Sonoro Confirms New and Expanded Mineralized Zones at Cerro Caliche

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Metals Corp., (TSXV: SMO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP), (“Sonoro” and the “Company”), reports that gold mineralization has been encountered in all 60 holes which have been drilled and assayed to date from the reverse circulation program at the 100% owned Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico. Prior results from the 45-hole Phase One program drilling within the Central Zone confirmed a series of northwest trending gold-dominant structures and outlined three shallow, bulk-tonnage, gold mineralized zones with supergene oxidized metasedimentary and igneous rock units, all potentially suitable for heap leaching. New results from the initial 15 Phase Two holes described below, most of which are new area “scout holes”, match the characteristics of the Phase One results, thus extending the mineralized zones by over 1.25 kilometers to the northwest of the Central Zone in four new clusters.

Two infill drill holes were also completed at El Colorado in the southwestern part of the Central Zone to determine possible extension of deeper parts of the epithermal vein zones. 

Highlights from the initial 15 holes of the Phase Two program reported here include:

• Veta de Oro scout drill hole SCR-057 returned 2.728 g/t AuEq over 10.67 m, including 4.35 g/t over 6.1 m
• Veta de Oro scout hole SCR-056 returned 5.484 g/t AuEq over 3.05 m
• El Rincon scout drill hole SCR-047 returned 0.744 g/t AuEq over 10.67 m
• El Colorado infill drill hole SCR-045 returned 0.799 g/t AuEq over 6.1 m and 1.052 AuEq over 15.24 m

“The primary focus of this initial Phase Two round of drilling was to test Cerro Caliche’s northwestern anomalous gold zones by “scout drilling” targets which had been previously identified by geochemical and surface mapping but had not yet been drilled by the Company,” said Kenneth MacLeod, President and CEO of Sonoro.  “The successful outcome of scout drilling in the northwestern zones and infill drilling at the El Colorado zone supports the Company’s plan to further drill these zones following additional analysis of the data. The balance of the ongoing Phase Two drilling is focused on extending mineralization at the Central Zone cluster of Japoneses-Cuervos-Abejas, prior to preparing a virgin resource estimation.”

To view a map of the drill holes in the northwestern zones, please click here and to view a map of the drill holes in the Central Zones please click here or visit the Sonoro website at www.sonorometals.com

Assays from the 15 Phase Two drill holes, numbered SCR-045 through SCR-059 as shown in the table below, demonstrate additional potential for gold mineralization to extend from the previously drilled Central Zone at Japoneses, Abejas, El Colorado and Guadalupe, as disclosed in Sonoro’s January 16, 2019 news release. These newly-drilled northwestern mineralized zones are; El Rincon, Gloria, El Boludito, and Veta de Oro, which range up to a distance of 1.25 kilometers from and on strike with the Central Zone.  The Chinos NW zone, located between the northwestern and Central Zone, was also drilled for the first time by the Company, thus confirming extension from the Japoneses zone. 

Three drill-holes at the Veta de Oro zone, which is on-strike with the Abejas mineralized zone located approximately 200 meters to the southeast, resulted in two higher grade gold and silver intercepts in SCR-056 and 057.  Drill hole SCR-054 at the Boludito zone intercepted stockwork-style gold mineralization on strike from the Japoneses zone approximately 200 meters to the southeast, indicating it is a likely an extension of this zone.  In addition, drill hole SCR-055 demonstrated a probable 300-meter extension of the Buena Suerte zone which is a developing new zone. El Rincon and Gloria zones drill holes are located about 1.25 kilometers northwest of the Japoneses zone. At the Rincon zone, drill hole SCR-047 cut four intervals of gold mineralization indicating a new cluster of vein and disseminated gold mineralization.  Drilling results continue to support the existence of a broadly mineralized low-sulphidation epithermal vein system with continuing potential to develop a large tonnage resource suitable for open pit mining.

A total of 1,763 meters has been drilled and assayed to date in the Phase Two program, bringing the total drilled by Sonoro for the projected 10,000-meter program to 6,367 meters.  The combination of historic and current exploration now totals more than 19,000 meters in 176 drill holes in addition to 6,000 surface samples. An additional six holes from the Phase Two program have been sent for assaying, with results anticipated before the end of May.

Sonoro has also received and is processing the digital databases for Paget Southern, a private company that carried out historical drilling programs at Cerro Caliche in 2011.   Assay data for a total of 23 core drill holes has been received, in addition to data for a large number of surface samples.  These data are from drilling and sampling conducted under NI 43-101 standardized methods and is useful for resolving geology and assessing mineralized zones for future drilling. 

Together with the earlier drilling results announced in Sonoro’s news releases dated November 9, 2018; December 5, 2018; and January 16, 2019, the combined results from the drilling program confirm shallow, low grade, bulk tonnage, gold mineralized zones in supergene oxidized sedimentary and igneous rock units. Subject to metallurgical confirmation, the gold mineralized zones appear amenable to heap leach extraction of precious metals with deep oxidation. The average gold grade of intervals reported is observed to be similar to other gold heap leaching mining operations in the region. Mineral intercepts presented for the Phase Two drill holes are shown in the table below.

Drill intercepts of vein zones cross the inclined vein zones at near perpendicular attitudes to the veins with 45-degree angled drill holes.  The steeper angle vein true widths will vary to near 80 percent of intersected widths crossing vein zone trends.    

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”) Measures and Analytical Procedures
Drill samples are collected with an airstream cyclone and passed into a splitter that divides each sample into quarters.  The quartered samples are then bagged and sealed with identification. The sample group has blanks, standards and duplicates inserted into the sample stream.  ALS-Chemex collects the samples and transports them directly to the preparation laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora.

At the laboratory, part of each sample is reduced through crushing, splitting and pulverization from which 200 grams is sent to the ALS-Chemex assay laboratory in Vancouver. Thirty grams undergoes fire assay for gold with the resulting concentrated button of material produced is dissolved in acids, and the gold is determined by atomic absorption.  Another quantity of the sample is dissolved in four acids for an ICP multi-element analysis.

Geologic Description
Cerro Caliche is located 45 kilometers east southeast of Magdalena de Kino in the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district of Sonora, Mexico. Multiple historic underground mines were developed in the concession including Cabeza Blanca, Los Cuervos, Japoneses, Las Abejas, Boluditos, El Colorado, Veta de Oro and Espanola. Mineralization types of the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district include variants of epithermal low sulfidation veins and related mineralized dikes and associated volcanic domes. Local altered felsic dikes cut the mineralized meta-sedimentary rock units and may be associated with mineralization both in the dikes and meta-sedimentary rocks. The Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district has historically been regarded as vein dominated, but recently, open pit mining operations have been developed on disseminated and stockwork style gold mineralization. 

Host rocks include Jurassic-Cretaceous meta-sedimentary rock units including argillite, shale, quartzite, limestone, quartz pebble conglomerate and andesite. Younger intrusive rock consisting of medium coarse-grained granodiorite-granite is present in the westerly parts of the concessions near the historic Cabeza Blanca mine. It is apparent that veining cuts and pervasively alters the intrusive stock.   Rhyolite occurs in irregular bodies distributed in higher elevations in the northerly part of the concession, including the Rincon area, where it occurs as flows, sills, dikes and rhyolite domes. Part of the rhyolite is mineralized and appears to be related to epithermal gold mineralization throughout the property.

Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo., a director of Sonoro, is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and approved this news release. Readers are cautioned that the presence of mineralization on historic mines adjacent to or on Cerro Caliche is not necessarily indicative of gold mineralization in the concessions held by the company.

About Sonoro Metals Corp.
Sonoro Metals Corp. is a publicly listed exploration and development company with two exploration stage precious metal properties in Sonora State, Mexico. The company has highly experienced operational and management teams with proven track records for the discovery and development of natural resource deposits.

For further information, please contact:
Sonoro Metals Corp. - Corporate Communications:
Bill Campbell – Tel: (604) 565-5609
Email: bill@sonorometals.com

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the Company's plans for the drilling of the above-described Cerro Caliche Concessions, located in the municipality of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico, and the Company’s future exploration plans for those properties. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable based on current circumstances, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the possibility of unfavourable interim exploration results, the lack of sufficient future financing to carry out exploration plans, and unanticipated changes in the legal, regulatory and permitting requirements for the Company’s exploration programs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Company’s complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

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