Southern Empire is currently focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of gold deposits in the safe jurisdictions of North America.
Southern Empire (“SMP”) is focused on the exploration and development of metal and mineral deposits in the safe jurisdictions of North America.
SMP’s primary focus is its brownfields Oro Cruz Project located in the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, approximately 14 miles from Equinox Gold Corp.’s Mesquite Mine that produced more than 140,000 oz gold in 2020. Oro Cruz and Mesquite are both hosted by the Caborca Orogenic Gold Trend – a gold-endowed belt of rocks that also includes Fresnillo plc’s La Herradura mine which produced more than 400,000 oz in 2020.
The Oro Cruz Project comprises several formerly-producing, large-scale open pit and underground mines, including the Oro Cruz, American Girl, American Boy and Padre y Madre. These gold mines were last operated by the American Girl Mining Joint Venture in 1996, although their history dates back to when the Spanish first came to California. Given the brownfields nature of the Oro Cruz Project, infrastructure such as roads, electricity and workforce is all close at hand.
SMP intends to significantly add to the historical gold resource at Oro Cruz through the application of modern geological theory and high tech methods of exploration. About 3km existing underground workings, which are in pristine condition, will allow for cost-effective underground exploration and help us achieve our goals.
The Pedro Gold Project covers prospective geology including the HP Breccia, an epithermal gold system discovered in 2012 by regional grass roots prospecting that was directly supervised by David Tupper, P.Geo., now Southern Empire’s Vice President of Exploration.
PEDRO GOLD PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
- Located in Durango, a mining friendly state in north-central México
- Outcropping epithermal gold targets with potential for both bulk mineable and bonanza-grade vein deposits
- 4,000 metres (“m”) by 1,000 m gold in soil anomaly coincident with gold-bearing, silica-rich breccia outcrops
- Additional gold (“Au”) targets identified beneath post-mineral cover by 2020 geochemical survey
- Historical reverse circulation and core drilling by Newmont in 2014 that confirmed the presence of gold
- In 2019, a 70 line-kilometre IP survey identified vertical, feeder vein targets that are not yet drill tested
- Nine drill holes currently planned with permits established for up to 25 drill holes
- Mineral concessions cover ~1,750 hectares (“ha”; 4,324 acres)
- Mineral concessions cover private ranch lands
- Good access to the project area, ~80 kilometres (“km”; 50 miles) west-northwest of the city of Torreón
- Local infrastructure available in the nearby town of Mapimí
Southern Empire also holds a significant equity interest in Augusta Gold Corp., a US based gold exploration company with a commanding land package in the Bullfrog Mine area from which Barrick Gold Corp. produced more than 2 million ounces during the 1990’s.
