Southern Empire Receives Approval for Sonic Drilling at the Oro Cruz Gold Project, California
Southern Empire Receives Approval for Sonic
Drilling at the Oro Cruz Gold Project,
California
TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt
: 5RE
VANCOUVER, BC
,
Aug. 5, 2020
/CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (
Southern Empire
)
(TSX-V: SMP) (
Frankfurt
: 5RE) announces that it has received acceptance from the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) for road construction, pad preparation and sonic drilling of the Padre y
Madre historical heap leach pads at its Oro Cruz Gold Project in southeastern
California
.
Highlights:
BLM acceptance received for sonic drilling of the Padre y Madre historical heap leach pad
Permit bonding lodged with the BLM
Sonic drill contract call for tender issued
Sonic drilling anticipated to begin in mid-September
BLM acceptance valid for two years expiring in 2022, extendible to 2024
BLM acceptance for sonic drilling the American Girl historical heap leach pad is anticipated soon
WestLand Resources Inc. of
Tucson, Arizona
, specialists in environmental permitting and planning,
have spearheaded
Southern Empire's
California
permitting efforts and liaison with the regulatory
bodies, including the BLM, the
State of California
and
Imperial County
.
David Tupper
,
Southern
Empire's
Vice President - Exploration said: "
We are exceptionally pleased with the successes our
teams have accomplished, especially during these unusual times, in the permitting of our first
phase of sonic drilling of the decommissioned, historical Padre y Madre heap leach pads at Oro
Cruz. We are on schedule for a drill campaign starting in mid-September
."
Southern Empire
previously released gold assay results of twelve selected grab samples taken from
the Padre y Madre that ranged from 0.128 to 1.230 grams gold/tonne (see
Southern Empire's
news
release of
July 7, 2020
).
Dale Wallster
,
Southern Empire's
CEO stated: "
The goal of sonic drilling
the already mined, oxide material contained in the historical heap leach pads at Oro Cruz is to
establish an industry compliant mineral resource and provide us with samples for extractive
metallurgical test work. The potential to ultimately reprocess these existing leach pad materials
gives us additional upside to any high-grade, underground resources we develop at Oro Cruz."
Work programs during the COVID-19 pandemic
Southern Empire
is well-financed to start its proposed Oro Cruz exploration programs, having
recently completed two oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement financings (see
Southern
Empire's
news releases dated
March 18
and
June 12, 2020
for details).
Although BLM, state and county offices are currently closed, their staff have established measures
to provide services remotely. 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.
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
, southeast
California
,
Southern Empire
holds
options to acquire a 100% interest in the 2,160 hectares (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 Co., 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, the Padre y Madre and American Girl decommissioned heap leach pads, and a
high-grade oxide gold zone that, based on the historical mine operation records, is amenable to
conventional heap leach extractive methods.
Southern Empire
also owns an 85% interest in 101 unpatented BLM lode mining claims covering the
817 hectares (2,020 acres) Eastgate Gold Project, located in
Churchill County, Nevada
approximately 81 km (50 miles) southeast of the city of
Fallon
and 42 km (26 miles) from the Bell
Mountain gold project currently undergoing final mine permitting by Eros Resources Corp.
Southern
Empire
has recently completed six HQ-size core drill holes at Eastgate, that targeted high-grade
gold/silver epithermal vein systems that were previously drilled by reverse circulation methods.
Selective core samples have been submitted to ALS
USA
Inc.'s laboratories in
Reno, Nevada
and
assay results will be released after they become available. Permitting for the next phase of drilling
has been initiated.
Southern Empire
is in the process of acquiring MAS Gold Corp. (TMX-V: MAS), a Canadian mineral
exploration company having road-accessible projects located in the La Ronge Gold Belt of
Saskatchewan
approximately 60 km west of the SSR Mining Inc.'s producing Seabee and Santoy
gold mines. Please refer to
Southern Empire's
news release dated
July 13, 2020
available on
SEDAR
.
MAS Gold's Greywacke North gold deposit, one of several known stratabound, high-grade gold-
bearing zones on the Greywacke Lake Property, has an estimated Indicated Mineral Resource of
255,500 tonnes at a grade of 9.92 grams gold per tonne (g Au/t), plus an Inferred Mineral Resource
of 59,130 t at 7.42 g Au/t, at a cut-off grade of 5 g Au/t (see MAS Gold's NI 43-101 Technical
Report of
June 1, 2016
available on
SEDAR
).
The
North Lake
gold deposit, located on the Preview-North property, 33 kilometres southwest of
Greywacke North, has an Inferred Mineral Resource estimated at 417,000 ounces of gold contained
in 14,110,000 t grading 0.92 g Au/t (see MAS Gold's News Release dated
March 25, 2020
and their
NI 43-101 Technical Report dated
April 10, 2020
).
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.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Southern Empire
,
Dale Wallster
, CEO and Director
Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information
Information set forth in this news release contains 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.
Each of
Southern Empire
and MAS Gold 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 their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and
uncertainties relating to each of
Southern Empire
and MAS Gold's limited operating history, ability to
complete the proposed Transaction (including obtaining all necessary shareholder and regulatory
approvals), the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, results of
exploration programs on their projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in each of their
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, neither
Southern Empire
nor MAS Gold undertakes
no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.
Neither 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.
View original content:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2020/05/c6983.html
%SEDAR: 00044214E
For further information:
on Southern Empire please visit both www.smp.gold and SEDAR or
contact: Lubica Keighery, (778) 889-5476, [email protected]
CO: Southern Empire Resources Corp.
CNW 09:00e 05-AUG-20