Sona Updates 4,500-Metre Underground Drill Program at Its Elizabeth Gold Deposit Property Twenty Drill Holes Completed, Totalling 1,717 Metres
Twenty Drill Holes Completed, Totalling 1,717 Metres
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/12/11 -- Sona Resources Corp. (the 'Company' or 'Sona') (TSX VENTURE: SYS)(FRANKFURT: QS7) is pleased to report that it has completed 20 holes, totalling 1,717 metres, of its 4,500-metre underground diamond drill program at its 100 percent owned Elizabeth Gold Deposit Property ('Elizabeth'), located in the Lillooet Mining District of southern British Columbia.
All drill holes targeted the West Vein gold mineralization via a drill bay cut into the Upper Adit's east wall, with the hole collars located approximately 80 metres to the southeast of the West Vein. The program is testing an area along strike and down dip from the West Vein mineralization, between the Jewellery Box surface outcrop and the Upper Adit drift along the West Vein approximately 60 metres below. In 2010, 10 uncut chip samples from trenching along the Jewellery Box zone (so called for the rich assay values and abundant visible gold found in its quartz veins) returned composite assays of 45.9g Au/t over an average width of 0.35 metres and a strike length of 47.7 metres. The 2010 West Vein Upper drift sampling returned a composite assay of 17 uncut chip samples that averaged 68.8g Au/t over a width of 1.0 metre and a strike length of 24.5 metres.
The deepest holes drilled during this program tested the West Vein approximately 80 metres below the West Vein underground Upper Adit drift. All holes have intersected the targeted West Vein, and visible gold was noted in the core of hole E11-U84 at 91 metres.
The Company will also drill to verify the Southwest Vein's position along strike to the northeast of the known gold mineralization, via a drill bay at the intersection of the Upper Adit and the existing drifting along the West Vein.
A total of 331 samples from the first 15 holes have recently been sent in for assay.
Material samples for analysis and assay are being cut in half using a diamond saw. Half of the core will be sent to the lab for analysis, and the remaining half preserved for future reference. The samples are being analyzed for gold by standard fire assay atomic absorption finish techniques, as well as multi-element ICP on most samples. A strict QA/QC program is being followed; this includes the use of certified pulp standards and blanks at Acme Labs in Vancouver, and verification analyses in a second laboratory.
The content of this news release has been reviewed by John P. Thompson, a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101, with the ability and authority to verify the authenticity and validity of the data herein.
To view accompanying maps, visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/SonaMapsNR11.pdf
About Sona Resources Corp.
Since its inception in 1990, Sona has engaged in exploration activities at its mineral properties in Canada and the United States, as well as small-scale gold production at its flagship property, the 100 percent owned Blackdome Gold Mine, in south-central British Columbia, 250 kilometres north of Vancouver. At Blackdome, the indicated mineral resources are estimated at 144,500 tonnes, grading 11.29g Au/t and containing 52,600 ounces of gold; and the inferred resource is estimated at 90,600 tonnes, grading 8.79g Au/t (news release dated May 4, 2010). At its 100 percent owned Elizabeth Gold Deposit Property, 30 kilometres south of the Blackdome Gold Mine, Sona has outlined an inferred gold resource of 522,900 tonnes, grading 12.3g Au/t and containing 206,100 ounces of gold (news release dated June 8, 2009).
Sona aims to bring its permitted Blackdome mill back into production over the next two years at a rate of 200 tonnes per day, with feed from the formerly producing Blackdome Gold Mine and the Elizabeth Gold Deposit Property. A positive Preliminary Economic Assessment by Micon International Ltd. (news release dated May 28, 2010), based on a gold price of $950 per ounce over eight years, has estimated a cash cost of $208 per tonne milled, or $686 per gold ounce recovered.
Sona also holds a 100 percent interest in the Montgolfier Project, located in Quebec, 40 kilometres east of the multimillion-ounce Casa Berardi Mine gold deposit.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, and such statements involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted may differ materially from actual results or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or any other occurrence.
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.
Contacts:
Sona Resources Corp.
1 (888) 236-5200
1 (604) 684-6678 (FAX)
info@sonaresources.com
www.sonaresources.com
Marston Webb International
Victor Webb/Madlene Olson
Media Inquiries
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