VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 11, 2021 /CNW/ - Southern Empire Resources Corp. (Southern Empire) (TSX-V: SMP) (Frankfurt: 5RE) (OTC: SMPEF) announces that 396 samples collected from the Phase 1 sonic drilling of the American Girl and Padre y Madre historical heap leach pads at its Oro Cruz Gold Project in Imperial County, California, have been delivered to the Geoanalytical Laboratories of the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The SRC is one of Canada's leading providers of applied research, development and demonstration (RD&D), and its internationally recognized and accredited, state-of-the-art Geoanalytical Laboratories have provided high-quality, advanced analytical testing and mineral processing analysis to the exploration and mining industry since 1973. For further information regarding the SRC, please visit www.src.sk.ca/mining.

Phase 1 Sonic Drill Programs

The Phase 1 sonic drilling programs were completed on January 26, 2021 with 20 vertical holes drilled for a total of 318.8 metres (m; 1,046 feet); ten holes each on the American Girl and Padre y Madre historical heap leach pads. Additional details of these programs are available in Southern Empire news releases dated: November 17, 2020, January 13, 2021 and January 28, 2021.

Sample Analysis and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC)

A 30-gram aliquot of each pulverized sample will be processed by fire assay techniques using either an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and/or Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) finish for gold analysis. Analysis for a suite of other elements may be performed at a later date.

SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories participate in the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET) Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP), which operates the Proficiency Testing Program for Mineral Analysis Laboratories (PTP-MAL).

PTP-MAL is a means by which a mineral analysis laboratory can assess its performance for one or more analytical methods independently of internal quality control. Moreover, participation in the program is obligatory if a laboratory is to attain internationally recognized accreditation for mineral analysis activities by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) to International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard requirements.

The CCRMP/PTP-MAL proficiency testing program operates in full accord with ISO/IEC 17043 standard "Conformity Assessment – General requirements for proficiency testing" and "SCC Requirements and Guidance for the Accreditation of Mineral Analysis Testing Laboratories".

The quality management systems and selected methods of the SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories facilities are accredited by the SSC (Scope of accreditation # 537) and operate in accordance with SCC document CAN-P-4E "General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories", the adoption of ISO/IEC 17025. In addition, the SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories are compliant to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Analytical Services Branch, Requirements and Guidance for Mineral Analysis Testing Laboratories. The SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories are assessed on a regular basis, both internally and externally, to ensure these requirements continue to be met.

When received, gold assay results for the sonic drill hole intersections will be reported as true thicknesses, as determined within the context of 3D geological models used for exploration and resource modeling.

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 (QP) 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 gold deposits in North America.

In the Cargo Muchacho mountains of Imperial County, California, Southern Empire owns 100 per cent of the historical gold-producing American Girl mine property and also holds options to acquire a 100-per-cent 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; ultimately owned 53 per cent by MK Gold Company and 47 per cent by Hecla Mining Company) occurred between 1987 and 1996. At 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 Gold Project with many gold exploration targets in addition to the historical inferred resource estimate, reported In 2011 by Lincoln Mining Corp., totalling 341,800 ounces gold based on 4,386,000 tonnes averaging 2.2 grams gold per tonne at a cut-off grade of 0.68 g/t Au (4,835,000 tons at 0.07 ounce gold per ton; please refer to the Cautionary Notice Regarding Historical Resource Estimate below).

Southern Empire is well financed, having completed two oversubscribed, non-brokered private placement financings during 2020; see Southern Empire's news releases dated March 18 and June 12, 2020, for details. With its strong working capital position, which also includes a significant equity holding in Augusta Gold Corp., Southern Empire has the financial resources to continue exploration and development programs at Oro Cruz and consider new opportunities.

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 a number of material factors, many of which are beyond its respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Southern Empire 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 Historical Resource Estimate

The historical resource estimate outlined above 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.

Work Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Timing of Southern Empire's exploration programs will be contingent on governmental regulations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and also the availability of exploration-related personnel, drill contractors, equipment, lodging, et cetera. Southern Empire will adhere to COVID-19 directives regarding safe working practices putting worker, community and national 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) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Southern Empire Resources Corp.

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