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Company: Sonoma Resource Corp.
Symbol: SNA
Exchange: VSE
Telephone: (604) 687-4144
Fax: (604) 669-7678
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Website: info-mine.com
E-mail: adrian@info-mine.com
Released on April 17, 1997
Cerro Toro Exploration Update
The Company is pleased to report on results to date from an ongoing exploration drill program at its 100% owned
Cerro Toro Project, located in San Juan Province, Argentina. A total of fourteen drill holes have been completed
with thirteen intercepting zinc, silver, copper, lead, and gold mineralization. Interpretation by Sonoma's
exploration team indicates Cerro Toro is a strong fault controlled deposit with a shallow erosional level that has
preserved high grade polymetallic mineralization located peripherally to a porphyry system. Ongoing drilling and
geophysical work is seeking to identify the porphyry intrusive.
Four core holes were drilled in the Central Zone and confirm the continuation to depth of a north-south striking
high grade mineralized belt which has an apparent width of 80 meters in the northern most portion of the Central
Zone, with a significant increase in width to the south. Selected intercepts from two holes include: DD No.1,
returned 16.8 meters of 2.42% zinc, 38 grams per ton silver, and 0.16 grams per ton gold, DD No.3, returned 32
meters of 1.36% zinc, 30.3 grams per ton silver, and 0.11 grams per ton gold (including 12 meters of 1.87% zinc,
23.8 grams per ton silver, and 0.11 grams per ton gold). All four holes were completed to depths of less than 200
meters due to rock instability. Results were obtained from a highly leached environment in the upper most
portions of the belt. Interpretation suggests that grade is expected to increase with depth.
Ten reverse circulation drill holes have been completed across the mineralized belt identified in the Central Zone,
and now extending into the South Zone. The length of the belt exceeds 1,800 meters, extending in a
south-easterly direction. Nine out of ten holes intersected mineralization. Drill bole R No.5 located at the
southern perimeter of the Central Zone carried mineralization for its entire 237 meter length and averaged 1.0%
zinc and 15 grams per ton silver, including a 15 meter section from 186 meters to 201 meters averaging 1.79% zinc,
and 28 grams per ton silver, a 12 meter section from 129 meters to 144 meters averaging 1.86% zinc, 24 grams per
ton silver, and 0.14 grams per ton gold, and a 6 meter section from 58 meters to 64 meters averaging 5.95% zinc,
137 grams per ton silver, and 0.20 grams per ton gold. Drill hole R No.7 located 1,200 meters south of R No.5
averaged 160 meters of 0.7% zinc and 10 grams per ton silver, with a 50 meter section averaging 0.3% copper.
An expanded geophysical survey is currently underway by Quantec of Toronto, Canada, who have been
assisting in drill hole locations. Quantec identified a large IP conductor anomaly beginning at the south end of
the Central Zone, and extending in south-easterly direction. The anomaly has been interpreted to be of a
porphyry-copper style, measuring 700 meters in width and 1,800 meters in length, and being open to the
south-east. Holes R No.1, R No.8, and R No.9 were all drilled within the tip of this anomaly, and identified
abundant pyrite. The pyrite is interpreted to belong to the zoning typical at the upper levels of porphyry
systems. Rock chip sample recovery in these holes was poor due to the presence of ground water, colluvium and
fractured rock conditions.
Sonoma's exploration team has interpreted the current information to indicate that the mineralization may be
associated with a large copper porphyry system. Similar zinc and silver zoning exists in the periphery at among
others, the San-Manuel-Kalamazoo (Arizona) or the El Salvador (Chile) porphyry deposits. Drilling and further IP
work by Quantec are currently underway.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors of
Sonoma Resource Corp.
Daniel J. Kunz, President
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