TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
OTC: SMPEF
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 17, 2020 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources
Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSX-V:
SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF)
has engaged Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, Inc. to complete a
first phase sonic drill program of the historical heap leach pads
located on Southern Empire's Oro
Cruz Gold Project in Imperial
County, southeastern California.
Oro Cruz Gold Project – Historical Heap Leach Pad Phase 1
Sonic Drill Program Highlights:
- The 27 hole, phase 1 sonic drill program targets gold
mineralization hosted in the historical Padre y Madre and American
Girl heap leach pad materials
- Approximately 470 metres (1,542 feet) of sonic drilling is set
to start in early December 2020
- Gold assay results for 2020 surface sampling of the heap
materials ranged from 0.128 to 2.078 grams gold/tonne (g Au/t;
0.004 to 0.061 oz gold/ton)
- Notice-level permits have been received from the Bureau of Land
Management
- Conditional permitting has been obtained from Imperial County
- Sonic drill program is expected to be completed approximately
two weeks after starting
Assessment of Historical Heap Leach Pads – Objectives and
Background
The current sonic drill program is designed to:
- determine the consistency of gold grades within the historical
leach pads
- provide sample material for metallurgical test work to optimize
gold extraction methodology.
At Oro Cruz, historical mining of the American Girl, Padre y
Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl
Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; then owned 53% by MK Gold Company and
47% by Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. At
that time, gold was recovered by either heap leaching of
lower-grade, or milling of higher-grade materials. AGMJV operations
ceased in late 1996 because of declining gold prices, leaving the
American Girl historical leach pad covering approximately 61 acres
and the Padre y Madre historical leach pad covering approximately
22 acres.
Southern Empire believes that
the gold-bearing material comprising the two historical leach pads
may contain significant residual gold amenable to reprocessing and,
as a first phase of assessment, collected 26 surface grab samples;
12 samples from the Padre y Madre and 14 samples from the American
Girl historical heap leach pads. Gold assay results for these
samples ranged from 0.128 to 2.078 g Au/t (0.004 to 0.061 oz
gold/ton) and averaged 0.775 g Au/t and 0.535 g Au/tonne for the
American Girl and Padre y Madre respectively; see full table of
gold assay results in Southern
Empire's news release of July
7, 2020.
About Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, Inc.
Yellow Jacket, of Phoenix,
Arizona, are known throughout the western United States as a premier provider of
innovative drilling services that upholds high standards of safety
and preventative maintenance to ensure peak performance at the
drill site.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news
release has been prepared, reviewed, verified and approved by
David Tupper, P.Geo. (British Columbia), Southern Empire's VP Exploration and a
Qualified Person within the context of Canadian Securities
Administrators' National Instrument 43-101; Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
About Southern Empire Resources Corp.
Southern Empire is focused on
the acquisition, exploration and development of gold deposits in
North America.
In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire owns 100% of the historical
gold producing American Girl Mine patented mining claims and holds
options to acquire a 100% interest in the adjacent 2,160 hectare
(5,338 acre) Oro Cruz Property located approximately 22.5
kilometres (km; 14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold
mine of Equinox Gold Corp.
With a history that includes extensive drilling and large-scale
open pit and underground mining by the American Girl Mining Joint
Venture (53 per cent owned by MK Gold Company, then a subsidiary of
Morrison Knudsen Corporation, and 47 per cent owned by Hecla Mining
Company), which was suspended during the gold market downturn in
1996, the Oro Cruz Gold Project hosts many exploration targets in
addition to a high-grade oxide gold zone that, based on the
historical mine operation records, is amenable to conventional heap
leach extractive methods.
Southern Empire is
well-financed, having completed two oversubscribed, non-brokered
private placement financings in 2020 (see Southern Empire's news releases dated
March 18 and June 12, 2020 for details). With its strong
working capital position, which also includes a significant equity
holding in Bullfrog Gold Corp., Southern
Empire has the resources to continue exploration and
development programs at Oro Cruz and also consider new
opportunities.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire
Resources Corp.,
Dale Wallster, CEO and
Director
Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information
Information provided in this news release may contain
forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the
date of this news release. These statements reflect management's
current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are
not guarantees of future performance. Southern Empire cautions that all
forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual
performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many
of which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include,
among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to
Southern Empire limited operating
history, the need to comply with environmental and governmental
regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects and
those risks and uncertainties identified in its annual and interim
financial statements and management discussion and analysis.
Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may
differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and
expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking
information. Except as required under applicable securities
legislation, Southern Empire
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise
forward-looking information.
Work Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Timing of Southern Empire's
exploration programs will be contingent on governmental regulations
regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and also the availability of
exploration-related personnel, drill contractors, equipment,
lodging, et cetera. Southern
Empire will adhere to COVID-19 directives regarding safe
working practices putting worker, community and national safety
first and will proceed with exploration and development work
programs only if potential COVID-19 risks can be effectively
managed.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
SOURCE Southern Empire Resources Corp.
