VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 17,
2022 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp.
(Southern Empire) (TSXV: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTCQB: SMPEF) announces
that the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Land Management ("BLM") has issued a news release and published
other requisite documents related to permitting of Southern
Empire's proposed surface exploration activities at its Oro Cruz
Project in Imperial County,
California.
Please refer to the BLM's news release of November 16, 2022, which officially notifies the
public that the BLM is now seeking public input and commentary
concerning Southern Empire's proposed surface exploration plans as
set forth in a Plan of Operations (the "Plan") that was
deemed, by the BLM, to be administratively and technically
complete and consistent with U.S. federal regulations.
The Plan proposes specific surface mineral exploration
activities, disturbing only up to 8.3 hectares (20.5 acres) within
an approximately 253-hectare (approximately 626 acres) portion of
the Oro Cruz property located within the 184,500-acre Picacho Area
of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in Imperial County. All proposed exploration
activities are to be conducted so as to avoid unnecessary and undue
degradation of public lands and resources.
Also, pursuant to the United
States National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA") and
the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the BLM
and the Imperial County Planning Department ("ICPD", on behalf of
the State of California) have
jointly issued a draft Environmental Assessment/Mitigated Negative
Declaration (the "draft EA/MND"), the purpose of which is to
identify issues, analyze alternatives, and disclose any potential
environmental, cultural, and recreational resource impacts
associated with the Plan and disclose impact analyses and any
required mitigation measures, as appropriate. The BLM has also,
based on the information contained in the draft
EA/MND, prepared and published an unsigned Finding of No
Significant Impact ("FONSI") that, should it be ratified, states
that the proposed actions identified in the draft EA/MND will not
significantly affect the quality of the human environment and that
an Environmental Impact Statement is not required to be prepared
for the Plan. Only after public review and commentary
regarding the draft EA/MND and the unsigned FONSI will the BLM make
a final decision regarding the authorization of the exploration
activities proposed in the Plan.
The above-noted BLM actions have initiated a 30-day public
review/comment period (beginning on November
16th and closing on December 16th, 2022) during which
substantive comments regarding the Plan and the draft EA/MND will
be solicited from the public. To review documentation concerning
the Oro Cruz Project (including the Plan, the draft EA/MND, the
unsigned FONSI, etc.) or to submit commentary electronically,
please visit the BLM National NEPA Register at:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017983/570. A
virtual public information meeting will be held on November 30, 2022, from 4
to 5 p.m. PST and interested parties may register for this
event at:
https://stantec.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oL7ApimWRSqNfm9yw8e-mQ.
Dale Wallster, CEO of Southern
Empire stated, "The preparation and publication of the BLM's
Environmental Assessment documentation have taken a lot of time and
effort and we thank all those involved in helping us reach this
major milestone and bringing us closer to receiving authorizations
necessary to start our exploration at Oro Cruz. We invite
commentary from all stakeholders in the region through the upcoming
NEPA and CEQA public commentary processes and look forward to
continuing to work closely with the BLM, the ICPD and other
stakeholders to ensure that we meet all federal and state
permitting requirements."
Qualified Person (QP)
The scientific and technical information contained in this news
release has been prepared, reviewed 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 (NI 43-101).
About Southern Empire Resources
Corp.
Southern Empire is focused on the acquisition, exploration and
development of metals and minerals deposits in North America.
In northeastern Durango State, México, Southern Empire
has an option to acquire a 100-per-cent beneficial interest in the
1,750-hectare Pedro Gold Project. At Pedro, in the spring of 2022,
Southern Empire drilled gold mineralization approximately 800
metres from 2014 drilling by a subsidiary of Newmont Mining
Corporation. Gold mineralization, associated with
highly anomalous arsenic (orpiment and realgar common),
antimony, mercury and thallium, has been identified hosted in
permeable basal conglomerates deposited during
Oligocene extensional deformation, the latter forming
widespread Basin and Range physiography along the easter part of
Sierra Madre Occidental. Gold is present in 12 of the 17 holes
drilled at Pedro to date. Please see Southern Empire's news
releases posted on SEDAR for further details.
In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire
owns 100 percent of the historical gold-producing American Girl
mine property and holds options to acquire a 100 percent interest
in the adjacent 2,160-hectare (5,338-acre) Oro Cruz Property
located approximately 22.5 kilometres (14 miles) southeast of the
operating Mesquite gold mine of Equinox Gold Corp.
At Oro Cruz, extensive historical drilling and large-scale
open-pit and underground mining of the American Girl, Padre y
Madre, Queen, and Cross oxide gold deposits by the American Girl
Mining Joint Venture ("AGMJV") occurred between 1987 and 1996.
During that time, gold was recovered by either heap leaching of
lower-grade, or milling of higher-grade ores until AGMJV operations
ceased in late 1996 because of declining gold prices leaving the
Oro Cruz Property with many gold exploration targets in addition to
a historical inferred resource estimate, reported In 2011 by
Lincoln Mining Corp., totaling 341,800 ounces gold based on
4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne (g Au /t) at a
cut-off grade of 0.68 g Au/t (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per
ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding the Oro Cruz
Property Historical Resource Estimate below).
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 information or forward-looking statements that are
based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. Such
information or statements reflect management's current estimates,
beliefs, intentions, and expectations and 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 many material factors, many of which
are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among
other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire's
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.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Oro Cruz Project Historical
Resource Estimate
The Oro Cruz Project historical resource estimate is disclosed
in a technical report dated April 29,
2011, prepared for Lincoln Mining Corp. by Tetra Tech, Inc.
and filed on Canadian Securities Administrators' System for
Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR"). It is termed
an inferred mineral resource, which is a category set out in NI
43-101. It was based on historical reverse circulation and core
drill hole sample, underground channel sample, and blasthole sample
assay results and calculated using ordinary kriging to estimate
gold grades in 10-foot-by-10-foot-by-five-foot blocks. Accordingly,
Southern Empire considers this historical estimate reliable as well
as relevant as it represents key targets for future exploration
work. However, a QP has not done sufficient work to verify or
classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource and
Southern Empire is not treating this historical estimate as current
mineral resources.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Exploration Work
Programs
The timing and the ability to conduct Southern Empire's
exploration programs are, among other things, contingent on:
governmental regulations allowing for the issuance of permits;
affects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the availability of
exploration personnel, drill contractors, equipment, lodging, etc.
Southern Empire will adhere to COVID-19 directives regarding safe
working practices putting worker and community health and 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) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
SOURCE Southern Empire Resources Corp.
