Sonoro Prepares to Launch Phase 3 Drilling Program at Cerro Caliche
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Metals Corp., (TSXV: SMO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP), (“Sonoro” and the “Company”), reports that a comprehensive program of 3D modeling, mapping and sampling is currently underway at the Company’s Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora State, Mexico. The program is a continuation of the Company’s strategy of systematically exploring Cerro Caliche as it concurrently advances its proposed heap leach pilot operation (HLPO). Drilling to date continues to outline shallow, bulk tonnage gold mineralized zones with grades similar to operating heap leach mines in the region.
The Phase 1 & II exploration programs accomplished Sonoro’s objective of identifying gold-silver mineralization which the Company believes will support the proposed HLPO, while at the same time indicating that considerable potential remains for the discovery of additional gold mineralization. Currently only 30% of Cerro Caliche’s potential mineralized areas have been drill tested, while potentially all of the 17 mineralized zones so far identified at Cerro Caliche remain open to expansion along strike. The current program is intended to further refine and maximize the impact of Phase III drilling which is expected to commence in November 2019. Approximately 7,000 meters of drilling is planned and is budgeted to cost US$1,600,000. The proposed budget includes the costs for reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling, and metallurgical testing and assays.
Cerro Caliche gold mineralization is predominantly structurally controlled and found in broad zones of more densely veined bodies, giving its extensive gold mineralization a relatively high level of predictability, as is demonstrated by the fact that Sonoro has encountered gold mineralization in all of the 96 holes it has drilled. Consequently, the most immediate areas of potential resource growth are expected to come from two technical initiatives, both beneficiaries of the Cerro Caliche’s geological predictability. The first is the Company’s work to further expand and define the limits of already known resources, while the second is its continued drilling to test recently established zones of gold mineralization.
The Phase III drilling program, which is expected to take approximately 6 months, is planned to include step-out drilling to extend the strike lengths of the known mineralized zones within the Central and Western regions, specifically the Japoneses, Chinos NW, Buena Suerte. Abejas, Cuervos and El Colorado zones. The Japoneses and Cabeza Blanca zones in particular, are both expected to extend along their respective strikes by at least 100 meters to the north. Infill drilling is also planned for these zones in part to support a more complete block model for the planned HLPO, while their respective gold grades and depth potential is further explored.
Diamond drilling is planned to test the Veta de Oro, La Espanola, Cuervos and Guadalupe/Cabeza Blanca zones, where previous scout holes reported intervals of high-grade vein gold mineralization. In this next Phase III program, scout drilling is planned for two new areas. The first is El Quince/ San Quintin which is a kilometer-long zone Southwest of Cerro Caliche Central (CCC). The second is called Veta Abel which is approximately 1.5 kilometers east of CCC. Further to the southeast and also to the northwest of CCC, are regional mineralized vein systems covering more than a square kilometer each. While mapped, they have yet to be systematically detail sampled and drilled by the Company. Geological mapping and sampling are underway and from this work, scout drill targets are also expected to be generated.
A total of 10,328 meters has been drilled and assayed to date in the first two phases of the program with 96 drill holes for an average drill hole length of 107.6 meters, all inclined. The combination of historic and current exploration drilling now totals 23,679 meters in 212 drill holes in addition to more than 6,000 surface samples.
To view more information on the preparatory work program for the Phase III drill program, please click here or visit the Sonoro website www.sonorometals.com
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.
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.
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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