Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is
pleased to update investors on drilling results from the West
Garida prospect, located in the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat
Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”), in the Eastern
Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
- 5 percussion RC holes were drilled at the West Garida prospect,
testing the down dip extensions of mineralised quartz veins mapped
at surface;
- All 5 holes intersected mineralisation associated with the
targeted narrow quartz veins;
- Hole WGP-003 intersected 41.7 g/t Au, 263 g/t Ag and
2.08% Pb over a 1m interval from 17m depth;
- Hole WGP-005 intersected 1.54 g/t Au over a 5m
interval from 65m depth.
“We are very excited to be able to announce the
discovery of high grade quartz vein associated mineralisation from
this new drilling at West Garida,” said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO.
“West Garida is an area that has interested us since we first
mapped it in 2017, has been on our radar since then, and we are
delighted with the results from this initial short RC programme.
Its proximity to the Hamama West deposit makes it particularly
interesting, in terms of its potential ease of development, and
West Garida again confirms the outstanding exploration potential of
the entire Abu Marawat Concession. We continue to push strongly
ahead at both Rodruin and Hamama West, but these new results show
the bigger potential of the Concession, which we fully intend to
develop over time. We anticipate further follow-up drilling to come
at West Garida, as we look to shift our drilling focus to the
numerous other high priority exploration targets at Abu Marawat,
including Abu Gaharish, which appears to be a Sukari analogue,
following the completion of the current diamond drilling programme
at Rodruin. We continue to fully believe that very exciting times
lie ahead for Aton.”
West Garida Prospect
The West Garida prospect is located
approximately 3 km east-northeast of the Hamama West deposit
(Figure 1) and is accessed by a road constructed in 2017. A short
programme consisting of 5 vertical reverse circulation percussion
(“RC”) drill holes was completed at West Garida during a break in
the Hamama West drilling programme (see news release dated August
26, 2022).
The West Garida prospect was discovered, mapped
and sampled by Aton geologists in 2017, with individual
surface channel samples returning grades including 99.6 g/t
and 45.6 g/t Au (see news release dated October 17, 2017).
Visible gold was identified in several samples associated with the
quartz vein hosted mineralisation. West Garida is located
approximately 500m from the western margin of a “Younger Granite”
intrusive and is more or less along the strike of the Hamama West
deposit. The general geology of the West Garida area is similar to
that at Hamama West and is characterised by a sequence of
intermediate to felsic volcanic and pyroclastic rocks that are cut
by a number of sub-volcanic felsic intrusive bodies.
Mineralisation at West Garida occurs in shallow
dipping, narrow gold-bearing quartz veins, and mapping by Aton
geologists has identified the presence of three principle gold
bearing veins, Veins #1 to #3 (Figure 2), which have all been
worked in ancient times, as well as a further three to four minor
veins. There are also extensive ancient superficial workings in
colluvium in the general surrounding area. Further details on the
West Garida prospect can be found in the news release dated October
17, 2017.
Figure 1: Geology plan of the Abu
Marawat Concession, showing the location of the West Garida
prospect is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b2cf0c1-113d-4379-8290-510be6c9e9ff
West Garida RC Drilling
Programme
Hole ID |
Collar co-ordinates 1 |
Dip 2 |
Grid azimuth 2 |
EOH depth (m) |
Comments |
X |
Y |
Z |
WGP-001 |
536786 |
2915103 |
620 |
-90 |
- |
100 |
Testing vein #3 |
WGP-002 |
536733 |
2915113 |
617 |
-90 |
- |
80 |
Testing vein #3 |
WGP-003 |
536827 |
2914982 |
623 |
-90 |
- |
50 |
Testing vein #2 |
WGP-004 |
536803 |
2914939 |
622 |
-90 |
- |
70 |
Testing vein #2 |
WGP-005 |
537328 |
2914767 |
622 |
-90 |
- |
90 |
Testing vein #1 |
Notes:1) Collar co-ordinates surveyed by handheld
Garmin GPS, collars to be later surveyed by total station
2) Holes were not down hole surveyed, due to
vertical orientation of drilling 3) All
co-ordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R |
Table 1: Collar details of RC
percussion holes WGP-001 to WGP-005
5 shallow RC holes were drilled at West Garida,
for a total of 390m, to test the mapped shallow dipping quartz
veins (Figure 2). Holes were initially laid out using handheld GPS.
Collar details of the holes are provided in Table 1.
Figure 2: Drill hole collar plan
of the West Garida area is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1080e290-f1dd-4302-80bd-62871b2d909b
All 5 RC holes intersected mineralisation
associated with quartz veins and stringers, and significant assay
results and intersections are provided below in Table 2:
Hole ID |
Intersection (m) 1 |
Au (g/t) |
Ag (g/t) |
Cu (ppm) |
Pb (ppm) |
Zn (ppm) |
Comments |
From |
To |
Interval |
WGP-001 |
17.0 |
18.0 |
1.0 |
0.56 |
0.7 |
65 |
16 |
401 |
Vein #3 - mineralisation associated with quartz stringers, hosted
in andesitic tuffs |
and |
26.0 |
27.0 |
1.0 |
1.30 |
1.7 |
131 |
15 |
1,910 |
and |
33.0 |
35.0 |
2.0 |
1.16 |
1.5 |
62 |
13 |
115 |
WGP-002 |
30.0 |
31.0 |
1.0 |
0.51 |
1.0 |
55 |
15 |
484 |
Vein #3 |
WGP-003 |
17.0 |
19.0 |
2.0 |
21.15 |
142.7 |
4,524 |
11,945 |
5,290 |
Vein #2 – quartz stringers in cherty felsic (ash?) tuffs |
incl. |
17.0 |
18.0 |
1.0 |
41.7 |
263 |
8,120 |
20,800 |
6,480 |
WGP-004 |
25.0 |
27.0 |
2.0 |
0.60 |
10.5 |
44 |
285 |
989 |
Vein #2 |
WGP-005 |
64.0 |
74.0 |
10.0 |
0.93 |
2.0 |
91 |
20 |
784 |
Vein #1 – broader zone of quartz vein style mineralisation, hosted
in andesitic tuffs |
incl. |
65.0 |
70.0 |
5.0 |
1.54 |
2.6 |
104 |
28 |
893 |
and incl. |
72.0 |
73.0 |
1.0 |
0.73 |
3.0 |
163 |
15 |
1,045 |
Notes:1) Significant assays > 0.5 g./t Au |
Table 2: Mineralised intervals
from RC percussion holes WGP-001 to WGP-005
Hole WGP-003 tested the down-dip extension of
Vein #2 and intersected a 2m mineralised interval from 17m depth,
returning grades of 21.15 g/t Au, 142.7 g/t Ag, 0.45% Cu, 1.19% Pb
and 0.53% Zn, which included 1m @ 41.7 g/t Au, 263 g/t Ag,
0.81% Cu, 2.08% Pb and 0.65% Zn (Table 2). The
mineralisation was hosted in dark green cherty felsic tuffs, and
the high grades of Cu, Pb and Zn reflected the presence of
chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite which were recorded in surface
samples from Vein #2 (see news release dated October 17, 2017).
Mineralisation was associated with narrow iron and copper-stained
quartz veinlets and stringers.
Hole WGP-005 tested the southerly down-dip
extension of Vein #1, and intercepted a weakly weathered, broader
10m wide mineralised zone, which returned a grade of 0.93 g/t Au,
and which contained an intersection of 5m @ 1.54 g/t
Au from 65m downhole depth (Table 2). The mineralisation
was hosted in andesitic tuffs with finer cherty felsic tuffs, and
associated with clear, glassy and somewhat iron-stained quartz
veins, which were observed to carry free gold at surface (see news
release dated October 17, 2017).
In all cases the drilling intersected the
targeted narrow visible gold-bearing quartz veins and quartz
stringer zones mapped at surface, with hole WGP-003 apparently
confirming the down-dip continuation of the precious and base metal
hosting Vein #3 and confirmed the presence of high grade gold at
West Garida. It is anticipated that further diamond drilling will
be undertaken to follow up this short first RC programme. When the
ongoing Rodruin diamond drilling programme has been completed the
rig will be mobilised to Hamama where it is scheduled to drill at
the Hamama East zone, as well further follow-up holes at West
Garida.
Sampling and analytical
procedures
The RC holes were drilled at 140mm diameter, and
the bulk percussion chip samples were collected directly into
pre-written large plastic bags from the cyclone every metre,
numbered with the hole number and hole depths, and laid out
sequentially at the drill site. Between each metre of drilling the
cyclone and top box were cleaned out with compressed air. The bags
were then moved to a logging and storage area where the chips were
logged by Aton geologists. The bulk 1m samples were weighed, and
subsequently riffle split through a 3-tier splitter onsite by Aton
field staff to produce an approximately 1/8 split, which was
collected in cloth bags, numbered and tagged with the hole number
and depth. The splitter was cleaned with compressed air between
each sample. The reject material from this initial bulk split was
re-bagged, labelled and tagged, and the bulk reject samples will be
stored and retained on site at Hamama. A representative sample of
each metre was washed, stored in marked plastic chip trays, each
containing 20m of samples, photographed, and retained onsite as a
permanent record of the drill hole.
All the 1m split samples were weighed again, and
the samples were riffle split onsite at the Hamama sample
preparation facility, typically a further 3-4 times using a smaller
lab splitter, to produce a nominal c. 250-500g sample split for
dispatch to the assay laboratory. Again, the splitter was cleaned
with compressed air between each sample. The laboratory splits were
allocated new sample numbers.
QAQC samples are inserted into the sample stream
at a rate of approximately 1 certified reference material (or
“standard”) sample every 30 samples, 1 blank sample every 15
samples, and 1 field duplicate split sample every 15 samples.
The c. 250-500g split samples were shipped to
ALS Minerals sample preparation laboratory at Marsa Alam, Egypt,
where they were pulverised to a size fraction of better than 85%
passing 75 microns. From this pulverised material a further
sub-sample was split off with a nominal c. 50g size, which was
shipped on to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for
analysis.
Samples were analysed for gold by fire assay
with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (“AAS”) finish (analytical
code Au-AA23), and for silver, copper, lead and zinc using an aqua
regia digest followed by an AAS finish (analytical code AA45). Any
high-grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using
analytical code Au-GRA21 (also fire assay, with a gravimetric
finish). Any high-grade Ag and base metal samples (Ag >100 g/t,
and Cu, Pb and Zn >10,000ppm, or >1%) were re-analysed using
the ore grade technique AA46 (also an aqua regia digest followed by
an AAS finish).
About Aton Resources Inc.
Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) is focused on
its 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat”), located in
Egypt’s Arabian-Nubian Shield, approximately 200 km north of
Centamin’s world-class Sukari gold mine. Aton has identified
numerous gold and base metal exploration targets at Abu Marawat,
including the Hamama deposit in the west, the Abu Marawat deposit
in the northeast, and the advanced Rodruin exploration prospect in
the south of the Concession. Two historic British gold mines are
also located on the Concession at Sir Bakis and Semna. Aton has
identified several distinct geological trends within Abu Marawat,
which display potential for the development of a variety of styles
of precious and base metal mineralisation. Abu Marawat is 447.7 km2
in size and is located in an area of excellent infrastructure; a
four-lane highway, a 220kV power line, and a water pipeline are in
close proximity, as are the international airports at Hurghada and
Luxor.
Qualified person
The technical information contained in this News
Release was prepared by Javier Orduña BSc (hons), MSc, MCSM, DIC,
MAIG, SEG(M), Exploration Manager of Aton Resources Inc. Mr. Orduña
is a qualified person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
For further information regarding Aton Resources
Inc., please visit us at www.atonresources.com or contact:
TONNO VAHK
Interim CEOTel: +1 604 318 0390 Email:
info@atonresources.com
Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
Some of the statements contained in this release
are forward-looking statements. Since forward-looking statements
address future events and conditions; by their very nature they
involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each
case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in
such statements.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
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