Sonoro Launches 10,000 m Drill Program at Cerro Caliche
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Metals Corp., (TSXV: SMO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP), (“Sonoro”), announces the launching of a 10,000 meter reverse-circulation drilling program at the Cerro Caliche project located in the Cucurpe Sonora Mega-district of Sonora, Mexico. Ongoing channel sampling and mapping by Sonoro have demonstrated a 2 square kilometer main central zone with a cumulative total of over 10 km of gold-mineralized quartz veins with associated lower grade veinlet zones. This central zone contains a majority of the approximately 1,900 historical surface samples and 90 drill holes completed by Corex Gold Corp. (“Corex”) in 2007, the results of which have been provided to Sonoro by Corex.
“We are pleased to report that the data from the current sampling program conducted by Sonoro’s technical teams substantiate the data from prior sampling programs,” said Kenneth MacLeod, President and CEO of Sonoro. “The combination of new and historic data has enabled Sonoro to develop a strong understanding of the geologic structure, leading to a more precise targeting of drill holes for the current program and the expansion of surface sampling in the 14 km² project area, where additional mineralized zones are being evaluated.”
Exploration Program Summary
An Informe Preventivo environmental permit valid for two years has been granted by the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), for the drilling of 87 reverse-circulation holes, equivalent to approximately 10,000 meters of drilling. The permit also provides for the construction of new drill pads and roads into previously undrilled areas, in addition to the reuse of earlier pads for new drill holes.
Following receipt of the environmental permit, Sonoro’s Mexican subsidiary, Minera Mar de Plata, contracted Layne de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (“Layne”), a subsidiary of U.S. based and New York Stock Exchange listed Granite Construction Incorporated, to conduct the drilling at Cerro Caliche and drilling is underway with 10 drill holes completed. Assay results from the first 8 drill holes have been sent to the ALS Chemex laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and results are anticipated by the end of October. The drilling is being conducted in two phases, each phase comprising approximately 5,000 meters of drilling. Layne has direct experience drilling at Cerro Caliche, having previously conducted drilling programs on behalf of other operators in the sub-district.
Sonoro has been conducting surface exploration at Cerro Caliche throughout 2018 and has identified an aggregate of approximately 10 linear kilometers of sub-parallel veins over the approximately 2 square kilometer initial target area. Sonoro’s exploration has produced more than 2,000 surface samples to date and assay results from 1,890 rock analyses have been received from ALS Chemex laboratories in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. In addition, Sonoro has reviewed and compiled historical data received from Corex as it related to a 2007 channel and rock chip sampling program, as reported by Corex in its press releases dated July 28, 2007, August 10, 2007 and September 24, 2007, copies of which are available on SEDAR under Corex’s issuer profile.
The results of Sonoro’s 2018 sampling program have been tabulated and compared to the results of the sampling program carried out by Corex in 2007 and both programs are summarized below:
| Range of values Au g/t | No. Samples Sonoro 2018 Program | No. Samples Corex 2007 Program |
| Total Samples analyzed | 1890 | 1944 |
| More than 3 grams Au | 47 | 68 |
| More than 1 g to 3 g | 99 | 172 |
| More than .4 g to 1 g | 167 | 259 |
| More than .2 g to .4 g | 212 | 260 |
| More than .1 g to .2 g | 222 | 325 |
| Less than .1 g/t | 1143 | 860 |
| Average of all samples | 0.412 g/t Au | 0.588 g/t Au |
| Average of samples over 0.1 g/t Au | 0.997 g/t Au | 1.022 g/t Au |
Sonoro has also received and analyzed the databases from Corex and other operators that carried out historical drilling programs for an aggregate of 116 drill holes or 12,442 meters of drilling. Data on an additional 3 holes has been interpreted by Sonoro from printed information of the geological sections. The current drill program has been designed to verify data from the earlier drilling programs and expand upon the presently documented mineralized zones.
Geologic Description
The Cerro Caliche concessions are located about 45 kilometers southeast of Magdelena de Kino in north-central Sonora State. Historic mines within Cerro Caliche include Cabeza Blanca, Los Cuervos, Japonesas, Las Abejas, Boluditos, Colorado and Espanola, which operated during various periods up to about 130 years ago.
Mineralization types of the Cucurpe mega-district include variants of epithermal low sulfidation, epithermal mineralized dikes and associated volcanic rocks, and sub-adjacent mesothermal Carlin type gold mineralization. These deposits in the district appear to be genetically similar with mineralization ages ranging from 40 to 30 Ma. Local altered felsic dikes cut the mineralized meta-sedimentary rock units and may be associated with mineralization in both the dikes and meta-sedimentary rocks. The Cerro Caliche area is a sub-district of the Cucurpe gold mine district with many gambusino workings and exploration pits in the concession area as well as drill holes.
The Cucurpe mega-district has generally been regarded as a vein dominated district including the operating Mercedes and Cerro Prieto mines. Activities at Cerro Prieto and Santa Gertrudis mine areas have developed open pit resources in recent years with more disseminated to stockwork style gold mineralization.
Host rocks include Jurassic-Cretaceous metasedimentary rock types including argillite, shale, quartzite, limestone, quartz pebble conglomerate and andesite. Intrusive rock consisting of medium coarse-grained granodiorite is present in the western parts of the project near the Cabeza Blanca mine. It is apparent that veining cuts the intrusive stock. The granodiorite also shows evidence of weak metamorphism, with chloritic alteration and irregular lineation textures. 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 project.
On-Site Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Measures
Rock samples were collected by Sonoro’s geological and technical employees utilizing industry-standard methods of collection, including recording of descriptive data with hand held GPS-determined locations in UTM NAD 27 grid locations and 2-3 meter long channel type sampling. Rock material collected was contained in numbered plastic bags with plastic zip ties closing them and numbered paper tags were inserted into the bags to confirm identification. Bags are locked in secure locations under the supervision of Sonoro personnel and are then transported by Sonoro personnel to the ALS-Chemex sample preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. The ALS-Chemex laboratory in Hermosillo prepares the samples by crushing, splitting and grinding to a fine pulp culminating with shipment to the ALS-Chemex analytical laboratory in Vancouver, B.C. for gold analysis by 30 gram fire assay with AA finish. In addition, a second small fraction of pulp is dissolved in a 4-acid mixture and is processed for the ICP determination of normal 35 element package. The ALS-Chemex laboratory inserts blanks and gold standards into the sample stream to verify the accuracy of the laboratory processes.
About the Cucurpe Sonora Mega-district
The approximately 1,400 hectare Cerro Caliche concessions are held by Sonoro under option agreements with five vendors in this important gold mining district. The Cucurpe Sonora Mega-district includes Premier Gold’s Mercedes gold mine, Goldgroup Mining’s Cerro Prieto gold mine, Agnico Eagle’s recently purchased Santa Gertrudis gold mine, and other gold mineralized prospect areas.
Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo. is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and takes responsibility for this news release. Readers are cautioned that the presence of mineralization on properties adjacent to or in proximity to Cerro Caliche is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on Cerro Caliche.
About Sonoro Metals Corp.
Sonoro Metals Corp. is an exploration and development company with two precious metals properties in Sonora, Mexico and one in Alaska, USA. Sonoro’s skilled exploration team in Mexico is headed by Hermosillo-based geologist Melvin Herdrick, with 45 years of mine related experience, including 10 years as Chief Geologist for Phelps Dodge, Mexico and 7 years as Vice President, Exploration for Pediment Gold in Mexico until its takeover by Argonaut Gold in 2011. Sonoro’s Chief Geologist and Qualifying Person is Stephen Kenwood, with over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration and development.
On behalf of the Board of SONORO METALS CORP.
Per: “Kenneth MacLeod”
KENNETH MACLEOD
President & CEO
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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