Sonoro Successfully Completes Phase One Drill Program at Cerro Caliche

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Metals Corp., (TSXV: SMO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP), (“Sonoro” and the “Company”), is pleased to report the third and final set of assay results from phase one of the 10,000-metre drilling program at Sonoro’s 100% owned Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico.

A total of 45 reverse circulation holes totaling 4,604 meters were drilled during the program confirming a cluster of eight northwest trending gold-dominant structures surrounded by parallel sheeted veinlets and stockwork veinlets. Highlights from the final 14 holes include 12.2 meters of 11.3 grams per tonne AuEq, 4.6 meters of 4.69 grams per tonne AuEq and 12.2 meters of 0.95 grams per tonne AuEq.

Together with the earlier drilling results announced in Sonoro’s news releases dated November 9, 2018 and December 5, 2018, the combined results from the phase one 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.

Sonoro has also received and analyzed the databases from Corex Gold Corp. and other operators that carried out historical drilling programs at Cerro Caliche since 2007. These operators completed an aggregate of 116 drill holes totaling 12,442 meters of drilling, in addition to over 4,000 surface samples. The combination of historic and current exploration programs totals over 17,000 meters of drilling in 161 drill holes and over 6,000 surface samples.

“Sonoro’s phase one drill program has successfully corroborated the sampling and drill results generated by the prior operators, thereby considerably enhancing our confidence in the significant potential of Cerro Caliche,” said Kenneth MacLeod, President and CEO of Sonoro. “We will continue to utilize the newly expanded database to increase the zones of gold mineralization within the current target area and to drill additional highly prospective mineralized zones identified through our ongoing exploration program.”

The mineralized zones are named after historic mine workings situated within each zone, from east to west, as follows; Las Abejas, Chinos NW, Japoneses, Los Cuervos, El Quince, Cabeza Blanca, Guadalupe, and El Colorado.

Results from 19 drill holes in the Cabeza Blanca/El Colorado/Guadalupe zones outline a linear central vein structure with sheeted to stockwork associated mineralization. Results also confirm lateral continuity of over 500 meters for both the Cabeza Blanca zone and its parallel companion, the Guadalupe zone. Furthermore, a high-grade interval of 6.09 meters of 21.5 g Au per tonne was cut near an intersection between the Guadalupe and El Colorado zones.

The 19 holes completed in the Japoneses and Cuervos zones indicate one continuous structure extending approximately 1.2 kilometers. A multiple-vein mineralized zone, Japoneses-Cuervos is the largest area of mineralization on the Cerro Caliche property to be investigated to date. Detailed cross sections have been constructed to aid in structural interpretation. Host rocks cut by the gold mineralization include quartzite of Jurassic age and early Tertiary biotite granodiorite porphyry and minor rhyolite.

The Abejas zone is the most northeasterly gold mineralized structure at Cerro Caliche. A total of 5 holes have been drilled at Abejas, confirming host rocks like those identified in the Japoneses-Cuervos zone.  Short, air track drill holes are planned for the nearby Chinos NW zone to confirm suspected shallow gold mineralization. Four historic drill holes in the zone’s southern extension identified stockwork gold mineralization.

Distances between each mineralized zone range from 120 to 400 meters with widths of each mineralized zone reaching up to 60 meters and lengths of approximately 800 meters.

Geological mapping and sampling are continuing where newly recognized gold bearing targets are being defined. Several additional mineralized structures adjacent to the current exploration zones will be investigated as part of phase two of the drilling program

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 500 grams is sent to the ALS-Chemex assay laboratory in Vancouver. 30 grams undergoes fire assay for gold whereby the resulting concentrated button of material is dissolved, 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 southeast of Magdalena de Kino in the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district of Sonora, Mexico. Multiple historic underground mines have operated on the concession including Cabeza Blanca, Los Cuervos, Japoneses, Las Abejas, Boluditos, El Colorado and Espanola. Mineralization types of the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district include variants of epithermal low sulfidation, epithermal mineralized dikes and associated volcanic rocks, and sub-adjacent mesothermal Carlin-type gold mineralization.

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 Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district has historically been regarded as vein dominated, but recently, open pit mining operations have been developed to process disseminated and stockwork style gold mineralization. Cerro Caliche is a sub-district of the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district with many gambusino workings, exploration pits and drill holes on the concession.

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 historic 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 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 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 a publicly listed exploration and development company with a portfolio of 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