Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) (“Aton” or the “Company”) is
pleased to update investors on the latest assay results from its
Hamama West gold-silver project, located in the Company’s 100%
owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”),
in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
- Assay
results have now been received for a further 27 RC drill holes,
HAP-136 to HAP-162;
-
Significant intersections include the following:
- 3.71 g/t
Au, 258.4 g/t Ag and 6.75 g/t AuEq over a 12m interval, from
surface (drill hole HAP-137);
- 0.92 g/t
Au, 26.50 g/t Ag and 1.23 g/t AuEq over a 66m interval, from
2m depth (hole HAP-148);
- 0.85 g/t
Au, 26.71 g/t Ag and 1.17 g/t AuEq over a 66m interval, from
14m depth (hole HAP-155);
- 0.81 g/t
Au, 22.14 g/t Ag and 1.07 g/t AuEq over a 68m interval, from 23m
depth (hole HAP-156).
“These latest results from Hamama West continue
to meet with our expectations, and are more than respectable,” said
Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO. “The RC drilling is again demonstrating
the presence of the wide and continuous body of gold-silver
mineralisation at Hamama West. Aton is continuing to push ahead
with the strategy agreed with our partners at the Egyptian Mineral
Resources Authority, which will lead to the initial development of
the starter open pit heap leach operation at Hamama West, followed
by the Rodruin mine.”
Hamama West RC drilling
programme
The Hamama West project has an indicated
resource of 137,000 ounces of gold equivalent (“AuEq”, gold and
silver combined), and an inferred resource of 341,000 ounces AuEq.
The uppermost oxide and transitional component of the Hamama West
deposit (the “gold oxide cap”) comprises an inferred resource of
106,000 ounces AuEq (see news release dated January 24, 2017).
Metallurgical testwork has indicated average gold recoveries of
75.6% and 72.7% from oxide and transitional mineralisation types
respectively (see news release dated February 22, 2018), using
standard heap leach processing technology. Aton plans to initially
mine the outcropping oxide gold cap of the deposit, which is
mineralised directly from surface, as a low capex/opex starter open
pit mining operation, with a heap leach processing facility. The
Hamama West oxides will provide early cash flow, and will represent
the first stage of phased mine development at the Abu Marawat
Concession.
The reverse circulation percussion (“RC”)
resource infill drilling programme at the Hamama West gold-silver
project (Figure 1) was completed on August 24, 2022. The programme
was designed by Aton, in conjunction with our mineral resource
consultants, Cube Consulting (Perth, Western Australia), to
primarily test the oxide and transitional portion of the Hamama
West mineral resource estimate (“MRE”), with the specific objective
of upgrading the confidence of the existing inferred resource.
A total of 6,620m was drilled for the programme,
predominantly at the Hamama West zone. 3 holes were completed, for
297m, at the Western Carbonate zone, and 5 holes, for 390m, at the
West Garida prospect approximately 3km east of Hamama West (see
news release dated September 1, 2022), with the remaining 5,933m
drilled at Hamama West.
Figure 1: Geology plan of the Abu
Marawat Concession, showing the location of the Hamama West
project
Drill holes were laid out using handheld GPS,
with all collars surveyed on the completion of the programme by
total station. Drill holes were down hole surveyed at appropriate
intervals using a Champ Gyro™ north-seeking gyroscopic survey
tool. The location of the drill holes is shown in Figure 2, and
collar details of holes HAP-136 to HAP-162 are provided in Appendix
A.
Results
Selected significant intersections from the
holes HAP-136 to HAP-162 are shown below in Table 1, and full
results from all holes are provided in Appendix B. All drill holes
intersected mineralisation, as expected.
The southernmost holes typically intersected
narrower oxide zones closer to the structural footwall of the
north-dipping Hamama West mineralisation, which typically carry the
higher grades, for example hole HAP-137 which
intersected 12m grading 3.71 g/t Au, 258.4 g/t
Ag and 6.75 g/t AuEq (at a Au:Ag ratio of
85:1), from surface. Other holes which returned near-surface oxide
zone intersections included HAP-138 (25m grading 1.24 g/t Au, 54.1
g/t Ag and 1.84 g/t AuEq from 1m down hole depth), HAP-142 (34m
grading 0.76 g/t Au, 28.12 g/t Ag and 1.09 g/t AuEq from 1m depth),
and HAP-151 (35m grading 0.90 g/t Au, 14.14 g/t Ag and 1.07 g/t
AuEq from surface). Several of the holes ended in oxide
mineralisation indicating the mineralised zone to be wider than
expected, for example holes HAP-141, HAP-142, HAP-150 and
HAP-151.
Figure 2: Hamama West RC drilling
programme – drill hole collar plan (red: 2022 RC holes reporting;
white: pre-2022 diamond drill holes)
Hole ID |
Intersection (m) 1 |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
AuEq 2(g/t) |
Comments |
From |
To |
Interval |
HAP-137 |
0 |
12 |
12 |
3.71 |
258.4 |
6.75 |
Oxide mineralisation |
HAP-138 |
1 |
26 |
25 |
1.24 |
51.41 |
1.84 |
Oxide mineralisation |
HAP-141 |
11 |
40 |
29 |
0.50 |
34.24 |
0.91 |
EOH in mineralisation (oxide) |
HAP-142 |
1 |
35 |
34 |
0.76 |
28.12 |
1.09 |
EOH in mineralisation (oxide) |
HAP-143 |
0 |
60 |
60 |
0.61 |
22.37 |
0.88 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-146 |
6 |
97 |
91 |
0.53 |
15.58 |
0.72 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-147 |
34 |
89 |
55 |
0.79 |
22.07 |
1.05 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-148 |
2 |
68 |
66 |
0.92 |
26.50 |
1.23 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-150 |
0 |
25 |
25 |
0.91 |
11.62 |
1.04 |
EOH in mineralisation (oxide) |
HAP-151 |
0 |
35 |
35 |
0.90 |
14.14 |
1.07 |
EOH in mineralisation (oxide) |
HAP-153 |
1 |
53 |
52 |
0.85 |
17.23 |
1.05 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-155 |
14 |
80 |
66 |
0.85 |
26.71 |
1.17 |
EOH in mineralisation (sulphide) |
HAP-156 |
23 |
91 |
68 |
0.81 |
22.14 |
1.07 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
HAP-157 |
16 |
85 |
69 |
0.58 |
13.99 |
0.74 |
Oxide/sulphide mineralisation |
Notes: 1) Intersections calculated at a
nominal cutoff grade of 0.5 g/t AuEq in runs of continuous
mineralisation 2) Gold equivalent, AuEq, is
calculated at a ratio of 85:1 Au:Ag (ie. 1 g/t Au = 85 g/t Ag) |
Table 1: Selected mineralised
intersections from RC percussion holes HAP-136 to HAP-162
The deeper holes drilled from more northerly
collar positions targeted the structural footwall at greater depth,
and intersected a combination of both oxide/transitional and
sulphide mineralisation types. Some of these holes intersected wide
zones of mineralisation comprising both oxide/transitional and
sulphide types. Intersections included 66m grading 0.92 g/t
Au, 26.50 g/t Ag and 1.23 g/t AuEq from 2m down hole depth (hole
HAP-148), 66m grading 0.85 g/t Au, 26.71 g/t Ag and 1.17
g/t AuEq from 14m depth (hole HAP-155), and 91m grading 0.53 g/t
Au, 15.58 g/t Ag and 0.72 g/t AuEq from 6m depth (hole
HAP-148).
These latest holes continue to show good
continuity of the mineralisation at Hamama West.
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 using an aqua regia digest followed
by an AAS finish (analytical code Ag-AA45). Any high grade gold
samples (Au >10 g/t) were re-analysed using analytical code
Au-GRA21 (also fire assay, with a gravimetric finish). High grade
Ag samples (Ag >100 g/t) were re-analysed using the ore grade
technique Ag-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
VAHKInterim 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.
Appendix A – RC drill hole collar
details
Hole ID |
Collar co-ordinates 1 |
Dip 2 |
Gridazimuth 2 |
EOHdepth (m) |
Comments |
X |
Y |
Z |
HAP-136 |
534250.6 |
2913770.3 |
529.3 |
-55 |
180 |
35 |
|
HAP-137 |
534249.9 |
2913743.4 |
526.7 |
-90 |
0 |
25 |
Not surveyed 3 |
HAP-138 |
534203.0 |
2913760.6 |
526.3 |
-90 |
0 |
35 |
Not surveyed 3 |
HAP-139 |
534201.6 |
2913745.1 |
524.0 |
-90 |
0 |
25 |
Not surveyed 3 |
HAP-140 |
534201.6 |
2913799.7 |
526.1 |
-65 |
180 |
59 |
|
HAP-141 |
534163.0 |
2913766.4 |
529.0 |
-50 |
180 |
40 |
|
HAP-142 |
534161.9 |
2913750.2 |
523.6 |
-90 |
0 |
35 |
|
HAP-143 |
534116.7 |
2913795.8 |
526.0 |
-55 |
180 |
70 |
|
HAP-144 |
534114.3 |
2913819.0 |
527.9 |
-55 |
180 |
7 |
Collar collapsing - abandoned |
HAP-144a |
534114.3 |
2913819.0 |
527.9 |
-55 |
180 |
85 |
Re-drill of HAP-144 |
HAP-145 |
534050.8 |
2913837.0 |
517.0 |
-55 |
170 |
4 |
Collar collapsing - abandoned |
HAP-145a |
534051.7 |
2913833.8 |
516.9 |
-55 |
170 |
4 |
Collar collapsing - abandoned |
HAP-145b |
534051.7 |
2913833.8 |
516.9 |
-55 |
170 |
80 |
Re-drill of HAP-144/144a |
HAP-146 |
534086.4 |
2913839.0 |
522.2 |
-60 |
175 |
110 |
|
HAP-147 |
534121.2 |
2913838.7 |
522.3 |
-55 |
180 |
95 |
|
HAP-148 |
534161.0 |
2913809.8 |
525.6 |
-60 |
180 |
75 |
|
HAP-149 |
534120.4 |
2913758.0 |
510.6 |
-90 |
0 |
30 |
|
HAP-150 |
534094.2 |
2913767.2 |
509.7 |
-55 |
180 |
25 |
|
HAP-151 |
534094.3 |
2913768.4 |
509.7 |
-90 |
0 |
35 |
|
HAP-152 |
534086.8 |
2913785.5 |
508.8 |
-90 |
0 |
90 |
|
HAP-153 |
534060.3 |
2913796.4 |
507.5 |
-90 |
0 |
60 |
|
HAP-154 |
534020.9 |
2913822.4 |
505.7 |
-55 |
180 |
70 |
|
HAP-155 |
534011.3 |
2913845.2 |
504.7 |
-50 |
180 |
80 |
|
HAP-156 |
534022.1 |
2913849.8 |
508.1 |
-55 |
180 |
100 |
|
HAP-157 |
533969.3 |
2913836.0 |
509.0 |
-57 |
180 |
100 |
|
HAP-158 |
533938.0 |
2913821.6 |
506.9 |
-55 |
180 |
90 |
|
HAP-159 |
533900.5 |
2913792.9 |
508.4 |
-65 |
150 |
45 |
|
HAP-160 |
533927.3 |
2913798.4 |
508.8 |
-55 |
165 |
65 |
|
HAP-161 |
533936.6 |
2913773.0 |
510.5 |
-55 |
180 |
40 |
|
HAP-162 |
533940.8 |
2913749.7 |
513.3 |
-55 |
180 |
15 |
|
Notes: 1) Collar co-ordinates surveyed by
Leica TCRA1203+ R1000 Robotic total
station 2) Collar surveys of drill holes
undertaken at c. 3-6m depth, using a Champ Gyro north-seeking
gyroscopic survey tool 3) Short vertical
holes HAP-137 to HAP-139 were not downhole
surveyed 4) All co-ordinates are UTM (WGS84)
Zone 36R |
Appendix B – Significant
intersections
Hole ID |
Intersection (m) 1 |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
AuEq 2(g/t) |
Comments |
From |
To |
Interval |
HAP-136 |
1 |
13 |
12 |
0.72 |
23.58 |
1.00 |
|
and |
22 |
26 |
4 |
0.42 |
72.95 |
1.28 |
|
HAP-137 |
0 |
12 |
12 |
3.71 |
258.4 |
6.75 |
|
HAP-138 |
1 |
26 |
25 |
1.24 |
51.41 |
1.84 |
|
HAP-139 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
2.86 |
48.73 |
3.44 |
|
HAP-140 |
13 |
55 |
42 |
0.60 |
19.39 |
0.82 |
|
HAP-141 |
11 |
40 |
29 |
0.50 |
34.24 |
0.91 |
Intersection to EOH |
HAP-142 |
1 |
35 |
34 |
0.76 |
28.12 |
1.09 |
Intersection to EOH |
HAP-143 |
0 |
60 |
60 |
0.61 |
22.37 |
0.88 |
|
HAP-144 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Hole abandoned at 7m, collapsing |
HAP-144a |
30 |
68 |
38 |
0.28 |
9.08 |
0.39 |
Re-drill of HAP-144, sub-grade mineralisation from 30-68m |
incl. |
43 |
47 |
4 |
0.47 |
15.55 |
0.65 |
incl. |
53 |
61 |
8 |
0.48 |
10.24 |
0.60 |
and |
68 |
79 |
11 |
2.02 |
20.03 |
2.26 |
|
HAP-145 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Hole abandoned at 4m, collapsing |
HAP-145a |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Re-drill abandoned, collapsing |
HAP-145b |
0 |
71 |
71 |
0.55 |
13.96 |
0.71 |
Re-drill of HAP-145/145a |
incl. |
0 |
26 |
26 |
0.61 |
17.97 |
0.82 |
|
incl. |
40 |
71 |
31 |
0.64 |
12.93 |
0.79 |
|
HAP-146 |
6 |
97 |
91 |
0.53 |
15.58 |
0.72 |
|
incl. |
6 |
9 |
3 |
0.54 |
32.83 |
0.92 |
|
incl. |
15 |
17 |
2 |
0.75 |
17.05 |
0.95 |
|
incl. |
29 |
31 |
2 |
0.41 |
16.60 |
0.60 |
|
also incl. |
46 |
97 |
51 |
0.75 |
17.70 |
0.95 |
76-82m: andesite dyke |
incl. |
46 |
76 |
30 |
0.63 |
19.03 |
0.85 |
|
incl. |
82 |
97 |
15 |
1.23 |
21.69 |
1.48 |
|
HAP-147 |
13 |
15 |
2 |
0.31 |
32.60 |
0.69 |
|
and |
19 |
22 |
3 |
0.59 |
31.63 |
0.96 |
|
and |
34 |
89 |
55 |
0.79 |
22.07 |
1.05 |
41-48m: andesite dyke |
incl. |
34 |
41 |
7 |
0.66 |
20.73 |
0.90 |
|
incl. |
48 |
89 |
41 |
0.94 |
25.65 |
1.24 |
|
HAP-148 |
2 |
68 |
66 |
0.92 |
26.50 |
1.23 |
|
incl. |
2 |
54 |
52 |
0.50 |
20.52 |
0.74 |
|
incl. |
54 |
68 |
14 |
2.49 |
48.71 |
3.07 |
|
HAP-149 |
3 |
27 |
24 |
0.71 |
17.31 |
0.92 |
0-3m: NSR |
HAP-150 |
0 |
25 |
25 |
0.91 |
11.62 |
1.04 |
12-16m: andesite dyke |
incl. |
0 |
12 |
12 |
1.15 |
16.01 |
1.34 |
|
incl. |
16 |
25 |
9 |
0.98 |
10.32 |
1.10 |
Hole still in mineralisation at EOH |
HAP-151 |
0 |
35 |
35 |
0.90 |
14.14 |
1.07 |
19-24m: andesite dyke |
incl. |
0 |
19 |
19 |
1.26 |
17.32 |
1.46 |
|
incl. |
24 |
35 |
11 |
0.70 |
15.05 |
0.88 |
Hole still in mineralisation at EOH |
HAP-152 |
0 |
59 |
59 |
0.62 |
13.91 |
0.78 |
41-49m: andesite dyke |
incl. |
0 |
41 |
41 |
0.58 |
15.13 |
0.76 |
|
incl. |
49 |
59 |
10 |
1.17 |
19.60 |
1.40 |
|
Hole ID |
Intersection (m) 1 |
Au(g/t) |
Ag(g/t) |
AuEq 2(g/t) |
Comments |
From |
To |
Interval |
HAP-153 |
1 |
53 |
52 |
0.85 |
17.23 |
1.05 |
|
HAP-154 |
0 |
43 |
43 |
0.80 |
21.56 |
1.06 |
|
incl. |
0 |
17 |
17 |
0.31 |
13.51 |
0.47 |
|
incl. |
17 |
43 |
26 |
1.13 |
26.82 |
1.44 |
|
HAP-155 |
14 |
80 |
66 |
0.85 |
26.71 |
1.17 |
EOH in mineralisation |
incl. |
14 |
36 |
22 |
0.55 |
18.83 |
0.78 |
|
incl. |
36 |
80 |
44 |
1.00 |
30.65 |
1.36 |
|
HAP-156 |
23 |
91 |
68 |
0.81 |
22.14 |
1.07 |
|
incl. |
23 |
47 |
24 |
0.57 |
24.07 |
0.86 |
|
incl. |
47 |
91 |
44 |
0.93 |
21.09 |
1.18 |
|
HAP-157 |
16 |
85 |
69 |
0.58 |
13.99 |
0.74 |
|
incl. |
16 |
68 |
52 |
0.43 |
12.95 |
0.58 |
|
incl. |
74 |
85 |
11 |
1.52 |
23.85 |
1.80 |
|
HAP-158 |
1 |
29 |
28 |
0.39 |
16.48 |
0.59 |
|
HAP-159 |
0 |
29 |
29 |
0.49 |
31.26 |
0.86 |
|
HAP-160 |
14 |
28 |
14 |
0.52 |
11.12 |
0.65 |
|
HAP-161 |
1 |
9 |
8 |
1.78 |
42.95 |
2.28 |
0-1m: NSR |
HAP-162 |
0 |
10 |
10 |
1.13 |
21.21 |
1.38 |
|
Notes: 1) Intersections calculated at a
nominal cutoff grade of 0.5 g/t AuEq in runs of continuous
mineralisation 2) Gold equivalent, AuEq, is
calculated at a ratio of 85:1 Au:Ag (ie. 1 g/t Au = 85 g/t Ag) |
Graphics accompanying this announcement are available
athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0fc8206-d638-43df-932a-5a7bc964e2b1
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b6556518-1cd0-4f0c-8c37-d2997a231b8f
Aton Resources (TSXV:AAN)
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Aton Resources (TSXV:AAN)
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From Dec 2023 to Dec 2024