Southern Empire Reports Gold Results from Oro Cruz Historical Heap Leach Pads
SOUTHERN EMPIRE RESOURCES CORP.
TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
NEWS RELEASE
July 7th, 2020
Southern Empire Reports Gold Results from Oro Cruz Historical Heap Leach Pads
Southern
Empire
Resources
Corp.
(“Southern
Empire”;
TSX-V:
SMP;
Frankfurt:
5RE)
is
pleased
to
report
gold
assay
results
for
selective
grab
samples
collected
from
the
surface
of
two
historical
heap
leach
pads
located
on
its
2,160
hectare
(5,338
acre)
Oro
Cruz
Gold
Project
in
Imperial
County,
California.
Assessment of Historical Leach Pads – Background, Objectives and Highlights
Historical
mining
of
the
American
Girl,
Padre
y
Madre,
Queen
and
Oro
Cruz
oxide
gold
deposits
by
the
American
Girl
Mining
Joint
Venture
(“AGMJV”;
MK
Gold
Company
and
Hecla
Mining
Company)
occurred
between
1987
and
1996.
At
that
time,
processing
was
either
by
heap
leaching
of
lower-grade,
or
milling
of
higher-grade,
gold-mineralized
materials
.
Operations
ceased
in
late
1996,
due
to
declining
gold
prices,
leaving
both
the
American
Girl
and
Padre
y
Madre
historical
leach
pads,
covering approximately 61 and 22 acres respectively.
Southern
Empire
believes
that
the
gold-bearing
material
in
the
two
historical
leach
pads
may
contain
significant
residual
gold
and,
as
a
first
phase
of
assessment,
twenty-six
(26)
samples
were
collected;
12
from
the
historical
Padre
y
Madre
and
14
from
the
American
Girl
leach
pads.
Gold
assay
results
are presented in Table 1 and sample locations are presented in Figures 1 and 2.
David
Tupper,
P.Geo.
and
Southern
Empire’s
VP
of
Exploration
stated:
"We
are
pleased
to
report
that
our
preliminary
surface
sampling
has
confirmed
gold
is
present
in
historical
heap
leach
pads
that remain from the former American Girl Mining Joint Venture operations."
Southern
Empire’s
President
and
CEO,
Dale
Wallster
stated:
“Having
now
unequivocally
demonstrated
that
gold
still
exists
in
the
historical
leach
pads,
we
will
use
sonic
drilling
to
quickly
target
the
establishment
of
a
resource
and
provide
us
with
samples
for
extractive
metallurgical
test
work.
The
potential
for
Southern
Empire
to
ultimately
reprocess
this
already
mined
material
represents additional upside to any high-grade, underground results we get at Oro Cruz.”
Steps Forward on the Historical Heap Leach Pads at the Oro Cruz Gold Project
To establish a NI 43-101 resource for the historical heap leach pads, Southern Empire has:
●
Initiated
permitting
for
sonic
drilling
of
both
the
Padre
y
Madre
and
American
Girl
heap
leach pads with both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) and Imperial County,
●
Initiated
a
review
of
historical
AGMJV
metallurgy
in
order
to
determine
the
best
methods
for gold extraction from the existing heap leach pad material, and
●
Engaged
Mr.
Garth
Kirkham,
the
principal
of
Kirkham
Geosystems
Ltd.,
of
Vancouver,
Canada,
to
oversee
the
resource
establishment
procedures
at
Oro
Cruz.
Kirkham
Geosystems
is
a
full-service
provider
of
geoscience
consulting
services
to
the
mining,
environmental,
oil
&
gas
and
geotechnical
industries
focusing
on
offering
3D
computer
modeling
expertise
using
a
variety
of
leading
volumetric
modeling
systems.
Mr.
Kirkham
is
the
Past-President
of
the
Canadian
Institute
of
Mining,
Metallurgy
and
Petroleum
(CIM)
and
is
the
co-Chair
of
the
CIM
Mineral
Resources
and
Mineral
Reserves
Committee
and
the
Chair
of
the
Geoscientists
Canada,
Securities
Committee.
He
is
also
currently
a
representative
for
Canada on CRIRSCO - Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards.
Data Verification, Sampling Procedures and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)
Surface
grab
samples
of
rock
chips
from
larger
boulders
combined
with
gravel
and
fines,
all
considered
representative
of
the
materials
of
the
historical
American
Girl
and
Padre
y
Madre
heap
leach
pads
at
Oro
Cruz
were
collected
from
20
centimetre
deep,
hand-dug
pits.
Samples
were
described
and
photographed,
and
their
location
surveyed
with
handheld
GPS,
accurate
to
within
3
metres.
Each
sample
was
then
in
control
of
the
geologist
until
it
was
shipped
from
Yuma,
AZ
and
Brawley,
CA
to
either
Bureau
Veritas
Mineral
Laboratories
USA
(“BVM”)
in
Sparks,
NV
(samples
OCR-11
to
OCR-27)
or
ALS
USA
Inc.
(“ALS”)
in
Reno,
NV
(samples
OCR-27
to
OCR-49),
respectively.
The
samples
were
collected
in
two
events,
as
noted
in
Table
1.
The
averages
of
analytical
results
from
the
two
sampling events are comparable.
Samples
were
crushed,
split
and
pulverized
(250
grams
to
75
microns
(“
µ
”);
200
mesh)
using
BVM
process
PRP70-250
or
ALS
processes
CRU012
and
PUL31,
then
a
30
gram
homogenized
sample
was
analyzed
using
fire
assay
techniques
with
an
atomic
absorption
spectroscopy
(AAS)
finish
(procedures
FA430
at
BVM
and
Au-AA23
at
ALS).
Four
acid
digestion
of
each
sample
was
followed
by
multielement
Inductively
Coupled
Plasma
(“ICP”)
mass
spectrometry
analysis
using
MA3000
procedure
at
BVM
and
ME-ICP61
procedure
at
ALS.
The
results
were
reported
in
grams
gold/tonne
(“g
Au/t”;
also
parts
per
million,
or
“ppm”)
and
then
converted
to
ounces
gold
per
ton
(“oz
Au/ton”;
also “opt”) using a ratio of 34.28.
One
pulp
field
standard
and
one
trip
blank
were
inserted
with
samples
OCR-11
to
OCR-27
that
were
analyzed
at
BVM.
One
pulp
field
standard
and
one
trip
blank
was
submitted
with
samples
OCR-27
to
OCR-49.
which
were
analyzed
at
ALS.
All
lab
standard
and
blank
assay
results
reported
in
the
BVM
and
ALS
analytical
certificates
and
all
field
standards
and
blank
samples
assayed
within
accepted
QA/QC value ranges.
Standards
and
blanks
submitted
to
BVM
included
the
gold
standard
MEG-Au-09.03
and
blank
MEG-BLANK.10.14
purchased
from
Shea
Clark
Smith/MEG,
Inc.
(
http://www.sheaclarksmith.com/
).
The
submitted
standards
returned
accepted
values
of
2.091
Au
ppm
and
<0.005
ppm
Au
respectively.
Standards
and
blanks
including
WCM
Mineral
Standard
CU160
and
WCM
Mineral
Standard
CU172
were
submitted
to
ALS
Geochemistry
with
samples
OCR-27
to
OCR-49.
These
QA/QC
standard
material
were
purchased
from
WCM
Minerals,
a
division
of
WCM
Sales
Ltd.,
located
in
Burnaby,
BC,
Canada
(
http://www.wcmminerals.ca/
).
The
values
returned
for
the
submitted
standards
were
2.93
Au ppm and 0.266 Au ppm respectively, which are within accepted QA/QC ranges.
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
(QP)
within
the
context
of
Canadian
Securities
Administrators'
National Instrument 43-101;
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
.
Work Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As
the
health
and
safety
of
our
employees,
contractors
and
associated
communities
is
a
top
priority,
Southern
Empire
will
continue
to
monitor
COVID-19
regulatory
recommendations
and
restrictions
and,
together
with
our
consultants
and
subcontractors,
will
follow
governmental
health
and
safety
regulations
and
protocol
regarding
personnel
management,
lodging,
travel,
etc.,
in
our
current
and
future work related to both the Eastgate and Oro Cruz Gold Projects.
The
timing
of
Southern
Empire's
on-going
exploration
and
development
programs
will
be
contingent
on governmental regulations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
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
options
to
acquire
a
100%
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.
Southern
Empire
also
owns
an
85%
interest
in
the
817
hectare
(2,020
acre)
Eastgate
Gold
Project,
located
81
kilometres
(50
miles)
southeast
of
the
city
of
Fallon
in
Churchill
County,
Nevada.
Southern
Empire
has
just
completed
six
HQ-size
core
drill
holes
at
Eastgate,
in
a
first-pass
drill
program
targeting
high-grade
gold/silver
epithermal
vein
systems.
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.
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.
FIGURE 1: American Girl Area - Gold Assays From Historical Heap Leach Pads
FIGURE 2: Padre y Madre Area - Gold Assays From Historical Heap Leach Pad