VANCOUVER, Canada, June 23, 2022 – Sonoro Gold Corp. (TSXV: SGO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP) (“Sonoro” or the “Company”) is pleased to report the filing of a technical report titled “Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Cerro Caliche Project, Sonora, Mexico” (the “PEA”) with an effective date of May 9, 2022.
The PEA has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 by D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. of Burlington, Ontario (“D.E.N.M.”), with David Salari, P.Eng. as the lead author. William Lewis, P.Geo., of Micon International Limited of Toronto, Ontario (“Micon”) was the Qualified Person responsible for the mineral resource estimate.
The updated PEA contemplates an optimized mine plan for an open pit, heap leach mining operation with an initial two-year production rate of 8,000 metric tonnes per day (“mtpd”) and an increase to 15,000 mtpd for the remaining Life of Mine (“LOM”).
The PEA can be found under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com and on Sonoro’s website at www.sonorogold.com.
PEA Highlights:
- Pre-Tax net present value discounted at 5% (“NPV5”) of USD $84.4 million
- Pre-Tax Internal Rate of Return (“IRR”) of 74.9%
- After-Tax NPV5 of USD $53.5 million
- After-Tax IRR of 45.6%
- Gold recovery of 74% and silver recovery of 27%
- 7-year LOM with 344,500 ounces (“oz”) of gold equivalent (“AuEq”)
- LOM annual average production of 45,000 oz AuEq (Years 1-7)
- Years 1 to 3 annual production of 46,000 oz AuEq at 0.58 g/t AuEq
- Initial CAPEX costs of USD $26 million, including USD $3 million in contingency
- Sustaining capital costs of USD $7.4 million
- Cash(1) costs of USD $1,206/oz AuEq
- AISC(2) of USD $1,333/oz AuEq
- Payback period of 2.2 years
Note: All currencies are reported in U.S. dollars. Base case parameters assume $1,750/oz of gold and $22/oz of silver.
(1) Cash costs include mining, crushing, processing, assaying, and administration.
(2) All-in-Sustaining Costs include cash costs plus sustaining, refining and reclamation costs, as well as 2% royalties.
Mineral Resource Estimate
The updated PEA utilizes mineral resource estimate contained in the Company’s initial PEA, dated October 29, 2021, and is based on the Company’s September 2018 to April 2021 drilling campaigns.
Readers are cautioned that these potential mineralization ranges are conceptual in nature and that despite being based on a limited amount of exploration drilling and sampling outside the current resource pit shells, it is uncertain that further exploration will result in the mineralization targets being delineated as a mineral resource.
Drilling Data
Approximately 7,200 meters of additional drilling recently completed at Cerro Caliche was not included in the current mineral resource estimate. The new geological data is to be included in an updated resource estimate scheduled to be filed in the fall of 2022.
Since drilling resumed in November 2021, the Company has announced multiple high-grade intercepts and expansions of several known mineralized zones in the southwestern region of the property. The potential economic impact of the updated resource on the proposed heap leach mining operation will be contemplated in a further technical report.
PEA Summary
The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves and there is no certainty the estimates presented in the PEA will be realized.
Qualified Person Statement
David Salari, P.Eng., of D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. and William Lewis, P.Geo., of Micon International Limited, both of whom are independent of the Company, have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information herein regarding the Company’s Cerro Caliche Project. William Lewis, P.Geo., was responsible for the updated Cerro Caliche Mineral Resource Estimate and, along with David Salari, P.Eng., has approved the information pertaining to the Cerro Caliche Project in this news release. Each of David Salari, P.Eng. and William Lewis, P.Geo., is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101.
Stephen Kenwood, P.Geo., a Director of Sonoro Gold, is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and has read and approved this news release.
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, performs NI 43-101 compliant 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 holding the near development stage Cerro Caliche project and the exploration stage San Marcial 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 GOLD CORP.
Per:
“Kenneth MacLeod”
Kenneth MacLeod
President & CEO
For further information, please contact:
Sonoro Gold Corp. – Tel: (604) 632-1764
Email: info@sonorogold.com
Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:
This press release may contain “forward-looking information” as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Cerro Caliche project, and future plans and objectives of the Company, including the NPV, IRR, initial and sustaining capital costs, operating costs, and LOM production of Cerro Caliche, constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions in connection with the continuance of the Company and its subsidiaries as a going concern, general economic and market conditions, mineral prices, the accuracy of Mineral Resource Estimates. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include exploration and development risks associated with the Company’s projects, the failure to establish estimated Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves, volatility of commodity prices, variations of recovery rates, and global economic conditions. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date of this release. 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.
