two other nearby drill holes was previously unclassified in the Company’s NI 43-101 resource estimation dated July 2019.
Buena Suerte Zone, Central Region
At the increasingly important Buena Suerte gold mineralized zone, drilling continues to confirm the potential extension of the mineralization along strike in both directions. Southeast of the zone, SCR-128 intercepted 12.19 meters averaging 0.41 g/t AuEq. Concurrently, access roads and drill pads were constructed in the northwest portion of the zone to investigate the northwest extension along strike from hole SCR 109, which, as previously reported, intercepted 45.72 meters averaging 0.97 g/t Au, including 15.24 meters averaging 2.1 g/t Au.
El Rincón – Veta de Oro Zones – Assay Results
As stated, four diamond drill holes were completed at El Rincón targeting shallow northwest-oriented veins considered to be a northwest extension of the Veta de Oro vein. Host rock is mainly rhyolite occurring as a flat sill approximately 30 to 50 meters thick. Mineralization consists of gold bearing quartz veins crosscutting both the underlying shale metasedimentary rock and the rhyolite sill.
Buena Suerte and Japoneses Zones- Assay Results
As stated, the four recent infill drill holes at Japoneses intercepted long sections of gold mineralization from surface, potentially providing a material increase to Cerro Caliche’s current inferred AuEq resource[1].
Sultan Zone, Eastern Region
Drill holes SCR-129 through SCR-132 at the Sultan Zone, located on the eastern boundary of the Cerro Caliche concession, contained only minor intervals with low gold content without any reportable significant gold bearing zones. Numerous quartz veins were cut and contained strongly anomalous lead as well as low silver. The geochemical information, along with core recovered, showed a lack of boiling zone indicators which suggest the Sultan area is too deep in the epithermal system.
Melvin Herdrick, Sonoro’s Vice President Exploration, stated, “We are pleased to see the Buena Suerte and Rincon zones showing consistent growth of their mineralized zones and additional assays are anticipated for these zones shortly. While the results from the Sultan zone did not show productive gold grades, the holes provided valuable information by demonstrating indicators of vertical zoning and the presence of high lead levels. Therefore, our high-grade drilling program will focus on our inventory of priority targets existing at Cerro Caliche’s higher elevations, where boiling zone textures occur in veining within rhyolite. Overall, our campaign to drill Cerro Caliche’s extensive shallow gold mineralization continues to produce good grades over significant widths.”
Drill collar locations, azimuths and dips for the drill holes included in this release are provided in the table below and have been posted to the Company’s website for all drill holes.
All drill holes are inclined 45 degrees, crossing the intervals near perpendicular to the vein’s plane of mineralization. Interval true lengths are near the reported interval length but may be slightly less due to variations in vein zone dips. A cut-off of 0.15 g/t Au was used for reporting intervals and, for consistency, is in the same format as in all previous news reports.
Air Track Drill Program to Expand Targeted Gold Zones
Low-cost, air track percussion drilling was recently initiated to investigate near surface mineralization to a depth of 30 meters and identify prospective areas for drilling. Rapid progress is made with an average of three air track holes completed per day with samples collected at 1.5-meter (5 ft) intervals for assaying.
Updated Resource Estimate and Preliminary Economic Assessment
The Company is continuing to advance its conceptual fast-track development schedule for the Cerro Caliche project with the aspirational goal of commencing gold production by the end of 2021. A successful realization of that goal remains subject to certain material conditions, most notably including the satisfactory completion of metallurgical testing, securing required environmental permitting, a favorable preliminary economic assessment and the availability of project financing. As an important step in the execution of its plans, Sonoro has engaged two independent consulting firms to provide NI 43-101 compliant technical reports regarding a proposed Heap Leach Mining Operation (HLMO).
Ontario-based D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. (D.E.N.M.) has been engaged to prepare an NI 43-101 compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) under the direction of President David Salari, P.Eng. Mr. Salari is responsible for coordinating the metallurgical testing currently underway at McClelland Laboratories and the preparation of an NI 43-101 compliant updated resource report in conjunction with Toronto-based Micon International Limited (Micon). Micon has been contracted and will be responsible for the completion of the updated mineral resource estimate, which is scheduled to be completed concurrently with the metallurgical testing during the second quarter of 2021. The mineral resource estimate will include results from all prior and current drilling to December 2020.
Both D.E.N.M. and Micon are well known and respected in the mining industry and have been selected based on their expertise in evaluating gold mining projects specifically located in Sonora state and northern Mexico.
Kenneth MacLeod, Sonoro’s President & CEO, added, “The drill results from Cerro Caliche continue to demonstrate the continuity of gold mineralization along each of the main parallel zones investigated to date. The combined Rincon, Veta de Oro and Abejas zones show continuous mineralization over 2 km in length and the Japoneses Zone is continuously mineralized over 1.3 km in length. The recently identified higher-grade zone at Buena Suerte has been measured at 450 meters long. We are confident that the latest results will contribute further to a material increase of the current 201,000 AuEq inferred resource estimate at Cerro Caliche.”
“With the engagement of D.E.N.M. Engineering, Micon International and McCelland Laboratories, our transformation from an exploration company to gold producer is accelerating, just as our drill results continue to provide a real potential for a substantial increase in our current gold resource,” John Darch, Sonoro’s Chairman, commented. “I think it’s quite apparent that the recent higher grade drill intercepts are likely to materially enhance our prospects for a favorable PEA. Given the results thus far and the timeline for next year, I expect the next 12 months will be exceptionally rewarding for Sonoro and its stakeholders.”
Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”) Measures and Analytical Procedures
Drill samples are collected with an airstream cyclone and passed into a splitter that divides each sample into quarters. The quartered samples are then bagged and sealed with identification. The sample group has blanks, standards and duplicates inserted into the sample stream.
Bureau Veritas collects the samples and transports them directly to the preparation laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora. At the laboratory, part of each sample is reduced through crushing, splitting and pulverization. About 200 grams are sent by BV to their Vancouver, BC laboratory and dissolved in aqua regia for multi-element ICP analysis including silver. Of these samples, 30 grams undergo fire assay in Hermosillo for gold by reducing the fire assay to a concentrated button of material that is dissolved in acids and the gold content determined by atomic absorption.
Samples from SCD-015 were collected by ALS-Chemex and transported directly to the preparation laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora. At the laboratory, part of each sample is reduced through crushing, splitting and pulverization from which 200 grams is sent to the ALS-Chemex assay laboratory in Vancouver. Thirty grams undergoes fire assay for gold with the resulting concentrated button of material produced is dissolved in acids and the gold is determined by atomic absorption. Another quantity of the sample is dissolved in four acids for an ICP multi-element analysis.
No QA/QC issues were noted with the results received from either laboratory.
Geologic Description
Cerro Caliche is located 45 kilometers east southeast of Magdalena de Kino in the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district of Sonora, Mexico. Multiple historic underground mines were developed in the concession including Cabeza Blanca, Los Cuervos, Japoneses, Las Abejas, Boluditos, El Colorado, Veta de Oro and Espanola. Mineralization types of the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district include variants of epithermal low sulfidation veins and related mineralized dikes and associated volcanic domes. Local altered felsic dikes cut the mineralized meta-sedimentary rock units and may be associated with mineralization both in the dikes and meta-sedimentary rocks.
Host rocks include Jurassic-Cretaceous meta-sedimentary rock units including argillite, shale, quartzite, limestone, quartz pebble conglomerate and andesite. Younger intrusive rock consisting of medium coarse-grained granodiorite-granite is present in the westerly parts of the concessions near the historic Cabeza Blanca Mine. It is apparent that veining cuts and pervasively alters the intrusive stock. Rhyolite occurs in irregular bodies distributed in higher elevations in the northerly part of the concession, including the Rincon area, where it occurs as flows, sills, dikes and rhyolite domes. Part of the rhyolite is mineralized and appears to be related to epithermal gold mineralization throughout the property.
Qualified Person Statement
Stephen Kenwood, P.Geo., a director of Sonoro, is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and has read and approved this news release. Readers are cautioned that the presence of mineralization on historic mines adjacent to or on Cerro Caliche is not necessarily indicative of gold mineralization in the concessions held by the Company.
About D.E.N.M. Engineering Limited
D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. is a niche engineering company servicing the mining / mineral processing sector that specializes in Engineering & Design, Equipment Supply, Project & Construction Management, Commissioning and Operations Support. D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. has proven success while championing projects for over fifteen years in Canada, USA, Mexico and Central America.
In addition, D.E.N.M. Engineering, with its principal and independent specialists, can perform NI 43-101 complaint assessments and studies in the sections of mineral processing metallurgical design, process design, capital and operating costing and cash flow analysis.
About Micon International Limited
Micon International Limited (Micon) has provided consulting services to the worldwide mining industry since 1988 from its offices in Canada and the UK. Micon comprises a multi-disciplinary group of highly qualified and experienced professionals who are guided by the Company principles of Integrity, Competence and Independence.
Micon’s experience in Mexico ranges from exploration programs and resource estimation to technical studies on operating mines as well as due diligence for precious metals and base metals projects. Micon has worked in most of the major mining districts throughout Mexico, as well as some lesser-known historical districts. In northern Mexico, assignments have been undertaken in the gold and silver districts of Sonora, Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Baja California.
About Sonoro Gold Corp.
Sonoro Gold Corp. is a publicly listed exploration and development company with a portfolio of exploration-stage precious metal properties in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company has highly experienced operational and management teams with proven track records for the discovery and development of natural resource deposits.
On behalf of the Board of SONORO METALS CORP.
Per: “Kenneth MacLeod”
Kenneth MacLeod
President & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Sonoro Metals Corp. – Tel: (604) 632-1764
Email: info@sonorogold.com
Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the Company’s plans for the drilling of the above-described Cerro Caliche Concessions, located in the municipality of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico, and the Company’s future exploration and development plans for those properties. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable based on current circumstances, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “aims,” “potential,” “goal,” “objective,” “prospective,” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will,” “would,” “may,” “can,” “could” or “should” occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the possibility of unfavourable interim exploration results, the lack of sufficient future financing to carry out exploration plans, and unanticipated changes in the legal, regulatory and permitting requirements for the Company’s exploration programs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Company’s complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
[1] NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cerro Caliche Property, July 26, 2019, Strickland, D., Sim, R.C. prepared for Sonoro Metals; comprised of an inferred resource of 201,000 AuEq ounces at a grade of 0.55 AuEq (0.495 g/t Au and 4.3 g/t Ag).