Aton Announces Initial Results From the Second Phase of Selective Grab Sampling at the Rodruin Prospect, With Gold Assays Up to 13.90 G/T
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aton Resources Inc. (TSX-V:AAN) (“Aton” or the “Company") is very pleased to provide investors with an update on exploration activities at the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”), and to announce gold assay results from the second phase of grab sampling at the recently discovered Rodruin prospect.
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Highlights:
- A second phase of selective surface grab sampling has been completed at Rodruin, consisting of a total of 102 samples, including 4 QAQC samples. Samples were analyzed for gold by fire assay and a 33 element geochemical suite;
- Grab samples returned gold assay grades including 13.90 g/t Au and 10.75 g/t Au. Base metal and trace element results are still pending;
- 29 of the 98 ‘primary’ samples (30% of total) returned gold assay grades above 1 g/t Au, and 43 samples (44% of total) returned grades above 0.5 g/t Au;
- This second phase sampling program has confirmed the widespread distribution of surface gold mineralization at Rodruin, and has extended the area over which mineralization has been identified. Widespread gold mineralization occurs at surface on the South Ridge, with mineralization more restricted to discrete high grade zones on the North Ridge.
“These are very solid results over a broad surface area and we are very pleased with them.” said Mark Campbell, President and CEO. ”There are more assay results to look forward to, and at the same time we have started work on building a road in to Rodruin in advance of our upcoming drilling program”.
Rodruin Prospect
The Rodruin prospect (see Figure 1) was discovered in early December 2017 by Aton geologists (see news release dated December 14, 2017), and is located approximately 18km east of the Company’s Hamama West mineral deposit. The Rodruin prospect is located over an area consisting of 2 approximately E-W trending parallel mountain ridges, in a remote and rugged location. It is currently only accessible on foot, but can be reached via drivable desert tracks which pass within about 3km of the prospect. Work on the construction of an access road to Rodruin from its western side has been started.
Very extensive ancient workings have been identified at Rodruin, covering a large area, and occurring predominantly within a series of carbonate rocks. These ancient mine workings are the largest and most significant workings identified to date in the Concession. The workings are spread over an area of at least 500m x 400m in size, and over a vertical elevation range of more than 100m, and are located predominantly on the South Ridge of the Rodruin prospect, with fewer workings on the North Ridge. The ancient miners exploited high grade gossanous oxide gold mineralization, often associated with gold-bearing quartz veins, with the workings typically localized along structural or shear zones.
Figure 1: - An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8bde33f6-6003-4b25-96b4-2663b7ced657
Of the 98 grab samples collected, 68 were collected from the South Ridge, and 30 from the North Ridge (see Figure 2). It is apparent that outcropping mineralization is more widespread on the South Ridge, and on the North Ridge is more areally restricted to discrete high grade structurally controlled zones. Surface mineralization further to the west of the main area of workings on the western end of the South Ridge was newly identified and sampled in the Phase 2 program. Additional deep ancient workings on very high grade zones on the South Ridge were identified during the second phase of sampling, but these were not sampled in this program. A summary of the gold assay results is provided in Table 1, and full details of all samples are provided in Appendix A.
February 2018 Phase 2 surface sampling program
A second phase program of surface sampling was carried out in early February 2018, with 98 selective grab samples collected. All samples were crushed to -4mm at the Company’s onsite sample preparation facility at Hamama, with c. 500g splits shipped to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for analysis. Samples were analyzed for gold by fire assay using analytical code AA-Au23 (repeated by AA-Au25 for samples which returned gold grades greater than 10 g/t). Samples were also analyzed for Ag, Cu, Pb and Zn as part of a 33 element suite by ICP atomic emission spectrometry, using analytical code ME-ICP61. Base metal and trace element results are still pending, and are not reported herein.
Figure 2: - An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e5f4f9db-b18d-42ab-9aa9-78a5ee5da635
Figure 3: - An infographic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1bae7edf-537b-4d78-aa16-c7a06de5ea05
Significant gold assays were returned from many samples, with 30% assaying greater than 1 g/t Au and 44% of the samples assaying over 0.5 g/t Au (see Table 1 and Figure 2). The overall mean average grade of all the samples was 1.06 g/t Au.
Phase 2 sampling on the South Ridge confirmed the widespread distribution of mineralization at surface, and extended the known mineralization further to the west (see Figure 3). 57% of the South Ridge samples assayed above 0.5 g/t Au, and the mean average all samples from the South Ridge was 1.29 g/t Au. The median average of the South Ridge samples was 0.75 g/t Au.
Sampling on the North Ridge confirmed that mineralization is more restricted to discrete narrow high grade zones, and is less areally widespread (see Figure 3). Only limited examination of the North Ridge has been undertaken to date, due to the fairly extreme topography in this area.
| ALL SAMPLES | SOUTH RIDGE | NORTH RIDGE | |||||||
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||||
| > 5 g/t Au : | 3 | 3% | 2 | 3% | 1 | 3% | |||
| > 1 g/t Au : | 29 | 30% | 26 | 38% | 3 | 10% | |||
| > 0.5 g/t Au : | 43 | 44% | 39 | 57% | 4 | 13% | |||
| AVERAGE (MEAN) : | 1.06 | 1.29 | 0.55 | ||||||
| AVERAGE (MEDIAN) : | 0.33 | 0.75 | 0.04 | ||||||
| No. of samples | 98 | 68 | 30 | ||||||
Table 1: Summary of Phase 2 surface sample gold assays
Discussion
The Rodruin prospect represents a major ancient mining site from which gold was exploited from high grade gossanous structures and quartz veins, localized in or adjacent to the margins of a distinctive gossanous carbonate unit. The mineralization at Rodruin appears to be of a broadly similar carbonate-hosted hybrid VMS-epithermal style to that seen and interpreted at other prospects in the license such as Hamama, Waayrah, and Miranda SE, but it has been extensively tectonized with the development of significant high grade structurally controlled and shear-hosted zones. Rodruin is characterized by the very widespread distribution of mineralization at surface (see Figure 3), and the presence of the high grade zones, which were preferentially exploited by the ancient miners (see new release dated February 6, 2017). The Phase 2 sampling continues to confirm the potential of the Rodruin prospect to host a large body of Au(-Ag-Zn) mineralization, with a significant component of structurally controlled high grade gold zones, occurring in a distinctive, probably replacive, mineralized carbonate unit.
Rodruin is now the primary focus of the Company’s exploration efforts. Further surface sampling is ongoing, and work has started on the construction of a road into the prospect, with the aim of allowing drilling to commence by April 2018.
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 Sukari gold mine. Aton has identified a 40 km long gold mineralized trend at Abu Marawat, anchored by the Hamama deposit in the west and the Abu Marawat deposit in the east, containing numerous gold exploration targets, including three historic British mines. Aton has identified several distinct geological trends within Abu Marawat, which display potential for the development of RIRG and orogenic gold mineralization, VMS precious and base metal mineralization, and epithermal-IOCG precious and base metal mineralization. Abu Marawat is over 738km2 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.
Qualified Person
The technical information contained in this News Release was prepared by Roderick Cavaney BSc, MSc (hons), MSc (Mining & Exploration Geology), FAusIMM, GSA, SME, Vice President, Exploration, of Aton Resources Inc. Mr. Cavaney 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:
Mark Campbell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +202-27356548
Email: mcampbell@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 – Gold Assay Results
| Sample ID | Easting | Northing | Location | Au (g/t) | Description |
| 13613 | 552990 | 2913121 | North Ridge | 0.01 | Fe-stained shear zone in carbonate altered tuffs |
| 13614 | 552966 | 2913112 | North Ridge | 0.02 | Fe-stained sheared, silicified and carbonate altered tuffs |
| 13615 | 552965 | 2913106 | North Ridge | 0.05 | Purple/black/yellow gossan in sheared, altered tuffs |
| 13616 | 552925 | 2913037 | North Ridge | 0.02 | Fe-stained sheared contact between carbonate and tuffs |
| 13617 | 552951 | 2913029 | North Ridge | 0.03 | Black/brown gossan on sheared and carbonate altered tuffs |
| 13618 | 552958 | 2913016 | North Ridge | 0.10 | Carbonate with brown gossan (and some hemimorphite?) |
| 13619 | 552990 | 2912981 | North Ridge | 0.33 | Soft black-brown gossan |
| 13620 | 552981 | 2913016 | North Ridge | 0.01 | Highly sheared and altered carbonate, with black/brown gossan |
| 13621 | 552996 | 2912983 | North Ridge | 1.44 | Highly sheared red-brown gossan |
| 13622 | 553007 | 2912980 | North Ridge | 0.23 | Mineralized (?) carbonate with red-brown gossan |
| 13623 | 553013 | 2912974 | North Ridge | 0.15 | 2m wide shear zone with black/red gossan in carbonate |
| 13624 | 553022 | 2912990 | North Ridge | 0.32 | Soft black gossan in sheared, altered carbonate |
| 13625 | 553031 | 2913014 | North Ridge | 10.75 | Gossanous shear vein in ancient workings |
| 13626 | 553097 | 2913099 | North Ridge | 0.05 | Shear zone with black Mn? alteration |
| 13627 | 553136 | 2913083 | North Ridge | 0.02 | Mineralized (?) carbonate with iron oxides and minor brown-red gossan |
| 17581 | 552322 | 2913023 | South Ridge | 0.69 | Red-brown/yellowish gossanous material, from old working |
| 17582 | 552280 | 2913043 | South Ridge | 1.90 | Ancient working, silicified and mineralized carbonate with gossan, on contact with sheared tuffs |
| 17583 | 552285 | 2913041 | South Ridge | 1.40 | Ancient working, silicified and mineralized carbonate with gossan, on contact with sheared tuffs |
| 17584 | 552289 | 2913044 | South Ridge | 0.88 | Ancient working, silicified and mineralized carbonate with hemimorphite-rich gossan, on contact with sheared tuffs |
| 17585 | 552287 | 2913020 | South Ridge | 1.64 | Ancient working, silicified and mineralized carbonate with hemimorphite-rich gossan, on contact with sheared tuffs |
| 17586 | 552283 | 2913000 | South Ridge | 0.77 | Ancient working, silicified and mineralized carbonate with hemimorphite-rich gossan, on contact with sheared tuffs |
| 17587 | 552281 | 2913004 | South Ridge | 1.95 | Ancient working, soft brown gossan |
| 17588 | 552422 | 2913060 | South Ridge | 1.44 | Ancient working, carbonate with some gossan and malachite staining |
| 17589 | 552445 | 2913058 | South Ridge | 4.26 | Mixed sheared tuffs and carbonate, with highly gossanous material close to contact |
| 17590 | 5.13 | Duplicate of 17589 | |||
| 17591 | 552451 | 2913030 | South Ridge | 5.02 | Carbonate with highly gossanous material and some iron oxides |
| 17592 | 552485 | 2913038 | South Ridge | 0.06 | Silica-carbonate outcrop with veinlets of dark material and some iron oxides |
| 17593 | 552520 | 2913041 | South Ridge | 0.02 | Silica-carbonate outcrop, mixed with sheared tuffs |
| 17594 | 552549 | 2913013 | South Ridge | 0.07 | 2-3m wide Fe-rich sheared zone, highly altered |
| 17595 | 552444 | 2912947 | South Ridge | 0.32 | Ancient working, mineralized carbonate with gossan |
| 17596 | 552440 | 2912944 | South Ridge | 0.89 | Ancient working, soft brown gossan |
| 17597 | 552443 | 2912931 | South Ridge | 0.18 | Mineralized carbonate with hemimorphite-rich gossan, 1m inside old working |
| 17598 | 552471 | 2912903 | South Ridge | 0.11 | Outcrop of highly silicified and mineralised, gossanous carbonate |
| 17599 | 552502 | 2912895 | South Ridge | 0.85 | Very friable soft gossan material in fractured carbonate |
| 17600 | 552538 | 2912891 | South Ridge | 0.22 | Gossanous, sheared contact of carbonate |
| 18615 | 552597 | 2912876 | South Ridge | 1.41 | Outcrop of patchy gossan on sheared carbonate contact |
| 18616 | 552610 | 2912886 | South Ridge | 2.14 | Ancient working, carbonate with abundant brown gossan |
| 18617 | 552612 | 2912885 | South Ridge | 1.31 | Ancient working, carbonate with strong black-brown gossan from underground |
| Sample ID | Easting | Northing | Location | Au (g/t) | Description |
| 18618 | 552616 | 2912843 | South Ridge | 4.28 | Ancient working, on sheared contact between tuffs and carbonate |
| 18619 | 552655 | 2912861 | South Ridge | 0.74 | Black to red gossan, pyritic boxwork texture |
| 18620 | 552627 | 2912886 | South Ridge | 0.83 | Patchy gossan in carbonate |
| 18621 | 552671 | 2912879 | South Ridge | 1.58 | Black to red patchy gossan in carbonate |
| 18622 | 552621 | 2912895 | South Ridge | 4.45 | Gossan with carbonate, old working |
| 18623 | 552574 | 2912902 | South Ridge | 3.19 | Dark red gossan, limonite and hematite-rich, from ancient underground working |
| 18624 | 552441 | 2912989 | South Ridge | 0.33 | Small ancient working, red-brown gossan, with some baryte |
| 18625 | 0.005 | Blank sample | |||
| 18626 | 552491 | 2912980 | South Ridge | 0.06 | Outcrop of highly silica-carbonate with weak mineralization |
| 18627 | 552500 | 2912976 | South Ridge | 0.07 | Outcrop of highly silica-carbonate, with some mineralization, iron oxide rich |
| 18628 | 552540 | 2912956 | South Ridge | 0.01 | Outcrop of highly silica-carbonate, with some mineralization, limited iron oxides |
| 18629 | 552569 | 2912937 | South Ridge | 0.88 | Gossanous shear zone, highly altered with iron oxides, hematite and black material (Mn?) |
| 18630 | 552579 | 2912948 | South Ridge | 1.06 | Friable soft gossan, in shear zone |
| 18631 | 552578 | 2912952 | South Ridge | 0.09 | Carbonate altered tuffs, with brown/yellow gossan |
| 18632 | 552646 | 2912987 | South Ridge | 1.58 | Black/yellowish gossan, in shear zone |
| 18633 | 552640 | 2912996 | South Ridge | 0.40 | Slatey tuffs replaced by limonite and hematite, with some patches of gossan, in shear zone |
| 18634 | 552524 | 2913030 | South Ridge | 0.04 | Gossanous silica-carbonate |
| 18635 | 552473 | 2913042 | South Ridge | 0.07 | Silica-carbonate, weakly gossanous |
| 18636 | 552749 | 2912711 | South Ridge | 0.02 | Mixed carbonate and altered tuffs, black and brown Mn and Fe (?) alteration |
| 18637 | 552712 | 2912748 | South Ridge | 0.04 | Outcrop of mineralized silica-carbonate, weakly gossanous |
| 18638 | 552712 | 2912738 | South Ridge | 0.30 | Shear zone in altered carbonate, with Fe oxides |
| 18639 | 552700 | 2912766 | South Ridge | 0.05 | Outcrop of silica-carbonate with some black/brown gossan |
| 18640 | 552708 | 2912783 | South Ridge | 13.90 | Dark black gossan, with quartz veins in fractures |
| 18641 | 552739 | 2912759 | South Ridge | 0.43 | Gossanous material between carbonate and altered tuffs |
| 18642 | 552766 | 2912746 | South Ridge | 1.92 | Ancient working, dark brown/black gossan |
| 18643 | 552783 | 2912752 | South Ridge | 1.20 | Ancient working, mineralized carbonate, with dark red gossan |
| 18644 | 552783 | 2912728 | South Ridge | 0.43 | Ancient working, shear zone with dark brown/black gossan |
| 18645 | 552808 | 2912700 | South Ridge | 0.17 | Fe oxide-rich shear zone on boundary of carbonate with altered tuffs |
| 18646 | 552840 | 2912714 | South Ridge | 0.00 | Outcrop of altered silica-carbonate, weakly mineralised |
| 18647 | 552832 | 2912804 | South Ridge | 0.30 | Outcrop of altered silica-carbonate, with some brown gossan |
| 18648 | 552799 | 2912765 | South Ridge | 4.04 | Deep red-brown gossan, on a quartz vein contact |
| 18649 | 552856 | 2912801 | South Ridge | 0.00 | Sheared tuffs, with iron oxides |
| 18650 | 552796 | 2912771 | South Ridge | 0.61 | Remobilized dark brown to black gossan |
| 18651 | 552708 | 2912855 | South Ridge | 0.93 | Silica-carbonate, with limonite, iron oxide and black (Mn?) staining |
| 18652 | 552702 | 2912882 | South Ridge | 1.21 | Silica-carbonate, with gossan |
| 18653 | 552704 | 2912907 | South Ridge | 0.62 | Silica-carbonate, with gossan |
| 18654 | 552720 | 2912934 | South Ridge | 4.59 | Ancient working, with deep brown/dark yellowish gossan |
| 18655 | <0.005 | Blank sample | |||
| 18656 | 552807 | 2913093 | North Ridge | 0.17 | Silica-carbonate, with sheared brown/black gossan |
| 18657 | 553008 | 2912954 | North Ridge | 0.31 | Silica-carbonate, with brown/black gossan |
| 18658 | 553011 | 2912965 | North Ridge | 1.23 | Silica-carbonate with red-brown/black/yellowish gossan between argillites (tuffs?) and carbonate |
| Sample ID | Easting | Northing | Location | Au (g/t) | Description |
| 18659 | 552950 | 2912980 | North Ridge | 0.01 | Sheared tuffs with some gossan, within carbonate |
| 18660 | 552938 | 2913018 | North Ridge | 0.05 | Strongly gossanous silica-carbonate, and highly carbonate altered tuffs |
| 18661 | 553100 | 2913159 | North Ridge | 0.01 | Fe oxide-stained shear zone, in tuffs? |
| 18662 | 553053 | 2913173 | North Ridge | 0.04 | Silica-carbonate band with dark brown gossan in shear zone (25cm wide) |
| 18663 | 553015 | 2913140 | North Ridge | 0.87 | Sheared zone, with dark black/red gossan |
| 18664 | 553026 | 2913142 | North Ridge | 0.02 | 10cm wide quartz vein, with dark material in sheared rock |
| 18665 | 553024 | 2913106 | North Ridge | 0.01 | Folded quartz veinlets in sheared tuffs, with black/brown Mn?, limonite, carbonate and greenish alteration |
| 18666 | 553002 | 2913080 | North Ridge | 0.03 | Sheared tuffs, with limonite and hematite, and abundant dark Mn? |
| 18667 | 552970 | 2913075 | North Ridge | 0.01 | 2m wide zone of gossanous material in carbonate |
| 18668 | 552980 | 2913039 | North Ridge | 0.03 | 3m wide zone of dark gossanous material in carbonate |
| 18669 | 553065 | 2913028 | North Ridge | 0.03 | 50cm wide zone of sheared dark gossanous material in carbonate |
| 18670 | 553103 | 2912996 | North Ridge | 0.07 | Black soft material in strongly weathered zone |
| 18671 | <0.005 | Blank sample | |||
| 18841 | 552282 | 2913084 | South Ridge | 0.39 | Silicified gossan, on sheared contact |
| 18842 | 552278 | 2912996 | South Ridge | 1.26 | Silicified gossan, at old working |
| 18843 | 552280 | 2912996 | South Ridge | 0.96 | Dark red/yellowish gossan from old underground working |
| 18844 | 552413 | 2913032 | South Ridge | 1.52 | Outcrop of gossanous mineralized (?) carbonate |
| 18845 | 552434 | 2913019 | South Ridge | 0.07 | Outcrop of gossanous, mineralized carbonate, with 20cm wide quartz vein |
| 18846 | 552458 | 2913005 | South Ridge | 0.38 | Outcrop of gossanous, mineralized silica-carbonate |
| 18847 | 552579 | 2912941 | South Ridge | 0.01 | Outcrop of gossanous carbonate |
| 18848 | 552633 | 2913000 | South Ridge | 1.35 | Highly altered and sheared material |
| 18849 | 552308 | 2913027 | South Ridge | 3.45 | Ancient working, red-brownish soft gossan |
| 18850 | 552317 | 2913024 | South Ridge | 0.68 | Red-brown/yellowish gossan, sampled 10m inside old working |