VANCOUVER, BC, March 5,
2024 /CNW/ - Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA)
(WKN: A2P4DU) (OTC: SMAGF) (the "Company" or "Soma")
is pleased to announce the results of the initial diamond drill
program conducted at the La Aurora Mine on the Machuca Project in
central Colombia (Figure 1). Three
drill holes, totalling 656m of
drilling, were successfully completed in late December 2023. Furthermore, this release also
presents the results obtained from the 2022 due diligence
underground sampling program. The assays from both the channel
samples and drill holes are detailed and discussed herein.
Highlights include the following drill intercept:
AURDDH-24-003 1.0m at 4.35 g/t
Au incl. 0.5m at 8.35 g/t Au
Composited underground channel sampling highlights include:
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_10S 0.65m at 36.64 g/t Au incl. 0.25m at 94.7 g/t
Au
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_2S 0.8m at 14.17 g/t Au incl. 0.3m at 37.77 g/t
Au
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_16S 0.9m at 11.03 g/t Au incl. 0.4m at 9.92 g/t Au
La Aurora Mine is located on the western side of the Otu Fault
within an area characterized by a regionally extensive
high-metaphoric grade gneiss. Quartz veins in this region form as
laminated fault-fill veins within a sinistral brittle-ductile shear
zone, interpreted as a higher-order structure associated with the
Otu Fault. The controlling fault zone is predominantly north-south
striking and dips moderately to steeply to the west.
This fault, along with associated quartz veins, forms a series
of en echelon segments that consistently step approximately
25m-50m
to the left along strike. Uniquely oriented quartz veins, created
to accommodate extension within step-over zones, in these domains
strike southeast and dip steeply to the south. Extensional
step-over zones are recognized as hosting high-grade ore shoots and
represent highly promising exploration targets.
In 2022, Soma conducted due diligence channel sampling at La
Aurora Mine. The channel samples were collected along the strike of
La Constancia vein on level 5 of the mine. A total of 69 channel
samples were obtained from 37 lines covering approximately
110m along the strike of La
Constancia vein. Out of these, 35 samples were quartz vein material
from La Constancia vein while the remaining 34 samples were wall
rock shoulder samples in the footwall and hanging wall of the
quartz vein. Table 1 presents the composite grades of each channel
sample line, ranging from 0.01 g/t Au to 94.67 g/t. Among these, 21
quartz vein samples reported gold grades exceeding 0.4 g/t, with
the remaining 15 vein samples indicating the nuggety nature of the
gold distribution. Notably, seven wall rock shoulder samples
returned gold assays ranging from 0.9 g/t Au to 9.07 g/t Au,
attributed to thin veins containing sulphides and gold in the
footwall of the main vein structure. The grade distribution of the
due diligence samples aligns with the historical underground
channel sample dataset, where the maximum historical sample along
La Constancia vein was 146 g/t Au. Due diligence samples adjacent
to the high-grade historical sample reported gold assays exceeding
7 g/t.
Table 1 Composites of due diligence channel sample lines on
level 5 of La Aurora Mine
Channel Sample
No
|
Zone
|
Length
(m)
|
Au
(g/t)
|
AURORA5_GN_AR12_ABS_4N
|
Constancia
|
0.6
|
1.50
|
AURORA5_GN_AR12_ABS_8N
|
Constancia
|
0.7
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GN_AR13_ABS_10N
|
Constancia
|
0.7
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GN_AR13_ABS_23
|
Constancia
|
1.1
|
0.34
|
AURORA5_GN_AR4_ABS_12N
|
Constancia
|
0.95
|
2.09
|
AURORA5_GN_AR4_ABS_18N
|
Constancia
|
0.9
|
0.16
|
AURORA5_GN_AR4_ABS_4N
|
Constancia
|
1.1
|
2.93
|
AURORA5_GN_AR4_ABS_8N
|
Constancia
|
1.1
|
1.39
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_16S
|
Constancia
|
1.5
|
0.74
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_18S
|
Constancia
|
1.6
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_26S
|
Constancia
|
1.6
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_30S
|
Constancia
|
1.2
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_38S
|
Constancia
|
1
|
0.33
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_4S
|
Constancia
|
1.2
|
4.38
|
AURORA5_GS_AR10_ABS_6S
|
Constancia
|
1.3
|
3.50
|
AURORA5_GS_AR11_ABS_10S
|
Constancia
|
0.4
|
0.06
|
AURORA5_GS_AR11_ABS_16S
|
Constancia
|
0.2
|
0.12
|
AURORA5_GS_AR11_ABS_18S
|
South
|
0.45
|
8.19
|
AURORA5_GS_AR11_ABS_22(FRENTE)
|
Constancia
|
0.16
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR11_ABS_4S
|
Constancia
|
0.6
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR4_ABS_11S
|
Constancia
|
0.6
|
0.52
|
AURORA5_GS_AR4_ABS_14S
|
North
|
0.4
|
10.29
|
AURORA5_GS_AR4_ABS_16S
|
Constancia
|
1.2
|
1.33
|
AURORA5_GS_AR4_ABS_2S
|
Constancia
|
0.5
|
3.62
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_0
|
Constancia
|
0.7
|
2.28
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_10S
|
North
|
0.65
|
36.64
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_12S
|
North
|
0.7
|
4.30
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_14S
|
Constancia
|
0.8
|
1.45
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_16S
|
North
|
0.9
|
11.03
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_22S
|
Constancia
|
0.8
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_26S
|
Constancia
|
1
|
0.79
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_28S
|
Constancia
|
0.9
|
0.02
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_2S
|
North
|
0.8
|
14.17
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_30S
|
Constancia
|
1
|
0.12
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_34S
|
Constancia
|
0.8
|
7.76
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_36S
|
Constancia
|
1.1
|
1.34
|
AURORA5_GS_AR8_ABS_40S
|
Constancia
|
0.2
|
0.40
|
In late December 2023, a drill
program was initiated to enhance confidence in the down-dip
continuity of the vein structures observed in historical mine
workings. The primary objective was to test the interpreted
high-grade ore shoots and investigate whether the La Constancia
quartz vein extends below level 5 of the historical mine (Figure
2). Table 2 provides the composite assays from the drill holes, and
each hole is briefly discussed below.
AURDDH-23-001 unexpectedly intersected mine workings not
documented in existing mine surveys. It could not be completed to
the planned depth and, consequently, prevented the hole from
intersecting the targeted section of the Constancia vein.
AURDDH-24-002 (Figure 3) Targeting down dip of high-grade
channel samples from La Constancia vein on level 5, this hole
intersected the vein 30 m below level
5, spanning from 178.8 m to
181.35 m with an approximate true
width of 2.25 m true width (Figure
3). The milky white quartz vein was brecciated by younger, brittle
fractures during structure reactivation. The fractures are filled
with crushed vein material and pyrite. Assay samples of the
vein did not return any significant gold values. A narrow interval
of thin quartz veins occurs 2.5 m downhole from the main vein
intersection and returned a weakly anomalous gold value of 0.18 g/t
Au over 0.35 m at a depth of
183.9 m.
AURDDH-24-003 (Figure 4) was designed to intersect a southeast
striking, steeply dipping quartz vein segment that forms in the
extensional stepover zone between the Constancia and Aurora veins.
The vein, interpreted as forming in a normal fault accommodating
extension between the two north-south striking veins, was
intersected from 151.6 m to
152.7 m with a true width of
1.0 m, situated 30 m up-dip of its exposure on level 5. The
intersection is comprised of a late milky white quartz-carbonate
vein crosscutting an older brecciated dark grey quartz vein. In the
footwall, 1 cm to 3 cm thick quartz veins with variable
orientations and density form a 35m
wide stockwork interval. The veins contain 1%-5% sphalerite and
galena, which typically accompanies gold mineralization along the
Otú Fault corridor. The quartz-carbonate vein was barren of gold
mineralization, but a set of thin (1.0 cm to 4.0 cm) quartz veins
with pyrite, sphalerite, and galena returned a gold assay of 8.35
g/t over 0.5 m within the stockwork
interval. Additional sampling has been undertaken to continuously
sample the entire stockwork interval to determine whether any
unsampled quartz veins also contain high-grade gold.
Soma's Vice President of Exploration, Chris
Buchanan, stated, "We are pleased that the first phase of
drilling intersected quartz veins where they were predicted from
initial structural models of the vein system. We're particularly
encouraged that numerous stockwork-style veins with sulphides and
high-grade gold intersected in the footwall of the primary vein
structure. This zone is interpreted to be an extensional step-over
and has the potential to develop into a broad, high-grade ore
shoot."
The initial 2023 drill program successfully confirmed the
presence of the Constancia and Aurora veins at depth below the
current mine workings. While the low gold grades from the
Constancia vein in AURDDH-23-002 are disappointing, they are
consistent with the nuggety distribution of gold grade observed in
the 2022 due diligence channel samples on level 5. Further drilling
on a tighter spacing is required to fully delineate the vein and
gold distribution within the vein system in La Aurora Mine.
Soma is currently engaged in dewatering the mine to its deepest
levels, enabling access to Levels 1 and 5. The engineering
team is diligently evaluating the safety conditions of the mine.
Simultaneously, the exploration team is set to conduct geological
mapping, systematic sampling, and accurate surveys of the mine
workings. The resulting additional information will be seamlessly
integrated into the current datasets to strategically plan the next
phase of drilling in 2024.
Table 2 Significant assays above 0.15 g/t Au in the 2023 drill
holes
Hole
ID
|
From
(m)
|
To
(m)
|
Length
(m)
|
Sample
|
Au
(g/t)
|
Ag
(g/t)
|
Cu
(ppm)
|
Pb
(ppm)
|
Zn
(ppm)
|
AURDDH-23-001
|
90.55
|
91.3
|
0.75
|
YL-60063
|
0.24
|
0.19
|
16.4
|
8.3
|
45
|
AURDDH-24-002
|
129.7
|
130.7
|
1
|
YL-60135
|
0.33
|
0.06
|
24.3
|
7.4
|
45
|
AURDDH-24-002
|
183.65
|
184.25
|
0.6
|
YL-60159
|
0.18
|
5.23
|
60.1
|
394
|
92
|
AURDDH-24-003
|
157.2
|
157.7
|
0.5
|
YL-60193
|
0.19
|
0.62
|
67.3
|
14.5
|
58
|
AURDDH-24-003
|
158.2
|
159.2
|
1
|
YL-60207
|
0.34
|
0.72
|
58.3
|
58.3
|
41
|
AURDDH-24-003
|
159.2
|
159.7
|
0.5
|
YL-60194
|
8.35
|
13.1
|
124
|
10000
|
1765
|
In addition to ongoing exploration activities at La Aurora Mine,
Soma's exploration team is actively assessing various small-scale
mines near Machuca. Three extensive soil grids are scheduled for
2024 to determine the continuity of gold mineralization between the
informal mines along the Otú Fault. Soma also continues to
work with the local communities on the Machuca Property as part of
its ongoing ESG program.
The Otú fault system ("Otú Fault") has a strike length of over
100 km, from Segovia-Remedios in the south to Nechi in the north
(where it is concealed by younger sedimentary overlap sequences).
Soma's property holdings now encompass more than 56 km of this
fault's strike length. High-grade gold mineralization is observed
along the entire Otú Fault strike length, primarily occurring in
brittle-ductile to brittle quartz veins formed during later stages
of deformation along the fault. Throughout the district, the quartz
veins display orientation patterns that suggest the veins form in
conjugate faults associated with brittle faulting on the Otú Fault.
Prominent mines along the Otú trend, such as Segovia-Remedios, La
Aurora, El Limon, Le Ye, Los Mangos,
and Cordero, underscore the prevalence of high-grade gold
mineralization in the area. The Machuca Property is strategically
located along a critical segment of this regional fault structure,
boasting numerous indications of high-grade gold
mineralization.
QA/QC Statement
Drill Core Samples
Soma Gold follows a comprehensive QA/QC program to ensure the
reliability of assay data collected from its exploration programs.
All samples are sawn, or split, in half, with one half being
returned to the core box for storage. The second half-core is
placed in a labelled plastic bag with a tag, document, and sealed
for shipment. Batches of samples are shipped to ALS Colombian (ALS)
in Medellin with security tags and
documented chain of custody.
Pulps of each sample are prepared in Medellin and shipped to ALS Lima for analysis.
All samples are analyzed using the package ME-MS41, an ICP-MS
analysis that provides the concentration of 51 elements. Fifty-gram
aliquots of each sample are analyzed for gold using a standard fire
assay with an atomic absorption finish. Overlimit samples are
subjected to an additional fire assay with a gravimetric finish to
determine the gold concentration.
A comprehensive QA/QC program has been implemented to monitor
the reliability of assay data collected during exploration
programs. The program includes the regular insertion of certified
blanks, duplicates, and certified OREAS standards. Assays of the
QA/QC samples are automatically compared to the certified values
and standard deviations in the database.
Channel Samples
Channel samples in Colombia are
common in underground mining and are commonly used for grade
control. The channel samples are marked by a spray-painted line.
Individual samples along the channel are broken out based on
changes in lithology (e.g. quartz vein vs wall rock). A large
plastic sheet is laid out below the sample line, and the sample is
chipped with a hammer and chisel. The chips are collected by the
underlying plastic sheet and transferred to a sample bag.
Prior to December 2023, all the
samples were analyzed by the Operadora mine laboratory and selected
samples were submitted to ALS Laboratory for QA/QC analysis. The
samples were crushed, split, and pulverized by the Operadora Mine
laboratory. Fifty-gram aliquots of each sample is analyzed for gold
using standard fire-assay with a gravimetric finish.
Since 2023 all exploration samples for Soma Gold are submitted
to ALS Lima for analysis, as per the drill core procedures. This is
due to renovations of the Operadora mine laboratory for improved
health and safety and capacity for increased mine production. Grade
control channel samples for the Cordero Mine continue to be
processed at the Operadora mine laboratory.
Qualified Person
Statement
Mr. Chris Buchanan, P.Geo, is
Soma's Vice-President of Exploration and a Qualified Person as
defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Buchanan has reviewed
the technical information disclosed in this press release.
ABOUT SOMA GOLD
Soma Gold Corp. (TSXV: SOMA) is a mining company focused on gold
production and exploration. The Company owns two adjacent mining
properties in Antioquia, Colombia
with a combined milling capacity of 675 tpd. (Permitted for 1,400
tpd). The El Bagre Mill is currently operating and producing.
Internally generated funds are being used to finance a regional
exploration program.
With a strong commitment to sustainability and community
engagement, Soma Gold Corp. is dedicated to achieving excellence in
all aspects of its operations.
The Company also owns an exploration property near Tucuma, Para
State, Brazil, that is currently
under option to Ero Copper Corp.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
"Geoff Hampson"
Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman
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 release.
All statements, analysis and other information contained in this
press release about anticipated future events or results constitute
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often,
but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek",
"anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"
and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should",
"could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar
expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and
economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause
actual results of operations to differ materially from those
contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the
date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any
obligation to update forward-looking statements even if
circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change
except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place
undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Soma Gold Corp.