Sonoro Demonstrates 200-Meter-Long High-Grade Gold Zone at Buena Suerte

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoro Gold Corp. (TSXV: SGO | OTCQB: SMOFF | FRA: 23SP) (“Sonoro” or the “Company”) is pleased to report the latest assay results from its ongoing drilling program at the Company’s Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico. The new results reflect 32 drill holes, totaling 2,830 meters and highlight the following:

• Confirmation of a 200-meter-long, high-grade zone in the northwest extension of Buena Suerte
• High-grade intercepts at the northern extension of Buena Suerte including SCR-186 which intercepted 24.39 meters averaging 1.206 g/t Au, including 13.72 meters averaging 1.853 g/t Au
• Further confirmation of continuous mineralization at the two kilometer long El Rincón - Veta de Oro - Abejas vein and stockwork gold mineralized zone.
• Further extension to the new Bellotoso gold mineralized zone through step-out drilling.

Map of Cerro Caliche Drill Holes Being Reported: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/86f82d9c-584e-40e4 ...

Kenneth MacLeod, President & CEO of Sonoro, commented: “The current phase of the drill program is focused on expanding mineralized zones and upgrading the resource classification at the four main zones that Micon International will assess in the updated 43-101 technical report currently being prepared. At the same time, drilling is also addressing the potential pit optimization that might be achieved by combining the conceptual Japoneses and Buena Suerte open pits into one larger pit. The 43-101 technical report will incorporate all the drilling conducted to the end of March 2021 and is anticipated to be completed early in the third quarter of 2021.”

John Darch, Chairman of Sonoro, also noted: “The continued expansion of the Buena Suerte Gold Zone and the positive drilling results at El Rincón and the newly identified Bellotoso zone brings us closer to our goal of developing a major bulk-tonnage, oxide gold resource with the potential to provide a source of production and revenue in the years to come. At the same time drilling at the Japoneses zone is making an essential contribution to the project’s conceptual plan, to be addressed in a 2021 PEA, to develop a heap leach mine operation having an initial capacity of up to 20,000 tonnes per day.”

Buena Suerte shows a 200-meter-long High-grade Zone in the Northwest Extension   
Drilling at the northern extension of Buena Suerte demonstrated a 200-meter-long high-grade ore zone, suggesting the presence of an ore shoot, in the vicinity of holes SCR-109, SCR-186, SCR-148 and SCR-098. Hole SCR-186 is approximately 50-meters north of SCR-109 which, as previously reported, intercepted 45.72 meters averaging 0.97 g/t Au starting at three-meters below surface, including a high-grade section of 15.24 meters averaging 2.101 g/t Au.

Assay highlights include:

• SCR-186 intercepted 24.39 m averaging 1.206 g/t Au, including 13.72 m averaging 1.853 g/t Au.
• SCR-187 intercepted 9.14 m averaging 0.522 g/t Au and 21.9 g/t Ag.
• SCR-191 intercepted 16.77 m averaging 0.451 g/t Au and 3.04 m averaging 0.409 g/t Au.
• SCR-194 intercepted 9.14 m averaging 0.466 g/t Au and 27.3 g/t Ag.

Drill hole SCR-195, the most northwesterly hole drilled to date at Buena Suerte, intercepted 6.09 meters averaging 0.466 g/t Au beginning at three-meters from surface. The drill hole is a 50-meter step-out from previous drilling and additional drilling is planned to test further continuity of the northwest extension.

Japoneses Zone Drilling
At Japoneses, drilling has identified numerous mineralized intersections along the full extent of the zone’s western boundary where future pit optimization may be achieved between the potential convergence of the conceptual Japoneses and Buena Suerte open pits.

Assay highlights include:

• SCR-198 intercepted 19.81 m averaging 0.465 g/t Au from surface.
• SCR-197 intercepted 7.62 m averaging 0.513 g/t Au from 9.14 meters.
• SCR 188 intercepted 6.10 m averaging 0.560 g/t Au from surface.
  

Most notably, drill hole SCR-198 intercepted 19.81 meters averaging 0.465 g/t Au from surface, while approximately 50 meters to the south, drill hole SCR-197 intercepted 7.62 meters averaging 0.513 g/t Au from 9.14 meters below surface. Numerous additional RC drill holes have been completed along the western flank of Japoneses and pending assay results are expected to contribute further to the mineralization of the zone.

Mel Herdrick, VP of Exploration, commented, “Our drilling to define the 500-meter-long west side of Japoneses ridge is an important component of the upcoming PEA, as the most recent results increase the potential that we may combine the conceptual Japoneses and Buena Suerte pits into a single pit. It is very encouraging that drilling identified a 200-meter-long high-grade ore zone at the northern extension of Buena Suerte, while also expanding the size of the mineralized gold zones at Veta de Oro, El Rincon and Bellotoso zones.”

El Rincón, Veta De Oro, Bellotoso, and Gloria Exploration Drilling
The El Rincón vein area was further tested with two RC drill holes. Drill hole SCR-174 cut an approximately 70-meter section of anomalous gold beginning at surface, where a 10.67-meter intercept averaging 0.308 g/t Au was cut between 45.72 meters to 56.39 meters. Drill hole SCR-175 cut a similarly broad anomalous interval and, beginning at 3 meters, intercepted 3.05 meters averaging 0.836 g/t Au. The drill holes are the furthest northwest step outs in the Rincon zone and are within the vein trend which remains open to the northwest following outcropping quartz veins.

At Veta de Oro, drill hole SCD-045 intercepted 5.1 meters averaging 0.367 g/t Au and 4.5 meters averaging 0.327 g/t Au. SCD-045 was completed to test the vein’s northwest extension along trend towards the El Rincon vein zone and is situated 250 meters southeast of drill hole SCD-021 at the El Rincon zone which intercepted 21 meters averaging 1.13 g/t AuEq. SCD-045 is a substantial step out, further confirming the continuity of the mineralization at the El Rincón – Veta de Oro – Abejas Zone. Sonoro’s geological team will be reviewing in detail the data set regarding vein characteristics, mineralogy, and metal zonation in relation to Cerro Caliche’s evolving low sulfidation epithermal model, to determine the best sections for future drilling of this promising area.

The Bellotoso vein zone drilling consisted of four core drill holes and two RC holes. The best interval from these holes is from core hole SCD-044 which intercepted 10.5 meters averaging 0.86 g/t AuEq. The other 3 core holes are located in the far northwest part of the Bellotoso vein trend and include SCD-047 which is a step-out to a secondary parallel vein zone. The Bellotoso strike is parallel to El Rincon and is separated in part by a rhyolitic dike that appears to be source of the gold bearing fluids that mineralized the local area.

At Gloria, five exploration holes were drilled approximately 500 meters northwest of Buena Suerte, in an area with historical artisanal gold workings.   Drill hole SCR-179 intercepted 7.62 meters averaging 0.182 g/t Au and SCR-181 intercepted 1.52 meters averaging 1.47 g/t Au. The remaining holes contained minor intervals with low gold content without any significant gold bearing zones. The Gloria zone will be further assessed to determine its prospectively further to the northwest, where previous drilling demonstrated more consistent mineralization.

The low-grade intercepts indicate drilling cut deeper than the ‘ideal’ low sulfidation epithermal boiling zone. This observation is supported by low gold to silver ratios with low silver content as illustrated by the only anomalous interval from drill hole SCR-181 (from 22.86 to 24.38 meters) of 1.47 g/t Au and 0.15 g/t Ag illustrates. This mineralization is typical of deeper intersections at or just below the base of epithermal vein boiling zone.

Assay Results from Reverse Circulation Drilling

Cerro Caliche Project, Holes Composites with Cut-off 0.15 Au g/t
Hole	Target		From	To	Interval	Au	Ag	AuEq
			Meters			g/t	g/t	g/t
SCR-174	EL RINCON		24.38	38.10	13.72	0.230	5.60	0.310
		and	45.72	56.39	10.67	0.308	2.50	0.343
		and	67.06	77.72	10.66	0.237	1.90	0.264
		and	83.82	89.92	6.10	0.209	0.80	0.221
SCR-175	EL RINCON		3.05	6.10	3.05	0.836	1.50	0.857
		and	12.19	16.76	4.57	0.198	0.90	0.211
SCR-179	GLORIA		13.72	21.34	7.62	0.182	1.40	0.202
SCR-181	GLORIA		22.86	24.38	1.52	1.470	0.15	1.472
SCR-182	EL BELLOTOSO		45.72	53.34	7.62	0.190	2.10	0.220
		and	56.39	64.01	7.62	0.302	1.20	0.319
		and	73.15	76.20	3.05	0.177	3.90	0.233
		and	83.82	92.96	9.14	0.339	0.50	0.347
SCR-183	EL BELLOTOSO		16.76	21.34	4.58	0.266	2.50	0.302
		and	28.96	45.72	16.76	0.264	1.00	0.278
SCR-184	BUENA SUERTE		79.25	97.54	18.29	0.357	0.70	0.367
SCR-186	BUENA SUERTE		18.29	21.34	3.05	0.217	0.70	0.227
		and	25.91	28.96	3.05	0.380	0.20	0.382
		and	60.96	67.06	6.10	0.516	0.30	0.520
		and	73.15	97.54	24.39	1.206	1.50	1.227
		includes	73.15	86.87	13.72	1.853	1.10	1.868
SCR-187	BUENA SUERTE		32.00	39.62	7.62	0.481	4.90	0.551
		and	94.49	103.63	9.14	0.522	21.90	0.835
SCR-188	JAPONESES		0.00	6.10	6.10	0.560	6.20	0.649
		and	28.96	33.53	4.57	0.278	0.70	0.288
		and	39.62	44.20	4.58	0.211	0.20	0.213
SCR-189	JAPONESES		4.57	12.19	7.62	0.322	3.40	0.371
		and	16.76	22.86	6.10	0.314	0.80	0.325
		and	56.39	59.44	3.05	0.285	0.20	0.287
SCR-190	JAPONESES		4.57	7.62	3.05	0.245	0.70	0.255
		and	18.29	21.34	3.05	0.574	0.50	0.582
		and	32.00	36.58	4.58	0.261	0.20	0.265
		and	39.62	44.20	4.58	0.263	0.50	0.270
SCR-191	BUENA SUERTE		28.96	32.00	3.04	0.409	0.70	0.418
		and	36.58	39.62	3.04	0.244	0.20	0.246
		and	50.29	67.06	16.77	0.451	1.00	0.466
SCR-192	JAPONESES		3.05	33.53	30.48	0.350	2.60	0.387
SCR-193	BUENA SUERTE		19.81	27.43	7.62	0.448	1.10	0.463
SCR-194	BUENA SUERTE	and	64.01	73.15	9.14	0.466	27.30	0.856
		and	77.72	83.82	6.10	0.267	1.90	0.294
SCR-195	BUENA SUERTE		3.05	9.14	6.09	0.466	1.70	0.491
Cerro Caliche Project, Holes Composites with Cut-off 0.15 Au g/t
Hole	Target		From	To	Interval	Au	Ag	AuEq
			Meters			g/t	g/t	g/t
SCR-196	JAPONESES		0.00	12.19	12.19	0.308	2.70	0.347
		and	22.86	35.05	12.19	0.378	1.50	0.399
		and	41.15	71.63	30.48	0.290	3.40	0.338
SCR-197	JAPONESES		9.14	16.76	7.62	0.513	9.00	0.636
		and	24.38	33.53	9.15	0.312	2.00	0.345
SCR-198	JAPONESES		0.00	19.81	19.81	0.465	5.00	0.538
		and	24.38	38.10	13.72	0.284	2.00	0.308
SCR-199	JAPONESES		1.52	12.19	10.67	0.234	2.10	0.264
		and	22.86	32.00	9.14	0.214	0.60	0.223
		and	33.53	36.58	3.05	0.207	0.40	0.213
SCR-200	JAPONESES		3.05	19.81	16.76	0.447	2.00	0.478

Assay Results from Core Drilling

Cerro Caliche Project, Holes Composites with Cut-off 0.15 Au g/t
Hole	Target		From	To	Interval	Au	Ag	AuEq
			Meters			g/t	g/t	g/t
SCD-044	EL BELLOTOSO		24.00	34.50	10.50	0.690	12.30	0.866
		includes	24.00	25.00	1.0	2.325	41.10	2.912
		and	52.40	53.45	1.05	1.412	2.90	1.453
		and	56.25	57.60	1.35	2.913	10.40	3.062
SCD-045	VETA DE ORO		17.00	22.10	5.10	0.367	2.10	0.397
		and	69.50	74.00	4.50	0.327	3.20	0.373
SCD-046	EL BELLOTOSO		41.50	45.00	3.50	0.293	1.30	0.311
		and	75.45	78.50	3.05	2.257	2.30	2.290
		includes	75.45	77.00	1.55	4.241	3.50	4.291
SCD-047	EL BELLOTOSO		6.00	9.00	3.00	0.306	0.80	0.317
SCD-048	EL BELLOTOSO		48.30	53.80	5.50	0.489	0.30	0.493

Drill collar locations, azimuths and dips for the drill holes included are provided in the table below.

Drill Collar Locations (NAD 1927 UTM Zone 12N)
Drill Hole	Zone	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Depth (m)	Dip	Azimuth
SCR-174	El Rincón	536205	3366652	1420	109.73	-50	62
SCR-175	El Rincón	536155	3366708	1388	112.78	-45	52
SCR-176	Gloria	536401	3365550	1284	100.58	-45	234
SCR-177	Gloria	536307	3365580	1268	106.68	-45	261
SCR-178	Gloria	536467	3365559	1277	100.58	-45	247
SCR-179	Gloria	536349	3365649	1292	70.1	-45	234
SCR-180	Gloria	536241	3365613	1281	100.58	-45	268
Drill Collar Locations (NAD 1927 UTM Zone 12N)
Drill Hole	Zone	Easting	Northing	Elevation	Depth (m)	Dip	Azimuth
SCR-181	Gloria	535902	3365661	1231	100.58	-45	55
SCR-182	El Bellotoso	536657	3366543	1361	100.58	-45	35
SCR-183	El Bellotoso	536711	3366520	1356	100.58	-45	55
SCR-184	Buena Suerte	536468	3365282	1331	140.21	-45	242
SCR-185	El Quínce	536429	3364974	1380	100.58	-45	235
SCR-186	Buena Suerte	536465	3365298	1318	129.54	-45	268
SCR-187	Buena Suerte	536428	3364975	1380	103.63	-45	55
SCR-188	Japoneses	536761	3365010	1380	60.96	-45	235
SCR-189	Japoneses	536842	3365129	1357	100.58	-45	235
SCR-190	Japoneses	536789	3364994	1400	60.96	-45	235
SCR-191	Buena Suerte	536441	3365343	1278	91.44	-45	230
SCR-192	Japoneses	536876	3365001	1348	82.3	-45	235
SCR-193	Buena Suerte	536399	3365357	1269	51.82	-52	243
SCR-194	Buena Suerte	536472	3365215	1377	100.58	-45	235
SCR-195	Buena Suerte	536394	3365382	1252	60.96	-45	250
SCR-196	Japoneses	536630	3365258	1324	73.15	-45	235
SCR-197	Japoneses	536614	3365206	1324	48.77	-45	235
SCR-198	Japoneses	536597	3365232	1327	42.67	-45	235
SCR-199	Japoneses	536651	3365136	1333	41.15	-45	235
SCR-200	Japoneses	536658	3365113	1337	42.67	-45	235
SCD-044	El Bellotoso	536879	3366095	1419	101	-45	55
SCD-045	Veta de Oro	536532	3366186	1428	76.6	-45	205
SCD-046	El Bellotoso	536253	3366991	1403	122.2	-45	55
SCD-047	El Bellotoso	536663	3367015	1394	80.4	-45	55
SCD-048	El Bellotoso	536446	3366754	1412	115.4	-45	55

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (“QA/QC”) Measures and Analytical Procedures 
Drill samples are collected with an airstream cyclone and passed into a splitter that divides each sample into quarters. The quartered samples are then bagged and sealed with identification. The sample group has blanks, standards and duplicates inserted into the sample stream.

Bureau Veritas (BV) collects the samples and transports them directly to the preparation laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora. At the laboratory, part of each sample is reduced through crushing, splitting and pulverization. About 200 grams are sent by BV to their Vancouver, Canada laboratory and dissolved in aqua regia for multi-element ICP analysis, including silver. Of these samples, 30 grams undergo fire assay in Hermosillo for gold by reducing the fire assay to a concentrated button of material that is dissolved in acids and the gold content determined by atomic absorption.

No QA/QC issues were noted with the results received from the laboratory.

Geologic Description
Cerro Caliche is located 45 kilometers east southeast of Magdalena de Kino in the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district of Sonora, Mexico. Multiple historic underground mines were developed in the concession including Cabeza Blanca, Los Cuervos, Japoneses, Las Abejas, Boluditos, El Colorado, Veta de Oro and Espanola. Mineralization types of the Cucurpe-Sonora Mega-district include variants of epithermal low sulfidation veins and related mineralized dikes and associated volcanic domes. Local altered felsic dikes cut the mineralized meta-sedimentary rock units and may be associated with mineralization both in the dikes and meta-sedimentary rocks.

Host rocks include Jurassic-Cretaceous meta-sedimentary rock units including argillite, shale, quartzite, limestone, quartz pebble conglomerate and andesite. Younger intrusive rock consisting of medium coarse-grained granodiorite-granite is present in the westerly parts of the concessions near the historic Cabeza Blanca Mine. It is apparent that veining cuts and pervasively alters the intrusive stock. Rhyolite occurs in irregular bodies distributed in higher elevations in the northerly part of the concession, including the Rincon area, where it occurs as flows, sills, dikes and rhyolite domes. Part of the rhyolite is mineralized and appears to be related to epithermal gold mineralization throughout the property.

Qualified Person Statement
Stephen Kenwood, P.Geo., a Director of Sonoro, is a Qualified Person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) and has read and approved this news release. Readers are cautioned that the presence of mineralization on historic mines adjacent to or on Cerro Caliche is not necessarily indicative of gold mineralization in the concessions held by the Company.

About Sonoro Gold Corp.
Sonoro Gold Corp. is a publicly listed exploration and development company with a portfolio of exploration-stage precious metal properties in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company has highly experienced operational and management teams with proven track records for the discovery and development of natural resource deposits.

On behalf of the Board of Sonoro Gold Corp.
Per:  “Kenneth MacLeod”
         Kenneth MacLeod
         President & CEO

For further information, please contact:
Sonoro Gold Corp. - Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the Company's plans for the exploration, development and operations at the above-described Cerro Caliche Concessions, located in the municipality of Cucurpe, Sonora, Mexico, including statements regarding the Company’s plans for additional exploration drilling, an anticipated update of the current resource estimate for Cerro Caliche to be included in a Micon International 43-101 technical report to be published in Q3 2021, a planned preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”) to be published in 2021 reporting on the viability of a proposed 20,000 tonne/day mining operation, and other material conditions set out above on which the Company’s development plans are dependent. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable based on current circumstances, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can”, "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the possibility of unfavourable exploration and test results, unfavourable results of the contemplated PEA of the Cerro Caliche project, the lack of sufficient future financing to carry out exploration and development plans and unanticipated changes in the legal, regulatory and permitting requirements for the Company’s exploration programs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law or the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Readers are encouraged to review the Company’s complete public disclosure record on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.