TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
OTC: SMPEF
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Southern Empire
Resources Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSXV: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF) announces that it
has completed an airborne LiDAR survey of its Oro Cruz Gold
Project, located in Imperial County,
California.
The airborne LiDAR survey contractor, Eagle Mapping Ltd. of
Port Coquitlam, BC, acquired and
classified airborne LiDAR and aerial photography data over a total
area of approximately 75 square kilometers. On-ground survey
support was provided by Desert Surveying & Engineering PLLC of
Yuma, Arizona.
About LiDAR
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging,
is an important tool that will allow Southern Empire's geologists
and engineers to map and assess both natural and manmade features
at our Oro Cruz Gold Project with considerable accuracy, precision,
and flexibility.
LiDAR uses pulsed, laser-generated infrared light beams to
precisely measure distances and generate three-dimensional data. In
combination with the new RGB photo data, Southern Empire will be
able to produce very detailed digital elevation models and better
maps for:
- use in structural geology studies for exploration purposes
- accurate volumetric calculations of existing open pits, waste
rock dumps and heap leach pads
- civil engineering for placement and design of future
infrastructure and processing facilities
- identification of historical mineral exploration sites
- archaeological studies
- other physical and biological studies allowing for the
sustainable management of the Oro Cruz property
Technical Aspects of the Oro Cruz Gold Project Airborne LiDAR
Survey
For the Oro Cruz property airborne LiDAR survey, Eagle Mapping
completed 14 flight lines with 60% overlap equalling 159 kilometres
(km; ~99 miles) of flight lines using a Piper Navajo equipped with
the dual LiDAR Waveform Processing Riegl VQ-1560 II Airborne
scanning system.
This system, considered by many to be the most advanced LiDAR
system in the world, was mounted on a Somaq GSM 4000
gyro-stabilized leveling mount and equipped with a seamlessly
integrated high performance Applanix POS AV610 IMU/GNSS unit and a
150-megapixel RGB camera in the primary camera bay providing photos
at an average of 12cm pixel resolution. 316 high-resolution photos
were captured for the creation of orthophotos covering the Oro Cruz
Gold Project.
At Oro Cruz, Eagle Mapping's VQ-1560 II system captured
high-resolution (>10 pulses/m2) LiDAR data at 60%
overlap providing increased performance and high productivity
based on a laser pulse repetition rate of up to 4 MHz, resulting in
more than 2.66 million measurements per second on the ground.
Ground control targets established by Desert Surveying &
Engineering PLLC using survey grade GPS devices assisted in the
calibration of the LiDAR data set allowing for high absolute
accuracy.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news
release has been prepared, reviewed and approved by David Tupper, P.Geo. (British Columbia), Southern Empire's VP
Exploration and a Qualified Person (QP) within the
context of Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument
43-101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI
43-101).
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 per cent of the historical gold-producing American Girl
mine property and also holds options to acquire a 100-per-cent
interest in the adjacent 2,160-hectare (5,338-acre) Oro Cruz
property located approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast
of the operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp.
At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale
open-pit and underground mining of the American Girl, Padre y
Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl
Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; ultimately owned 53 per cent by MK
Gold Company and 47 per cent 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 ores until
AGMJV operations ceased in late 1996 because of declining gold
prices leaving the Oro Cruz Gold Project with many gold exploration
targets in addition to the historical inferred resource estimate,
reported In 2011 by Lincoln Mining Corp., totalling 341,800 ounces
gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne
at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g/t Au (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce
gold per ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding
Historical Resource Estimate below).
Southern Empire is well financed, having completed two
oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement financings during
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 financial resources to continue
exploration and development programs at Oro Cruz and 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 information or forward-looking statements that are
based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such
information or statements reflect management's current estimates,
beliefs, intentions and expectations and 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.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Historical Resource
Estimate
The historical resource estimate outlined above is disclosed in
a technical report dated April 29,
2011, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc.
and filed on Canadian Securities Administrators' System for
Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR). It is termed an
inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI
43-101. It was based on historical reverse circulation and core
drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample
assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate
gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-five-foot blocks. Accordingly,
Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well
as relevant as it represents key targets for future exploration
work. However, a QP has not done sufficient work to verify or
classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and
Southern Empire is not treating this historical estimate as current
mineral resources.
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.
