Sonoro Gold Corp (TSX-V:SGO, OTCQB:SMOFF, FRA:23SP) announced that it will resume drilling at its Cerro Caliche gold project in Sonora, Mexico, launching a two-phase, 50,000-metre exploration program aimed at expanding and upgrading the project’s mineral resource.
The Vancouver-based company said the campaign will consist of reverse circulation drilling alongside soil and rock sampling.
Phase I is expected to run through fall 2026 and include 25,000 metres of drilling across roughly 207 holes, as well as about 6,000 soil samples.
Phase II will follow immediately, continuing into spring 2027 with an additional 25,000 metres of drilling, approximately 220 holes and 3,000 soil samples.
Site preparation is underway, with access roads upgraded and drill pads nearing completion. Drilling is scheduled to begin May 11.
Initial work will focus on infill drilling within several known mineralized zones where previous campaigns identified higher-grade gold intercepts within broader mineralized intervals. The company said the objective is to potentially increase the size, grade and confidence level of the existing resource.
“We are excited to resume drilling at Cerro Caliche with the largest drilling campaign since we acquired the project in 2018,” Sonoro CEO Kenneth MacLeod said in a statement.
“While the recently announced results of our updated PEA demonstrated an economically robust project, the report was based on geological data gathered from less than 30% of the known mineralized zones identified on the original 1,350-hectare property.”
MacLeod added that the recent acquisition of 11 mining concessions has increased the project to almost 4,000 hectares.
“The upcoming exploration program is a great opportunity for us to potentially expand the mineral resource, upgrade resource classification and confirm the extensions of the project’s geological structure,” MacLeod said.
Beyond infill drilling, the program will also test deeper mineralized zones and carry out expansion drilling along several mineralized corridors, according to the company.
These efforts are intended to evaluate the continuity of mineralization and explore potential extensions into the newly acquired northern and eastern concessions. The company said historical data from those areas indicate similar geological characteristics and grades to existing zones.
The exploration program will run in parallel with plans to develop an open-pit, heap leach mining operation at Cerro Caliche. The project is currently in the permitting stage, with an initial 10-year mine life envisioned and a projected processing capacity of up to 16,000 tons per day.