News

Casa Grande, AZ and Toronto, ON, December 7, 2021 – Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (TSX:ASCU) (“ASCU” or the “Company”), an emerging US-based copper developer and near-term producer, announces assays from two drill holes (1,133.5 m | 3,718.9 ft) in the Cactus East deposit as part of a 9,144 m (30,000 ft) Pre-Feasibility Study (“PFS”) infill to indicated drilling program. The drilling targeted the oxide material along the periphery of the Cactus East Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) underground mine plan, defining mineralization towards the East Fault and gathering an understanding of the geometry of the fault (see FIGURES 1-3, TABLE 1 below).

Hole ECE-021, extended mineralization 61 m (200 ft) east of the current mineral resource shell and is one the best oxide intercepts ever drilled at the Cactus Project. The drill intercept of leachable material is considerably thicker and higher grade than predicted in the area at 99.1 m (325 ft) @ 1.28% Cu TSol (total soluble) vs 48.8 m (160 ft) @ 0.54% Cu TSol. Mineralization is open 122 m (400 ft) north, towards the NW trending East Fault. Follow up drilling will be conducted to confirm the continuity of the high-grade zone to the north and east adjacent to the East fault.

Highlights:

• The drilling demonstrates continuous leachable mineralization including extensions outwards from the mineral resource pit shell by at least 61 m (200 ft)
• ECE-021: 1.43% Cu TSol over 80.9 m (266 ft) of oxide mineralization; incl:

                        2.21% Cu TSol over 27.2 m (89 ft)

• ECE-020: 0.50% Cu TSol over 100.9 m (331 ft) of oxide mineralization

George Ogilvie, ASCU President and CEO commented, “The infill drilling to indicated mineral resource classification is a key program as we move towards the Pre-Feasibility Study, expected in mid-2022, and will underpin all future engineering work at Cactus. The initial high grade oxide results are providing improved data points for the upcoming PFS, while also confirming that grades improve towards the East fault.”

TABLE 1: Drilling Highlights

1. Intervals are presented in core length; are drilled with vertical dip angles.
2. Drill assays assume a mineralized cut-off grade of 0.1% CuT reflecting the potential for heap leaching in the case of Oxide and Enriched material, or to provide typical average grades in the case of Primary material. ECE-020 was terminated in Primary mineralization, ECE-021 was terminated in basement rocks intercepted at 1,900ft depth.
3. Assay results are not capped. Intercepts are aggregated within geological confines of major mineral zones.
4. True widths are not known.

Table 2: Drill Details

PFS Drilling Program

Current 9,144 m (30,000 ft) Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) infill to indicated drilling program targets drill spacing of 76 m (250 ft) spacing. The drilling program infills material classified as inferred in the PEA mine plan based on the mineral resource estimate. Assays are pending for further infill drilling in Cactus West and Cactus East and drilling continues to complete the program.

A total of 265 holes for 72,255 m (237,057 ft) has now been drilled into the Cactus West and East deposit. Since 2019, ASCU have drilled 127 of those holes for 30,468 m (99,959 ft). 49 holes for 26,730 m (87,698 ft) have been drilled into Cactus East.

Geological Description

The Cactus East Orebody has long been recognized as the down-dropped eastern edge of the Cactus West Orebody, with the oxide and enriched zones preserved at 304.8 m (1,000 ft) below Cactus West, and well above the Basement Fault. Cactus East is also preserved within a series of post-mineral normal faults as a pyramid-shaped body with the oxide zone and overlying leach cap at the peak.

Currently, the Cactus East underground oxide and enriched mineral resource contains 146M lbs of copper at 0.95% TSOL in the indicated Category and 315M lbs of copper at 0.88%TSOL in the inferred category; any new drilling data will be used to support the PFS expected mid-2022.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drilling completed on the project in 2021 was supervised by on-site ASCU personnel who prepared core samples for assay and implemented a full QA/QC program using blanks, standards and duplicates to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Skyline Laboratories in Tucson AZ for analysis.  Skyline’s quality control system complies with global certifications for Quality ISO9001:2008. 

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed and verified by Allan Schappert – CPG, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101– Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Links from the Press Release

FIGURES 1-3: https://arizonasonoran.com/projects/cactus-mine-project/press-release-images/

Neither the TSX nor the regulating authority has approved or disproved the information contained in this press release.

About Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (www.arizonasonoran.com | www.cactusmine.com)
ASCU’s objective is to become a mid-tier copper producer with low operating costs, develop the Cactus Project that could generate robust returns for investors, and provide a long term sustainable and responsible operation for the community and all stakeholders. The Company's principal asset is a 100% interest in the Cactus Project (former ASARCO, Sacaton mine) which is situated on private land in an infrastructure-rich area of Arizona. The Company is led by an executive management team and Board which have a long-standing track record of successful project delivery in North America complemented by global capital markets expertise.

For more information:
Alison Dwoskin, Director, Investor Relations
647-233-4348
adwoskin@arizonasonoran.com

George Ogilvie, President, CEO and Director
416-723-0458
gogilvie@arizonasonoran.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ASCU to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling; inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the properties; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; results of exploration programs; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals, projected cash operating costs, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals.

Although ASCU has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and ASCU disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.