Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 18, 2023) - Sonoran Desert Copper Corporation (TSXV: SDCU) ("SDCU'' or the "Company") is pleased to announce the Company's plans for an exploration program on its Red Lake Projects to follow up on historical LCT pegmatite occurrences. The Camping Lake and Bluffy Lake Projects straddle the boundary between the volcanic-dominated Uchi subprovince to the north and the metasedimentary-dominated English River subprovince to the south. Recent exploration has resulted in success for the Company's direct neighbours to the east along +100 kilometres of the Uchi / English River boundary.
The Company's contiguous neighbour to the east, Kenorland Minerals Ltd. has completed an exploration program on its South Uchi claims, resulting in multiple lithium-cesium (Li-Cs) anomalies, which could indicate potential sources of lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite systems along the Uchi/English River subprovince boundary within their claims. (1)
Directly east of Kenorland's South Uchi Caims, are the Root Lake and McCombe lithium deposits, held by Green Technology Metals, which are being developed to resources and straddle the same Uchi/English River margin. (2)
Brian Leeners, CEO of Prime Meridian, stated, "Our Red Lake claims capture approximately 30 kilometres of the Uchi / English River boundary and the historical showings combined with the recent success of our neighbours demonstrates the potential for lithium-bearing pegmatite systems within our Project areas."
LCT Pegmatites at SDCU's Camping Lake Project
The Company's Camping Lake Project covers mapped pegmatite outcrops and remains prospective over approximately 18 kilometres along a contact of a large granitic batholith and regional greenstone belt, along the Uchi/English River subprovince boundary, an area highly prospective for LCT pegmatites. Further to the northeast, the Company's Bluffy Lake Project covers an additional 12 kilometres of the Uchi/English River subprovince boundary and lies adjacent and on trend with Kenorland Minerals' South Uchi claims.
The Camping Lake Project encircles a large granitic batholith, which intrudes into greenstones of the Uchi subprovince. The southern part of the claim area covering the Sydney Lake Fault Zone (SLFZ) straddles a sequence of interbedded greenstone metagreywackes and metavolcanics in the north and iron formation and metagreywacke in the south, with parallel granitic intrusive contacts mapped near the centre and southern part of the claims, trending parallel to the regional SLFZ fault zone.
The rocks in the area have been intruded by granitic rocks of at least three ages and mafic dikes, stocks, and batholiths. Underlying part of the property is a muscovite-biotite granodiorite, which suggests the possibility of a sedimentary-granitic complex. The rocks exhibit heterogeneity in grain size, ranging from medium- to coarse-grained with some fine-grained facies. Associated with the granodiorite are aplite and pegmatite dikes. Aplite dikes are fine-grained and a few centimetres wide, composed of leucocratic quartz-feldspar rocks. On the other hand, pegmatite dikes can reach widths of 3 metres or more and have variable composition and grain size, often with sharp or gradational contacts.
Historical Pegmatite Showing
Near the edge of the Company's Camping Lake Property, near Highway 105, there is sparsely distributed beryl mineralization occurring in a narrow dike with a maximum width of 5.5 metres and exposed for 52 metres in an area with poor outcrop. At the western end, the dike bifurcates, forming a discordant southwest-trending arm. It is predominantly concordant with the foliation of the host metasediments, which consist mainly of muscovite biotite pelites and minor metawackes that have undergone medium-grade regional metamorphism. The dominant facies within the dike is the aplitic facies, constituting approximately 80 percent of its composition. It consists of subhedral to anhedral quartz phenocrysts embedded in a matrix of felty, white to pink cleavelandite. Other accessory minerals include purpurite, beryl, muscovite, and apatite.
Both the aplite and pegmatite exhibit similar mineralogy on a macroscopic scale. However, the pegmatite tends to have a higher modal percentage and coarser crystals of muscovite, purpurite, and apatite. The highest concentration of beryl is found in the pegmatite, with observed crystal diameters reaching up to 7.5 centimeters. Additionally, pod-like masses enriched in coarse-grained tourmaline sporadically occur in the host metapelites along the northern contact between tourmaline-free sediments and the pegmatite.
Planned Exploration Program
The Company is currently evaluating a potential exploration program including a broad MMI sampling grid and UAV airborne magnetics. The survey areas will be focused in and around the historical pegmatite showing, as well as along the extensive contact zone of the greenstone metasediments and the granitic batholith.
Qualified Person Statement
The technical contents of this release were approved by Case Lewis, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.
References
(1) https://www.kenorlandminerals.com/news/kenorland-announces-termination-of-south-uchi-earn-in-agreement-with-barrick-gold-corp/
(2) https://www.greentm.com.au/asx-announcements
About Sonoran Desert Copper Corporation
SDCU is focused on the development of its energy metals project portfolio including the South Uchi lithium project in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada and the Cuatro Hermanos copper / molybdenum porphyry project in Sonora, Mexico the acquisition of which is pending approval from the TSX Venture Exchange.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Sonoran Desert Copper Corporation.
"Brian Leeners"
Brian Leeners, CEO & Director
brianleeners@gmail.com / +1 604-862-4184 (WhatsApp)
The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.
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