The Colossa Mine, a small-scale artisanal operation previously exploited in the 1800s, lies within a mineralized trend along the Otú Fault, covering multiple historical mines across a 1.8 km corridor. Soma says that its ongoing exploration indicates high-potential gold zones, further evidenced by stream sediment results and recent channel samples.

The Colossa Mine’s quartz veins, positioned in a unique orientation relative to the Otú Fault, resemble the configuration of veins at Aris Mining’s El Silencio mine in Segovia, raising expectations of further vein extensions. Soma Gold has scheduled an initial 500-meter diamond drill program in late 2024 to further explore these zones.

Since 2023, all Soma exploration samples have been processed by ALS Lima for standardized fire-assay and ICP-MS analysis due to lab improvements at Soma’s Operadora mine lab. Soma’s properties in Antioquia now cover over 56 km of the Otú Fault, including other significant mines along the district’s mineralized trend.

Soma Gold Corp. holds mining interests in Antioquia, Colombia, and Para State, Brazil. The company’s El Bagre Mill is currently operational, with funds from production directed toward regional exploration efforts.

Above photo: Stream sediment samples collected in the vicinity of the Colossa Mine. (CNW Group/Soma Gold Corp.)

The exploration program has focused on extending and verifying the continuity of large-scale veins at depth and along strike. The results to date have identified potential new near-mine mineral resources, which may extend the life of the Segovia mine and provide additional feedstock for the ongoing expansion of the processing plant.

The drilling results disclosed include data from August 1, 2023, to April 1, 2024. These results are expected to be incorporated into updated mineral resource and reserve estimates, projected for release in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The Segovia vein system, comprising 80 identified veins and splays, extends between 1.5 and 2.8 kilometers along strike and between 2.0 and 2.7 kilometers down dip. The majority of the exploration is conducted from within existing underground infrastructure, targeting vein extensions that require lower development costs. Most drill holes intersect multiple veins due to the splays located in the footwall and hanging wall of the main veins, enhancing the efficiency of the exploration process.

Drilling at the historic Cristales operation, currently managed by a third-party contractor, has aimed to prove the extension of the Cristales vein at depth. The drill holes, located about 200 meters south of the historic mine workings, cover an area of approximately 250 by 200 meters. The results are expected to contribute to the identification of new high-grade inferred mineral resources. Highlights include:

• 0.32 m at 25.80 g/t Au in hole CR-ES-075
• 0.47 m at 7.48 g/t Au in hole CR-ES-080
• 0.31 m at 15.54 g/t Au in hole CR-ES-083
• 0.25 m at 137.78 g/t Au in hole CR-ES-086

Near-mine drill holes east of the El Silencio vein system confirmed the continuity of high-grade veins and extended the main vein down dip by another 500 meters. The drilling also identified new veins in the hanging wall and other veins with oblique orientations to the main structures. These new discoveries will be prioritized in upcoming drilling programs. Highlights include:

• 0.12 m at 45.19 g/t Au in hole ES-MH14
• 0.23 m at 55.22 g/t Au in hole ES-MH14-01
• 0.30 m at 61.50 g/t Au in hole ES-MH11-03
• 0.48 m at 61.82 g/t Au in hole ES-MH12-02
• 0.39 m at 28.34 g/t Au in hole ES-MH12-04

Infill and extension drilling northwest of El Silencio demonstrated the continuity of high-grade veins, leading to the discovery of additional new veins in the footwall and hanging wall. These discoveries have been added to the list of targets for future drilling. Highlights include:

• 0.25 m at 15.20 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-182
• 0.20 m at 65.70 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-183
• 0.26 m at 715.99 g/t Au and 0.13 m at 93.34 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-191
• 0.20 m at 56.14 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-195
• 0.49 m at 118.75 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-202
• 0.14 m at 99.87 g/t Au in hole ES-IU-208

Surface drilling targeting a shallower vein near existing operations confirmed vein continuity, prompting new mine development. These results, supported by updated geological interpretations, are expected to convert into high-grade mineral resources. Highlights include:

• 0.29 m at 536.75 g/t Au in hole MAN-ES-017A
• 0.39 m at 178.24 g/t Au in hole MAN-ES-020
• 0.19 m at 812.16 g/t Au in hole MAN-ES-021

Underground drill holes focused on the same high-grade vein target extended mineral resources and discovered new veins in the hanging wall and footwall. Highlights include:

• 0.40 m at 137.80 g/t Au in hole ES-EU-141
• 0.37 m at 15.37 g/t Au in hole ES-EU-145
• 0.28 m at 13.13 g/t Au in hole ES-EU-154
• 0.50 m at 26.93 g/t Au in hole ES-EU-158

At the Providencia mine, infill drilling tested the downdip extension of a high-grade vein, contributing to the short- and medium-term production plans. Highlights include:

• 0.28 m at 29.61 g/t Au in hole MAR-IU-034
• 0.29 m at 11.10 g/t Au in hole MAR-IU-041
• 0.16 m at 207.79 g/t Au in hole MAR-IU-052

Above image: Cross section of the El Silencio vein system at northernmost end of the mine (click to enlarge)

The best high-grade intercepts from these latest drill results at the El Silencio mine include:

• 1040 Vein, new discovery: 137.44 g/t Au and 10.1 g/t Ag over 0.56 meters (ES-GM-U51-20);
• 1150 Vein, new discovery: 93.19 g/t Au and <0.3 g/t Ag over 0.54 meters (ES-GM-U59-20);
• 1180 Vein: 73.03 g/t Au and 32.0 g/t Ag over 0.30 meters (ES-GM-U49-20); and
• Manto Vein: 44.49 g/t Au and 98.5 g/t Ag over 0.35 meters (ES-GM-U17-21)

Serafino Iacono, Executive Chairman of Gran Colombia, said: “Our drilling programs in Segovia are continuing to provide us with outstanding results. With the discovery of two additional high-grade veins at the El Silencio mine, close to the mine workings currently in production, we remain confident that we will continue to expand mineral resources and add to the mine life for this operation. These new discoveries are further evidence that our main mines remain under-explored and have the potential to be larger than what we understand today.”

El Silencio mine – In-fill Drilling Grade Intercepts on Manto and 1180 veins

Gran Colombia’s mine geology department currently has three diamond drill rigs in operation at Segovia carrying out resource definition within the underground developments of the El Silencio mine in a program that has another 13,000 meters of drilling to be completed this year. In addition, as outlined in the company’s press release dated June 9, 2021, the company has another seven diamond drill rigs in operation at Segovia, with three rigs carrying out resource definition on the Sandra K mine from two purpose-built surface platforms and one underground drill station within the underground developments of the Sandra K mine; one rig operating from Level 3 of the Sandra K mine targeting the down-plunge extension of the south ore-shoot of the El Silencio mine; one rig operating from surface at Providencia exploring the westernmost end of the Providencia vein system; one rig operating from the deepest underground developments of the Providencia mine exploring the down-dip extension of the Marmajito Vein; and one rig operating from surface at Carla to follow-up the high-grade intercepts encountered at depth during the last drilling campaign.

El Silencio mine – In-fill Drilling Grade Intercepts on 1150 and 1040 veins

Lombardo Paredes, Chief Executive Officer of Gran Colombia, commenting on the company’s latest production results, said, “We are on track to finish the year in the upper end of our production guidance range of 225,000 to 240,000 ounces of gold. Our mining operations at Segovia continue to deliver on expectations and, for the second consecutive month, we have realized an improvement in the head grades at Marmato, setting us up nicely as we proceed with the spin out of the mine to Caldas Gold as part of our initiative to unlock value in our Zona Baja mining assets at Marmato.”

The company’s Segovia Operations produced a new monthly record total of 19,447 ounces of gold in November bringing the total for the first 11 months of 2019 to 194,108 ounces, up 10% over the first 11 months of 2018. Gran Colombia processed an average of 1,347 tons per day (“tpd”) in November with an average head grade of 16.6 g/t, benefitting from an improvement in head grades at its Providencia and El Silencio mines compared with the last couple of months. Segovia, with head grades averaging 16.4 g/t through the first 11 months of 2019, continues to rank among the top underground gold mines globally by grade. Segovia’s trailing 12 months’ total gold production at the end of November 2019 increased to 211,036 ounces, up 9% over 2018’s annual production of 193,050 ounces. The company expects that its annual gold production at its Segovia Operations for 2019 will finish the year at the top end of its guidance range of between 201,000 and 214,000 ounces.

At the Marmato Operations, November’s gold production of 2,388 ounces benefitted from an improvement in its head grade to 3.0 g/t while processing an average of 941 tpd in the month. This brings the total production for the first 11 months of 2019 to 23,492 ounces, up almost 3% over the first 11 months of 2018. Marmato’s trailing 12 months’ total gold production at the end of November 2019 totaled 25,566 ounces, up more than 2% over 2018’s annual production of 24,951 ounces and within the company’s annual guidance range for 2019 of between 24,000 and 26,000 ounces of gold.