Vancouver, British Columbia - Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) ('Aton' or the 'Company') updates investors on the results of its diamond drilling programme at the Abu Marawat deposit ('Abu Marawat'), located within the retained exploration areas of the Company's Abu Marawat Concession (the 'Concession') in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights
The diamond drilling programme at Abu Marawat has now been completed, with 113 holes drilled for a total of 9,642.7 metres. During the programme holes were predominantly drilled horizontally or at shallow angles to test near-surface mineralisation in an area of steep and mountainous terrain that is hard to access for conventional drilling rigs, and is largely undrilled; Results for a further 29 holes, AMD-167 to AMD-195, are now available, with significant high grade polymetallic mineralised intersections including: 33.86 g/t Au, 419 g/t Ag, 38.51 g/t AuEq, 0.56% Cu and 6.51% Zn over a 2.50m interval from the Fin Vein, from 151.80m downhole depth (hole AMD-190); 44.59 g/t Au, 103 g/t Ag, 45.73 g/t AuEq, 0.10% Cu and 0.21% Zn over a 1.60m interval from the J Vein, from 10.40m downhole depth (hole AMD-191); 5.77 g/t Au, 96.7 g/t Ag, 6.85 g/t AuEq, 2.20% Cu and 0.96% Zn over a 6.10m interval from the CVZ, from 54.90m downhole depth (hole AMD-181); 6.00 g/t Au, 252 g/t Ag, 8.81 g/t AuEq, 0.23% Cu and 1.61% Zn over a 4.70m interval from the Fin Vein, from 159.50m downhole depth (hole AMD-192); 7.32 g/t Au, 42.9 g/t Ag, 7.80 g/t AuEq, 0.42% Cu and 3.63% Zn over a 4.90m interval from the Fin Vein, from 9.00m downhole depth (hole AMD-170) and 4.50 g/t Au, 58.9 g/t Ag, 5.15 g/t AuEq, 0.67% Cu and 3.81% Zn over a 6.00m interval from the Fin Vein, from 4.10m downhole depth (hole AMD-178).
The Abu Marawat gold-silver-copper-zinc deposit is located approximately 35km northeast of the Hamama West deposit and 10km north-northeast of the Semna gold mine project, and is accessed via a well maintained desert track from the Qena-Safaga highway, approximately 25km to the north. On March 1, 2012 Aton Resources, when formerly named Alexander Nubia International Inc, announced a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource at Abu Marawat, prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., in compliance with the requirements set out in Canada's National Instrument 43-101. The resource was subsequently restated in an updated Technical Report without amendment, and which is available online at Aton's website at https://atonresources.com/investors/reports-and-presentations. This Inferred Mineral Resource was based on 98 diamond drill holes totalling 19,573 metres. 19 of these holes were drilled by a former property owner, Minex Minerals Egypt, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greenwich Resources Plc during the late 1980's, and the remainder were drilled by Aton in 2011. The Inferred Mineral Resource comprises 2.9 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.75 g/t Au, 29.3 g/t Ag, 0.77% Cu and 1.15% Zn, containing 162 thousand ounces of gold, 2.7 million ounces of silver, 49 million lbs of copper, and 73 million lbs of zinc, and was based on net smelter return ('NSR') cut-off grades.
Significant high grade gold-silver-copper-zinc mineralisation was consistently intersected in the currently reporting tranche of drill holes, over mineable widths of about 2-6 metres from the Fin Vein. These mineralised intervals include 33.86 g/t Au, 419 g/t Ag, 38.51 g/t gold equivalent ('AuEq', calculated using Au and Ag only, with a Au:Ag ratio of 90), 0.56% Cu and 6.51% Zn over a 2.50m interval, from 151.80m downhole depth (hole AMD-190); 6.00 g/t Au, 252 g/t Ag, 8.81 g/t AuEq, 0.23% Cu and 1.61% Zn over a 4.70m interval, from 159.50m downhole depth (hole AMD-192); 7.32 g/t Au, 42.9 g/t Ag, 7.80 g/t AuEq, 0.42% Cu and 3.62% Zn over a 4.90m interval, from 9.00m downhole depth (hole AMD-170) and 4.50 g/t Au, 58.9 g/t Ag, 5.15 g/t AuEq, 0.67% Cu and 3.81% Zn over a 6.00m interval, from 4.10m downhole depth (hole AMD-178). All these intersections occur within the oxidised and weathered upper part of the Fin Vein, which appears to be replacive in origin. The Fin Vein mineralisation extends to the surface, and in outcrop it stands up as distinct positive topographic feature. It typically displays a granular or brecciated quartz fabric, with a saccharoidal, and honeycombed or vuggy texture when weathered, caused by the removal of granular carbonate minerals and the oxidation of sulphides. It is primarily composed of quartz, carbonates, and iron oxides, as well as copper, zinc and lead oxide mineral species in the weathered zone. Mineralisation was also intersected in many of the holes from some of the subsidiary structures, including the V Ridge Vein, the J Vein, and the JVZ and JVZ West structures. The mineralisation was usually sporadic and often occurred in narrow zones, but the J Vein did return a single very high grade mineralised interval of 44.59 g/t Au, 103 g/t Ag and 45.73 g/t gold equivalent over 1.60m, from 10.40m downhole depth (hole AMD-191).
The Abu Marawat diamond drill holes were drilled at a combination of either HQ3 size (61.1mm diameter) and/or PQ3 size (83mm diameter). Core was loaded into metal core boxes by the drill crew under supervision of Aton geologists. The core was metre marked onsite at the Abu Marawat camp, with basic geotechnical measurements (total core recovery, solid core recovery, and rock quality designation) undertaken by Aton geologists, as well as specific gravity measurements. It was also photographed in both wet and dry states at Abu Marawat. The core was then carefully packed and transported to the Rodruin exploration camp, where it was geologically logged by senior Aton geologists, and marked up for cutting and sampling at the Rodruin core farm. Samples were typically selected over nominal 1m intervals, but as determined by the logged lithologies. The core was half-cut by Aton staff at the onsite Rodruin sample preparation facility. After the core had been cut, the relevant cut intervals were then photographed again. The split half-core samples were collected and bagged up in cloth bags, weighed and crushed to -4mm onsite, and split to a nominal c. 500-1,000g sample size. The coarse crushed reject samples are retained onsite at the Rodruin sample preparation facility. QAQC samples were inserted into the sample runs at a rate of approximately 1 certified reference material (or 'standard' sample) every 30 samples, 1 blank sample every 15 samples, and 1 duplicate split sample every 15 samples. The dried, crushed and 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. 100g size, which was shipped on to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for geochemical analysis. The reject pulp material was returned to the sample preparation facility at Rodruin, where it is also retained onsite The samples were analysed for gold by fire assay (30g charge) with an atomic absorption spectroscopy ('AAS') finish (analytical code Au-AA23). Any high grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using analytical code Au-GRA22 (also fire assay, 50g charge, with a gravimetric finish). Samples were also analysed for silver, copper, lead and zinc using an aqua regia digest followed by an AAS finish (analytical code AA45). Any high grade silver and base metal samples (Ag >100 g/t, and Cu, Pb or 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 ('the Concession'), located in Egypt's Arabian-Nubian Shield, approximately 200 km north of AngloGold Ashanti's world-class Sukari gold mine. Aton has identified numerous gold and base metal exploration targets at the Concession, including the Hamama deposit in the west, the Abu Marawat deposit in the northeast, and the Rodruin deposit in the south of the Concession. Two historic British gold mines are also located on the Concession at Semna and Sir Bakis. Aton has identified several distinct geological trends within the Concession, which display potential for the development of a variety of styles of precious and base metal mineralisation. The Abu Marawat exploitation lease is 57.66 km2 in size, covering the Hamama West and Rodruin mineral deposits, and was established In January 2024 and is valid for an initial period of 20 years. The Concession also includes an additional 255.0 km2 of exploration areas, retained for a further period of 4 years from January 2024. The Concession 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.
Contact:
TONNO VAHK
Tel: +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.
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