Japoneses and Buena Suerte Zone Could Merge

Sonoro Gold Corp announced  it has completed Phase 3 of its drilling program at its Cerro Caliche project in Sonora. In addition, Sonoro released the assay results of the last nine RC drill holes of its Phase 3, which have shown a coalescence of the Japoneses and Buena Suerte zones and the potential to merge them into a single body of shallow, oxide gold mineralization.

Cerro Caliche is strategically located in the municipality of Cucurpe between two mining districts: the Sierra Madre Gold Belt and the Sonora-Mojave Megashear. Types of mineralization in the Curcurpe mining district include variants of “epithermal low sulfidation veins and related mineralized dikes and associated volcanic domes.”

Sonoro has drilled and analyzed the results of more than 34,500m of drilling, including more than 25,000m of new drilling since September 2020. Taking into account the historical data, total exploration amounts more than 47,500m, 433 drill holes and 9,365 surface samples.

In a previous press release, the company explained that it extended drilling activities to further analyze the possible merger of the Japoneses and Buena Suerte zone into a single shallow oxide gold mineralization body, which would represent significant economic advantages for the company’s Heap Leach Mining Operation (HLMO).

The nine drill holes were completed along the gap that narrows between the northwestern extension of the Japoneses zone and the eastern flank of the Buena Suerte zone. Sonoro announced that Phase 3 of the drilling program indicated that there is a coalescence of both zones in a minimum length of 400m.

Four of the drill holes cut the east part of Buena Suerte. “Drill hole SCR-264 intercepted 15.24m averaging 0.764 grams of gold per ton, including 1.52m averaging 2.402 g/t Au. Drill hole SCR-261 encountered continuous mineralization from surface but intercepted an artisanal mine working at 19.81m. The rig was moved 6m and the hole was re-drilled. SCR-261B intercepted a 35m of gold mineralization, including 1.5m averaging 1.23 g/t Au.”

In the northern part, “drill hole SCR-262 cut multiple intervals of gold mineralization totaling 52m from surface including 1.53m averaging 2.171 g/t Au.” Previously, the area was considered to be outside the mineralized gold zones. However, the results confirmed the presence of gold mineralization, which support the possibility of developing a single pit to extract gold mineralization from both zones.

Two NI 43-101 technical reports are expected to be presented in July, which will provide the information necessary to determine whether the identified mineralization is sufficient to have an initial operating capacity of up to 15,000 tpd from the HLMO. Sonoro said that D.E.N.M. Engineering Ltd. is in charge of preparing its PEA, meanwhile, the mineral resource estimate will be done by Micon International Ltd.

The results show the completion of a highly successful and intensive drilling program. “These final drill results mark the conclusion of an exceptional year, where Sonoro has been transformed from an exploration junior to a development stage company with a goal of achieving production early next year. Our strategy of exploring and developing Cerro Caliche’s extensive shallow oxide gold mineralization while advancing towards becoming a gold producer is advancing as we had hoped,” said John Darch Sonoro’s Chairman.

Sonoro explained that drilling activities are currently paused, so the exploration team has time to ensure all data and assistance is available to the consultants and to implement any of their recommendations in the technical reports. Drilling activities are expected to resume in 3Q21 to continue expanding mineralization and identifying potential high-grade targets.

Mel Herdrick, Sonoro’s VP of Exploration, said there is still a lot of potential in the areas the company plans to drill and explained that the drilling will focus on defining, materially expanding and categorizing the project’s oxide gold mineralization.