Southern Empire to Start Sonic Drilling at the Oro Cruz Gold Project, California

TSX-V: SMP
Frankfurt: 5RE
OTC: SMPEF

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 17, 2020 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSX-V: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF) has engaged Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, Inc. to complete a first phase sonic drill program of the historical heap leach pads located on Southern Empire's Oro Cruz Gold Project in Imperial County, southeastern California.

Oro Cruz Gold Project – Historical Heap Leach Pad Phase 1 Sonic Drill Program Highlights:

• The 27 hole, phase 1 sonic drill program targets gold mineralization hosted in the historical Padre y Madre and American Girl heap leach pad materials
• Approximately 470 metres (1,542 feet) of sonic drilling is set to start in early December 2020
• Gold assay results for 2020 surface sampling of the heap materials ranged from 0.128 to 2.078 grams gold/tonne (g Au/t; 0.004 to 0.061 oz gold/ton)
• Notice-level permits have been received from the Bureau of Land Management
• Conditional permitting has been obtained from Imperial County
• Sonic drill program is expected to be completed approximately two weeks after starting

Assessment of Historical Heap Leach Pads – Objectives and Background

The current sonic drill program is designed to:

• determine the consistency of gold grades within the historical leach pads
• provide sample material for metallurgical test work to optimize gold extraction methodology.

At Oro Cruz, historical mining of the American Girl, Padre y Madre, Queen and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl Mining Joint Venture (AGMJV; then owned 53% by MK Gold Company and 47% by Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. At that time, gold was recovered by either heap leaching of lower-grade, or milling of higher-grade materials. AGMJV operations ceased in late 1996 because of declining gold prices, leaving the American Girl historical leach pad covering approximately 61 acres and the Padre y Madre historical leach pad covering approximately 22 acres.

Southern Empire believes that the gold-bearing material comprising the two historical leach pads may contain significant residual gold amenable to reprocessing and, as a first phase of assessment, collected 26 surface grab samples; 12 samples from the Padre y Madre and 14 samples from the American Girl historical heap leach pads. Gold assay results for these samples ranged from 0.128 to 2.078 g Au/t (0.004 to 0.061 oz gold/ton) and averaged 0.775 g Au/t and 0.535 g Au/tonne for the American Girl and Padre y Madre respectively; see full table of gold assay results in Southern Empire's news release of July 7, 2020. 

About Yellow Jacket Drilling Services, Inc.

Yellow Jacket, of Phoenix, Arizona, are known throughout the western United States as a premier provider of innovative drilling services that upholds high standards of safety and preventative maintenance to ensure peak performance at the drill site.

Qualified Person

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.

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, California, Southern Empire owns 100% of the historical gold producing American Girl Mine patented mining claims and holds options to acquire a 100% interest in the adjacent 2,160 hectare (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 Company, then 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 in addition to a high-grade oxide gold zone that, based on the historical mine operation records, is amenable to conventional heap leach extractive methods.

Southern Empire is well-financed, having completed two oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement financings in 2020 (see Southern Empire's news releases dated March 18 and June 12, 2020 for details). With its strong working capital position, which also includes a significant equity holding in Bullfrog Gold Corp., Southern Empire has the resources to continue exploration and development programs at Oro Cruz and also consider new opportunities. 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Southern Empire Resources Corp.,

Dale Wallster, CEO and Director

Cautionary Notice on Forward-Looking Information

Information provided in this news release may contain 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. Southern Empire 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 its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire limited operating history, the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations, results of exploration programs on its projects and those risks and uncertainties identified in its 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, Southern Empire undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

Work Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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.

Neither the 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.

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