TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Southern Empire
Resources Corp. (Southern Empire)
(TSX-V: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE)
announces that it has received acceptance from the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) for road construction, pad preparation and
sonic drilling of the Padre y Madre historical heap leach pads at
its Oro Cruz Gold Project in southeastern California.
Highlights:
- BLM acceptance received for sonic drilling of the Padre y Madre
historical heap leach pad
- Permit bonding lodged with the BLM
- Sonic drill contract call for tender issued
- Sonic drilling anticipated to begin in mid-September
- BLM acceptance valid for two years expiring in 2022, extendible
to 2024
- BLM acceptance for sonic drilling the American Girl historical
heap leach pad is anticipated soon
WestLand Resources Inc. of Tucson,
Arizona, specialists in environmental permitting and
planning, have spearheaded Southern
Empire's California
permitting efforts and liaison with the regulatory bodies,
including the BLM, the State of
California and Imperial
County. David Tupper,
Southern Empire's Vice President -
Exploration said: "We are exceptionally pleased with the
successes our teams have accomplished, especially during these
unusual times, in the permitting of our first phase of sonic
drilling of the decommissioned, historical Padre y Madre heap leach
pads at Oro Cruz. We are on schedule for a drill campaign starting
in mid-September."
Southern Empire previously
released gold assay results of twelve selected grab samples taken
from the Padre y Madre that ranged from 0.128 to 1.230 grams
gold/tonne (see Southern Empire's
news release of July 7, 2020).
Dale Wallster, Southern Empire's CEO stated: "The goal of
sonic drilling the already mined, oxide material contained in the
historical heap leach pads at Oro Cruz is to establish an industry
compliant mineral resource and provide us with samples for
extractive metallurgical test work. The potential to ultimately
reprocess these existing leach pad materials gives us additional
upside to any high-grade, underground resources we develop at Oro
Cruz."
Work programs during the COVID-19 pandemic
Southern Empire is
well-financed to start its proposed Oro Cruz exploration programs,
having recently completed two oversubscribed, non-brokered private
placement financings (see Southern
Empire's news releases dated March
18 and June 12, 2020 for
details).
Although BLM, state and county offices are currently closed,
their staff have established measures to provide services remotely.
Timing of Southern Empire's
exploration programs will be contingent on governmental regulations
regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and also the availability of
exploration-related personnel, drill contractors, equipment,
lodging, et cetera. Southern
Empire will adhere to COVID-19 directives regarding safe
working practices putting worker, community and national safety
first and will proceed with exploration and development work
programs only if potential COVID-19 risks can be effectively
managed.
About Southern Empire Resources Corp.
Southern Empire is focused on
the acquisition, exploration and development of gold deposits in
North America.
In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, southeast California, Southern
Empire holds options to acquire a 100% interest in the 2,160
hectares (5,338 acre) Oro Cruz Property located approximately 22.5
kilometres (km; 14 miles) southeast of the operating Mesquite gold
mine of Equinox Gold Corp.
With a history that includes extensive drilling and large-scale
open pit and underground mining by the American Girl Mining
Joint Venture (53 per cent owned by MK Gold Co., a subsidiary of
Morrison Knudsen Corporation, and 47 per cent owned by Hecla Mining
Company), which was suspended during the gold market downturn in
1996, the Oro Cruz Gold Project hosts many exploration targets, the
Padre y Madre and American Girl decommissioned heap leach pads, and
a high-grade oxide gold zone that, based on the historical mine
operation records, is amenable to conventional heap leach
extractive methods.
Southern Empire also owns an
85% interest in 101 unpatented BLM lode mining claims covering the
817 hectares (2,020 acres) Eastgate Gold Project, located in
Churchill County, Nevada
approximately 81 km (50 miles) southeast of the city of
Fallon and 42 km (26 miles) from
the Bell Mountain gold project currently undergoing final mine
permitting by Eros Resources Corp. Southern Empire has recently completed six
HQ-size core drill holes at Eastgate, that targeted high-grade
gold/silver epithermal vein systems that were previously drilled by
reverse circulation methods. 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.
Southern Empire is in the
process of acquiring MAS Gold Corp. (TMX-V: MAS), a Canadian
mineral exploration company having road-accessible projects located
in the La Ronge Gold Belt of Saskatchewan approximately 60 km west of the
SSR Mining Inc.'s producing Seabee and Santoy gold mines. Please
refer to Southern Empire's news
release dated July 13, 2020 available
on SEDAR.
MAS Gold's Greywacke North gold deposit, one of several known
stratabound, high-grade gold-bearing zones on the Greywacke Lake
Property, has an estimated Indicated Mineral Resource of 255,500
tonnes at a grade of 9.92 grams gold per tonne (g Au/t), plus an
Inferred Mineral Resource of 59,130 t at 7.42 g Au/t, at a cut-off
grade of 5 g Au/t (see MAS Gold's NI 43-101 Technical Report of
June 1, 2016 available on SEDAR).
The North Lake gold deposit,
located on the Preview-North property, 33 kilometres southwest of
Greywacke North, has an Inferred Mineral Resource estimated at
417,000 ounces of gold contained in 14,110,000 t grading 0.92 g
Au/t (see MAS Gold's News Release dated March 25, 2020 and their NI 43-101 Technical
Report dated April 10, 2020).
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 within the context of Canadian Securities
Administrators' National Instrument 43-101; Standards of
Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire,
Dale Wallster, CEO and Director
Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking
Information
Information set forth in this news release contains
forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the
date of this news release. These statements reflect management's
current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are
not guarantees of future performance. Each of Southern Empire and MAS Gold 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 their respective control. Such factors include,
among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to each of
Southern Empire and MAS Gold's
limited operating history, ability to complete the proposed
Transaction (including obtaining all necessary shareholder and
regulatory approvals), the need to comply with environmental and
governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on their
projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in each of
their annual and interim financial statements and management
discussion and analysis. 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, neither Southern Empire nor MAS Gold undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking
information.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange)
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this
release.
SOURCE Southern Empire Resources Corp.