Southern Empire Completes First Phase of Core Drilling at Eastgate Gold Project, NV
SOUTHERN EMPIRE RESOURCES CORP.
TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
NEWS RELEASE
June 18, 2020
Southern Empire Completes First Phase of Core Drilling at Eastgate Gold Project, NV
Southern
Empire
Resources
Corp.
(“Southern
Empire”;
TSX-V:
SMP;
Frankfurt:
5RE)
has
now
completed
the
first
phase
of
a
multi-site
drill
program
on
the
817
hectare
(2,020
acre)
Eastgate
Gold
Project
in
Churchill County, Nevada.
Eastgate Gold Project – First Phase, Core Drill Program Highlights and Objectives:
●
Six HQ-size core holes totalling 906 metres (2,972 feet) were completed
●
Permit amendment process has been initiated for a second phase of drilling
Southern
Empire’s
first-pass
core
drilling
program
of
the
Double
Eagle
high-grade
gold/silver
epithermal
vein
system,
one
of
several
vein
systems
at
Eastgate,
was
designed
to
accomplish
the
following
specific
goals:
●
To
confirm
historical
Reverse
Circulation
(“RC”)
drill
assay
results
reported
by
past
operators
of
the property
●
Test the zone of known gold mineralization with modest step-outs to the north and south
●
Collect
specific
and
correlative
analytical,
structural
and
lithological
information
of
the
vein
system while incorporating accurate down hole survey control that only core drilling can provide
All
core
is
now
being
logged
and
selective
samples
will
be
submitted
to
ALS
USA
Inc.’s
laboratories
in
Reno, Nevada. Assay results will be released after they become available.
David
Tupper,
Southern
Empire’s
VP
of
Exploration
stated:
"The
initial
phase
of
drilling
at
Eastgate
was
flawlessly
executed
by
Southern
Empire’s
team
in
the
field
and
our
drill
contractors,
Falcon
Drilling,
Inc.,
with
the
first
two
confirmation
holes
intersecting
the
vein
structure
at
expected
down
hole
intervals,
and
the
second
hole
(EG20-02)
piercing
the
vein
structure
within
approximately
four
metres
of
historical
hole
RC90
CEG-5,
which
intersected
3.05
m
grading
8.57
g
Au/t.
Drilling
was
completed
on
time,
on
budget
and
with no safety incidents" Mr. Tupper continued.
Dale
Wallster,
Southern
Empire’s
President
and
CEO
stated:
“With
recently
completed
and
oversubscribed
financing,
for
total
proceeds
of
approximately
$4
million,
Southern
Empire
has
the
financial
flexibility
to
expand
this
drill
program
in
a
meaningful
way.
A
continued,
methodically
executed
drill
program
will
allow
for the accelerated advancement of our 85% owned Eastgate Gold Project.”
Core Drilling vs Reverse Circulation Drilling
Core
drilling
utilizes
a
diamond-impregnated
drill
bit
to
collect
a
cylindrical
sample
of
rock
in
the
state
that
it
is
found,
providing
accurate
lithological
and
structural
data
and
uncontaminated
samples
over
specific,
discrete
sample
intervals.
RC
drilling
is
commonly
used
in
exploration,
as
it
is
both
faster
and
less
costly.
However,
RC
drilling
does
not
produce
a
core
sample,
but
rather
bores
a
hole
in
the
ground
by
breaking
the
rock
into
small
chips
samples;
it
does
not
allow
for
any
information
regarding
geological
structures
or
exact
lithological
contacts
to
be
collected
and
these
are
paramount
to
the
understanding
of
gold
deposits
and
targeting
of
exploration
efforts.
In
addition,
RC
drilling
does
not
allow
for
specific
lithological
intervals
to
be
sampled
as
mixing
of
the
rock
chips
retrieved,
over
larger
sample
intervals,
occurs
during
the
RC
process.
Data Verification, Sampling Procedures and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)
No
historical
core
holes
have
been
drilled
on
the
Eastgate
Property
and
no
historical
RC
drill
cuttings
exist
for
the
project.
Historical
RC
hole
locations
are
based
on
exploration
map
grids
that
have
been
subsequently
field
checked
and
tied
into
the
UTM
coordinate
system.
With
no
reliable
downhole
survey
data available for historical drill holes, there is uncertainty regarding their relative end of hole positions.
All
of
the
drill
core
has
been
logged
(geological
and
geotechnical),
tagged,
photographed,
and
zones
of
significant
alteration
and
veining
will
be
cut
and
sampled.
Down-hole
orientation
surveys
were
performed
for the current drill program using a Reflex EZ-Trac tool on the drill.
Drill
core
will
be
retained
for
a
permanent
record
and
stored
in
a
secure
core
storage
facility
in
Fallon,
Nevada.
One-half
of
selected
drill
core
samples
will
be
cut,
recorded,
checked
and
sealed
in
individual
bags
at
the
geochemistry
laboratory
of
ALS
USA
Inc.
in
Reno,
Nevada,
which
conforms
with
the
Standards
Council
of
Canada,
Requirements
and
Guidance
for
the
Accreditation
of
Testing
Laboratories
(ISO/IEC
17025:2005, RG-MINERAL).
Standards,
blanks,
and
duplicate
samples
will
be
assayed
with
the
core
samples
to
verify
the
quality
control
and
assurance
of
the
geochemical
sample
process.
Both
low
and
high
grade
standards
will
be
run.
Southern
Empire
will
run
10%
quality
control
and
assurance
material
to
assure
the
validity
of
the
assays
received. Standards and blanks are provided by Shea Clark Smith/ MEG Labs of Reno, Nevada.
Qualified Person (QP)
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.
Work Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
While
the
timing
of
Southern
Empire's
on-going
exploration
programs
are
contingent
on
governmental
regulation
regarding
the
COVID-19
pandemic,
no
meaningful
delays
to
the
completion
of
the
Eastgate
drill
program
occurred.
Southern
Empire
and
all
subcontractors
adhered
to
all
government
regulated
COVID-19
protocols
and
restrictions
regarding
personnel
management,
lodging,
and
travel.
As
the
health
and
safety
of
employees,
contractors
and
associated
communities
is
a
top
priority,
Southern
Empire
will
continue
to
monitor
COVID-19
regulatory
protocol
and
follow
governmental
regulations
and
recommendations in future work related to both the Eastgate and Oro Cruz Gold Projects.
As
part
of
the
safety
protocol,
the
companies
have
implemented
screening
procedures,
daily
temperature
monitoring,
self-assessment
checklist
and
issued
directives
regarding
social
distancing
to
ensure
a
safe
environment for operations.
About Southern Empire Resources Corp.
Southern
Empire
is
focused
on
the
acquisition,
exploration
and
development
of
gold
deposits
in
North
America, currently having two projects in the American southwest.
In
the
Cargo
Muchacho
mountains
of
Imperial
County,
southeast
California,
Southern
Empire
holds
an
option
to
acquire
a
75%
interest
in
the
2,160
hectare
(5,338
acre)
Oro
Cruz
Property
located
approximately
22.5
kilometres
(14
miles)
southeast
of
the
Mesquite
gold
mine
of
Equinox
Gold
Corp.
With
a
history
that
includes
extensive
drilling
and
large-scale
open
pit
and
underground
mining
that
was
suspended
during
the
gold
market
downturn
in
1996,
the
Oro
Cruz
Gold
Project
hosts
numerous
exploration
targets
in
addition
to
a
high-grade
oxide
gold
zone
that,
based
on
the
historical
mine
records,
is amenable to conventional heap leach extractive methods.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Dale Wallster, CEO and Director
Southern Empire Resources Corp.
For further information please visit
www.smp.gold
and review our
SEDAR filings
or contact:
Lubica Keighery at (778) 889-5476,
Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information
Information
set
forth
in
this
news
release
may
contain
forward-looking
statements
that
are
based
on
assumptions
as
of
the
date
of
this
news
release.
All
statements,
other
than
statements
of
historical
fact,
that
address
activities,
events
or
developments
that
Southern
Empire
expects
or
anticipates
will
or
may
occur
in
the
future
are
forward-looking
statements
that
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
Southern
Empire’s
control.
Such
factors
include,
among
other
things:
risks
and
uncertainties
relating
to
Southern
Empire’s
limited
operating
history
and
the
need
to
comply
with
environmental
and
governmental
regulations.
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 statements or information.
Neither
TSX
Venture
Exchange
nor
its
regulation
services
provider
(as
that
term
is
defined
in
the
policies
of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.