Northern Empire and Sonoro Announce Results From Hilltop Exploration
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug 10, 2015) - Northern Empire Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:NM) ("Northern Empire") and Sonoro Metals Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SMO) ("Sonoro") today announced that results from the Phase 1 exploration program at the Hilltop Gold Project in Alaska ("Hilltop") have confirmed and expanded the known gold footprint, with channel samples grading up to 19.45 g/t Au and rock grab samples grading as high as 26.55 g/t Au. The program entailed 61 soil samples to verify previous sampling, 336 soil samples to expand the anomalous gold footprint from previous sampling, 228 rock samples, and 213 m of trenching.
Highlights from this work include:
- Due diligence soil sample results confirmed a soil anomaly 400 m by 1,000 m with values above the 85th percentile ranging from 13 to 480 ppb Au.
- More widely spaced soil sampling expanded the zone of previously defined anomalous gold results 400 m further to the west and defined a zone of interest 2.4 km by 2.4 km.
- 1 m channel sampling from five trenches returned 7 m at 1.41 g/t Au in trench 3 and 10 m at 2.29 g/t in trench 5, with the best 1 m sample grading 19.45 g/t Au. Rock grab samples from trench exposed material returned values as high as 26.55 g/t Au.
- Elevated pathfinder element assays from trench samples (including As, Bi, Pb, Sb, Te & W) showed Intrusive Related Gold (IRG) affinity.
Northern Empire's Chairman, John Robins, P.Geo., stated, "The highly encouraging results from our first phase of exploration have added significant value to the road accessible Hilltop gold project. The program has been very successful in corroborating anomalous historic results, expanding the known gold footprint of the Hilltop zone, generating high-grade in-situ gold samples, recognizing multiple widespread zones of coincident pathfinder elements and identifying new prospective target areas. With the recent announcement of the exploration program expansion at Hilltop, we are eager to get back in the field to follow up on these exciting results."
The field component of the work program at Hilltop started at the end of April and was completed the first week of June. On July 28, Northern Empire and Sonoro announced plans to return to Hilltop to extend the Phase 1 exploration program.
Program Summary (Phase 1): Results
- Receipt of DNR Permit #2235 which is a five year Miscellaneous Land Use Permit for Hardrock Exploration and Reclamation and allows for trenching, drilling (including water use permit), road improvement and road construction.
- 61 due diligence soil samples were collected to verify sample results from top of bedrock soils collected in 2011 by a previous exploration group. These 61 soil samples represent 10% of the total number of samples collected in 2011, and the new results demonstrate a substantial gold in soil anomaly 400 m wide and over 1 km long in an east-west direction. Of the 61 due diligence samples collected, 27 rank at or above the 85th percentile (grading 13 to 480 ppb Au) and 4 additional samples rank at or above the 95th percentile. At each sample site, two samples were collected; 1 from the top of bedrock position as previously collected and 1 sample from the B-horizon. Results confirmed that the gold in soil values collected in 2011 are valid and that use of B-horizon soils at Hilltop is a useful exploration tool.
- 336 soil samples were collected at Hilltop to expand the footprint of known anomalous soils from historic work. Of the 336 samples collected, 51 samples ranked in the 85th percentile or higher and 17 samples ranked in the 95th percentile or higher (27ppb to 480ppb). Analysis of the soils results shows that the anomalous gold footprint has been expanded and has proven the veracity of pathfinder element 'stacking' as a useful technique for prioritizing follow-up work.
- A total of 213 metres of trenching and 228 rock samples were completed at Hilltop and focused on an area with historic high grade (Au) grabs from hand dug pits. 8 trenches were completed and were subsequently mapped and sampled. Analytical results show a potential to develop a high grade trend. The best one-metre sample ran 19.45 g/t Au over one meter, with rock grab samples as high as 26.55 g/t Au. Using a 0.1 g/t Au cut-off, trench HT15-003 returned 7 m at 1.41 g/t Au while trench HT15-005 returned 10 m at 2.29 g/t Au.
- Pathfinder elements associated with gold in the trenches show a strong Intrusive Related Gold (IRG) affinity (including As, Bi, Pb, Sb, Te, W, etc). In addition, correlation coefficients for As, Bi and Te are all above 0.9.
- Project infrastructure improvements were made by upgrading access using a Cat Dozer to improve 10.5 km (6.5 miles) of road on existing trails and trap lines. ATV access from the paved Richardson Highway is now complete and readily accessible. Further work can now be done to allow for 4x4 access to key points within Hilltop in the future.
To view a map of the Hilltop Gold Project, please visit Northern Empire's website at http://www.northernemp.com/projects/hilltop/.
Geologic Description
The Hilltop Project is located 70 km ESE of Fairbanks Alaska and sits within the boundaries of the Yukon Tanana Terrain (YTT) which extends from West-Central Alaska well into the Yukon. The YTT consists of deformed and variably metamorphosed mid Paleozoic and older sedimentary, volcanic and plutonic rocks intruded by Mid-Cretaceous and early Tertiary plutonic and minor volcanic rocks. Locally, the Hilltop Project sits within the 40 km long, northwest trending Richardson Gneiss Dome which is cored by a central migmatite, mantled by gneiss and surrounded by lithologically equivalent schist (Noyes el al., 2006).
Bedrock at Hilltop is dominated by a flat lying, broadly folded quartz dominated muscovite-sericte-biotite schist. Within trenches this schist varies from muscovite sericite to quartz-muscovite biotite to quartzite. Metamorphic grade is upper greenschist. Folding here is low amplitude with wavelengths from 0.5 m to 2 m. Quartz veins are common, flat-lying and conformable to the schist foliation ranging in thickness from 2 cm to 0.4 m. Local steeply dipping and cross cutting quartz veins to 1 m in width have been mapped and sampled within trench boundaries.
Within the property boundaries other lithologies found include quartz-feldspar porphyry, massive quartzite, graphite schist and quartz boulders.
Analytical Procedures
All soil samples were sent to Activation Labs in Ancaster Ontario, an ISO accredited Laboratory. Gold analysis was by FA-AA (Fire Assay - Atomic Absorption), details of the procedure can be found at: http://www.actlabs.com/page.aspx?page=473&app=226&cat1=549&tp=12&lk=no&menu=64
Soil samples were also subjected to Enzyme Leach analysis. Details of the procedure can be found at: http://www.actlabs.com/page.aspx?page=746&app=226&cat1=549&tp=12&lk=no&menu=64
Rock samples from the trenches were assayed using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry) and FA-AA and submitted to ALS Chemex in Fairbanks Alaska.
On-site Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") Measures
Soils samples are collected in the field using wet strength Kraft bags. Samples returned to the field office are organized and dried before shipping making sure that physical and hydromorphic contact between bags does not occur. Once dry, the sample bags are placed into labelled, secure rice sacks for shipment. Northern Empire has implemented a quality-control program to comply with best practices in the sampling and analysis of field collected samples. This program includes inserting field duplicates, standards and blanks, equivalent to 10% of the sample set, into the sample stream.
About the Hilltop Gold Project
Northern Empire holds a 100% interest in the block of claims forming the Hilltop Gold Project within the broader Richardson Gold District (excluding placer gold). Hilltop is an exploration stage gold project located 70 km southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska and 70 km northwest of Delta Junction in east-central interior Alaska. Hilltop is located approximately 75 km from Sumitomo's Pogo mine (4.973 million ounces at 12.5 g/t gold; http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/files/topics/25649_ext_31_en_0.pdf) and 135 south of Kinross's Fort Knox mine (3.8 million ounces at 0.45 g/t Au; http://www.kinross.com/operations/operation-fort-knox-alaska-usa.aspx).
The 31,720 acre (12,836 hectare) Hilltop property is bordered on the south by the all-weather and paved Richardson Highway. In addition, the property is proximal to both a high power electrical transmission line and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Access into the interior of the property from the Richardson Highway is via a new system of logging roads and trails which makes most points within the Hilltop project area accessible for exploration activities.
William J. (Bill) Cronk, P.Geo., is Northern Empire's Qualified Person who reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.
About Northern Empire
Northern Empire is a newly formed company which will follow the "Project Generator" business model to take advantage of the depressed market conditions in the resource sector to acquire low acquisition and low holding cost properties with significant exploration potential.
A Project Generator identifies, acquires, and performs early stage exploration on compelling exploration targets before finding project partners to bear the financial risk associated with advanced exploration.
Northern Empire's experienced board and management team feels that executing the Project Generator business model is the most practical way to provide investors the potential excitement and value creation of mineral discoveries, without the financial risks and equity dilution of standard exploration programs.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF Northern Empire Resources Corp.
Jim Paterson, Director, President and CEO
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" including forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Northern Empire Resources Corp. The option to Sonoro described above is subject to a number of conditions precedent, and there is no assurance that (i) all conditions will be satisfied, (ii) the option will occur on the bases outlined above, or close at all; or (iii) if closed, that the option will be exercised. Statements regarding mineral exploration operations and objectives are subject to risk, including, but are not limited to, exploration and geologic risk, inflation and costs of goods and services, property title issues and regulatory approvals. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Northern Empire does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable law.
