Mr. Dale Wallster reports

SOUTHERN EMPIRE PURSUES THE SUAQUI VERDE COPPER DEPOSIT IN NORTHWESTERN MEXICO

Southern Empire Resources Corp. has entered into an agreement with Cuprum Mining Corp., an arm's-length private Canadian company, that grants Southern Empire the opportunity to acquire up to a 100-per-cent interest in the share capital of Cuprum, and thereby a 100-per-cent beneficial interest in Cuprum's Suaqui Verde copper project that comprises certain mineral tenements located in the mining-friendly state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico.

Suaqui Verde copper project and agreement highlights:

• The Suaqui Verde copper deposit comprises oxide copper and secondarily enriched copper sulphide mineralization that outcrops at surface and is outlined by approximately 106 historical reverse circulation (RC) and core drill holes.
• The Suaqui Verde copper deposit is within the world-class Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province.
• Cuprum's mineral concessions cover approximately 1,952 hectares (approximately 4,823 acres) of Suaqui Grande municipality in the mining-friendly state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico.
• The Suaqui Verde copper deposit has been the subject of a series of unpublished, historical open-pit mineral resource estimates, the most recent prepared by Independent Mining Consultants Inc. (IMC) of Tucson, Ariz.
• The agreement provides for water usage rights and unfettered access to the ranch land surface rights that cover the immediate area of the Suaqui Verde copper deposit.
• There is good access to the project area, approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) southeast of the city of Hermosillo (metropolitan population of approximately 850,000) and 116 kilometres (approximately 72 miles) from the port city of Guaymas.
• Local infrastructure and work force are available in the nearby town of Suaqui Grande (eight km; five miles).
• Potential development scenarios may include lower-cost open-pit mining and bulk heap leaching, or alternatively, in situ leaching; both possibilities potentially leading to cathode copper production through solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX/EW) processing methods.

Dale Wallster, chief executive officer of Southern Empire, stated: "With Suaqui Verde, I believe that our team can create significant near-term value for Southern Empire shareholders. Copper, which has just been added to the U.S. Department of Energy's list of critical materials, is now often referred to as the new green metal as the electrification and decarbonization of the world will not happen without it. Suaqui Verde presents an exciting opportunity for Southern Empire to enter the green metals arena by acquiring a little-known copper oxide deposit in mining-friendly Sonora. Southern Empire will be able to immediately capitalize on the substantial investments of previous operators as we investigate the significant exploration potential to expand the Suaqui Verde copper deposit at depth. The case for future development is very compelling, especially with the possible implementation of either conventional heap leach processing or innovative in situ leaching processing."

Geology and copper mineralization of the Suaqui Verde area

The Suaqui Verde copper project area covers an outcropping, oxidized porphyry copper deposit located in the world-class Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province (also known as the Laramide or the Southwestern North America porphyry copper province) where more than 20 porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits have been mined for decades.

Porphyry copper provinces are time-space clusters of porphyry copper deposits. The Sonora-Arizona porphyry copper province comprises adjacent parts of the American states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua, northern Sinaloa and Baja California. This province contains the world's second-largest copper endowment; an estimated total (production plus reserves plus resources) of 295 million tonnes, 96 per cent of which is in deposits of Laramide age (approximately 80 million to 45 million years (Ma)). The province was particularly fertile between 69 Ma and 54 Ma, bracketing the Suaqui Verde deposit mineralization, which is dated at 57 Ma plus or minus 300,000 years.

The Suaqui Verde copper deposit area has been explored by minor underground development and about 150 historical, mostly vertical RC and core drill holes completed by companies including: American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO in the 1940s; now part of Grupo Mexico SAB de CV); Industrias Penoles SAB de CV (in 1964); Minera Constelacion SA de CV (Cominco Ltd. in 1971 to 1972; now Teck Resources Ltd.); Duval Corp.; Azco Mining Inc. (AZCO in 1991); Cambior Inc. (Cambior in 1992 to 1994; now Iamgold Corp.); Phelps Dodge Corp. (Phelps Dodge in 1996; now Freeport-McMoRan Inc.); and Minera Corum SA de CV (Minera Corum in 2006 to 2007; now Cuprum). Overburden is generally shallow and the first 50 metres of the copper mineralized zone often returns poor drill recoveries. Copper mineralized zones are known to continue laterally beyond the drill-defined limits of the deposit and only a few Phelps Dodge drill holes started to explore the copper potential at depth.

The geology of the Suaqui Verde project area is similar to other calc-alkaline porphyry-style copper deposits of the region, featuring a multiphase intermediate (silicic) Laramide-age intrusive complex intruding Cretaceous andesitic rocks of the Tarahaumara formation.

Supergene oxidation, leaching and enrichment have modified the character and position of Suaqui Verde copper mineralization, creating an irregular zone of copper oxides, which may reach depths of up to 350 metres. Supergene copper mineralization consists of a mix of chrysocolla ((Cu, Al)2H2Si2O5(OH)4-nH2O), chalcocite (Cu2S), brochantite (Cu4SO4(OH)6), and minor malachite (Cu2CO3(OH)2) and libethenite (Cu2PO4OH). Chrysocolla and chalcocite are regarded as the most desired mineral species for potential extraction of copper by leach processes. Limonitic copper minerals include cupro-hematite and other metallic gangue minerals include hematite, goethite, jarosite and the manganese oxide neotocite.

Hypogene mineralization comprises pyrite (FeS2), chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and molybdenite (MoS2). Gypsum is common along fractures especially near sulphide-bearing areas.

Historical metallurgical test work indicates that Suaqui Verde copper mineralization should be amenable to either conventional open-pit mining and heap leach copper extraction, or alternatively, in situ leaching. If either of these operational methods were to be implemented, they would produce a copper-enriched solution from which high-purity cathode copper could subsequently be produced by SX-EW (solvent extraction-electrowinning) processing.

In 2008, an independent, historical open-pit mineral resource estimate was prepared as an internal report for Cuprum by IMC of Tucson, Ariz. IMC's unpublished, historical open-pit mineral resource estimate, at selected cut-off grades and based on 106 total drill holes completed between 1991 and 2007, is set out herein.

Geological mapping and structural interpretation, drilling and satellite alteration mapping (ASTER) suggest the Suaqui Verde copper porphyry system has been structurally tilted to the northeast, supporting the potential for deeper sulphide zones extending at depths below historical drilling.

Location, access and infrastructure

Suaqui Verde is in the municipality of Suaqui Grande approximately 140 km southeast of the city of Hermosillo, the capital city of Sonora, Mexico (metropolitan area population of approximately 880,000). The deepwater port city of Guaymas is approximately 116 km from the project.

Suaqui Grande is a town located eight km (five miles) west of Suaqui Verde that was founded in 1620 by the Spanish missionary Martin Burgencio. Access to Suaqui Grande is by national paved highway from Hermosillo. The Suaqui Verde mineral tenements are accessible throughout by a network of unimproved roads. Given the arid local climate and minimal annual rainfall, these gravel roads remain in good condition year-round.

Suaqui Grande can provide all basic infrastructure required for project assessment, including electricity, water, housing, office and secure core storage facilities, and Internet communications.

Material terms of Southern Empire's agreement to acquire up to 100 per cent of Cuprum

The agreement and the obligations of Southern Empire pursuant to the agreement shall be subject to:

1. Acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange of any and all filings required to be made with the exchange in respect of the option and/or the herein subject matter;
2. Receipt of a title opinion showing that, unless specifically acknowledged and accepted otherwise by Southern Empire, the mineral concessions that comprise the Suaqui Verde copper project are free and clear of all charges, encumbrances and claims;
3. There being no adverse environmental liabilities or reclamation costs regarding the Suaqui Verde copper project unless specifically acknowledged and accepted by Southern Empire;
4. If necessary, the entry into an agreement required by the laws of Mexico in connection with the option or ownership of the Suaqui Verde copper project;
5. The approval of the board of directors of Southern Empire.

Southern Empire will give notice to Cuprum of its intention to proceed on the date that it satisfies the foregoing conditions precedent.

Pursuant to the agreement and subsequent to the completion date, Southern Empire, at its sole election, may exercise the option to acquire up to 100-per-cent shareholding in Cuprum as follows:

1. Southern Empire may acquire a 10-per-cent interest in Cuprum by:
   • Paying $500,000 pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, within 90 days of the completion date;
   • Issuing 7.5 million common shares in the capital of Southern Empire, pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, within 90 days of the completion date.
2. Southern Empire may acquire an additional 10-per-cent interest in Cuprum (being an aggregate 20-per-cent interest in Cuprum) by:
   • Paying an additional $250,000 pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, on or before 15 months of the completion date;
   • Issuing an additional 7.5 million common shares in the capital of Southern Empire, pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, on or before 15 months of the completion date;
   • Incurring $750,000 of exploration expenditures within 15 months of the completion date.
3. Southern Empire may acquire an additional 10-per-cent interest in Cuprum (being an aggregate 30-per-cent interest in Cuprum) by:
   • Paying an additional $500,000, pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, on or before 30 months of the completion date;
   • Incurring another $750,000 of exploration expenditures (being a total of $1.5-million of exploration expenditures) within 30 months of the completion date.
4. Southern Empire may acquire an additional 10-per-cent (20 per cent) interest in Cuprum (being an aggregate 50-per-cent interest in Cuprum) by:
   • Paying an additional $500,000, pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, on or before 45 months of the completion date;
   • Incurring another $750,000 of exploration expenditures (being a total of $2.25 million of exploration expenditures) within 45 months of the completion date.
5. Southern Empire may acquire an additional 40-per-cent (50 per cent) interest in Cuprum (being an aggregate 100-per-cent interest in Cuprum) by:
   • Paying an additional $750,000, pro rata to the Cuprum shareholders, on or before 60 months of the completion date;
   • Incurring another $1-million of exploration expenditures (being a total of $3.25-million of exploration expenditures) within 60 months of the completion date.

Southern Empire may extend the date to incur any of the above-noted exploration expenditures by six months by making a payment of $100,000 (U.S).

During the term of the agreement, Southern Empire will act as operator.

A net smelter return royalty of up to 2 per cent may be payable subsequent to commercial production being achieved on the Suaqui Verde copper project.

Work planned for the Suaqui Verde copper project includes additional drilling, sampling and metallurgical analysis, reassaying samples of historical drill core intervals (if available), resurveying drill hole collar locations, claims and surface lands, reviews of historical drill core logs, and a check of original assay certificates against the reported assays and drill hole database.

Qualified person (QP)

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared, reviewed and approved by David Tupper, PGeo (British Columbia), Southern Empire's vice-president, exploration, and a qualified person (QP) within the context of Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Southern Empire Resources Corp.

Southern Empire is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of metals and minerals deposits in the American southwest and northern Mexico, particularly focused on those that are amenable to lower-cost metal extraction methodologies such as heap leaching. To achieve its goals, Southern Empire has assembled a board of directors, all veterans in mine and corporate finance, exploration, permitting, development, and operations that will guide the future growth of the company.

We seek Safe Harbor.