Aton Reports Results of Rock Chip Sampling Over Ancient Workings in the Aladdin's Hill Area at Rodruin, With Samples Averaging 3.75 g/t Gold, Including Individual Samples Grading Up to 18.15 g/t Gold
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to provide investors with a further update on the ongoing exploration activities at the Rodruin prospect at the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”), located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
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Highlights:
- Non-selective surface rock chip sampling on an approximately 5m x 5m grid pattern has been completed at the Rodruin prospect over the main area of ancient underground workings at Aladdin’s Hill. 30 samples were collected, which were all consistently well mineralised and returned a mean average grade of 3.75 g/t Au, with individual samples grading up to 18.15 g/t Au;
- Channel sampling of drill access road cuttings is continuing. Channel sample profile ROC-012, which is located in the Central Valley approximately 400m east of the main workings at Aladdin’s Hill has returned a mineralised intersection of 21.8m @ 1.17 g/t Au;
- Reverse circulation percussion (“RC”) drilling commenced at Rodruin on August 27, 2018, and the first batch of samples has been dispatched from site for analysis at ALS Minerals in Romania, with results expected in the second half of September 2018.
“These very positive new sampling results are significant for our Rodruin prospect. The rock chip sample results confirm the continuity of the known mineralisation at Aladdin’s Hill, as we continue to extend the footprint of the mineralisation over the entire Rodruin area, and actively work up additional target areas for our current drilling program. These excellent gold assay results further enhance the prospectivity and potential of the Rodruin area,” Said Mark Campbell, President and CEO. “The areal extent of this mineralised system at surface is clearly impressive, and we are very excited to have now started the initial drilling programme. Our goal is to identify a significant gold deposit at Rodruin, and ultimately to develop it as a long-life, low cost, cornerstone asset within Aton’s portfolio with the potential to underpin our business for many years to come.”
Rock chip sampling at Aladdin’s Hill
The Company has recently completed a short programme of rock chip sampling over the ancient workings at Aladdin’s Hill within the overall Rodruin prospect area. Due to the impracticality of effectively channel sampling the altered and mineralised rocks exposed in the area of the ancient underground workings, rock chip sampling was undertaken on an approximately 5m x 5m grid pattern (see Figure 1). Sample points were marked out in the field using a handheld Garmin GPS unit. Non-selective rock chip samples were collected manually at the marked sample points using a hammer and chisel, with approximately 5-10 kg samples taken from within a c. 1m radius of the marked points. The 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 analysed for gold by fire assay using analytical code Au-AA23; and silver, copper, lead and zinc with an aqua regia digest followed by an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish (analytical code AA45). High grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using analytical code Au-AA25; and high grade Ag and base metal samples (Ag >100 g/t, and Cu, Pb, and Zn >10,000ppm or >1%) were routinely re-analysed using the ore grade technique AA46. A total of 30 rock chip samples were collected from the Aladdin’s Hill area, as well as 8 QAQC samples (4 duplicate samples, 1 standard certified reference sample, and 3 blank or flushing samples). Details of the samples are provided below in Table 1:
| Sample ID | Sample Type | X | Y | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Cu (%) | Pb (%) | Zn (%) | Comments |
| 19674 | Rock chip | 552357 | 2913006 | 1.60 | 3.4 | 0.29 | 0.14 | 13.00 | Gossanous slates |
| 19675 | Rock chip | 552356 | 2913001 | 0.75 | 3.9 | 0.25 | 0.30 | 0.20 | Gossanous slates |
| 19676 | Duplicate | 0.87 | 4.1 | 0.27 | 0.33 | 0.20 | Duplicate of 19675 | ||
| 19677 | Rock chip | 552354 | 2912993 | 2.09 | 12.4 | 0.17 | 0.42 | 0.14 | Gossanous slates |
| 19678 | Rock chip | 552348 | 2912992 | 4.94 | 2.7 | 0.20 | 0.27 | 0.04 | Altered slates |
| 19679 | Rock chip | 552345 | 2912997 | 10.05 | 3.3 | 0.09 | 0.12 | 0.01 | Altered slates |
| 19680 | Rock chip | 552347 | 2913003 | 1.58 | 10.5 | 0.34 | 0.43 | 0.09 | Gossanous slates |
| 19681 | Rock chip | 552348 | 2913007 | 3.45 | 5.0 | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.01 | Altered slates |
| 19682 | Blank | 0.01 | <0.2 | 7ppm | 6ppm | 47ppm | |||
| 19683 | Rock chip | 552341 | 2913000 | 3.92 | 4.8 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.06 | Altered slates |
| 19684 | Rock chip | 552343 | 2913004 | 1.90 | 8.2 | 0.43 | 0.51 | 0.25 | Altered slates |
| 19685 | Rock chip | 552347 | 2913009 | 2.29 | 12.9 | 0.07 | 0.19 | 0.04 | Altered slates |
| 19686 | Standard | 0.65 | 56.6 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 2.22 | CDN-ME-1406 | ||
| 19687 | Rock chip | 552341 | 2913011 | 2.17 | 5.5 | 0.29 | 0.19 | 0.90 | Gossanous carbonate |
| 19688 | Rock chip | 552337 | 2913014 | 2.25 | 2.1 | 0.16 | 0.27 | 9.29 | Carbonate rock |
| 19689 | Rock chip | 552342 | 2912991 | 18.15 | 13.6 | 0.29 | 1.20 | 0.09 | Altered slates |
| 19690 | Duplicate | 21.70 | 14.1 | 0.26 | 1.00 | 0.08 | Duplicate of 19689 | ||
| 19691 | Rock chip | 552338 | 2912997 | 6.33 | 5.5 | 0.09 | 0.21 | 0.03 | Gossanous slates |
| 19692 | Rock chip | 552332 | 2912996 | 1.57 | 3.3 | 0.15 | 0.12 | 0.08 | Altered slates |
| 19693 | Rock chip | 552329 | 2912988 | 3.14 | 2.8 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.02 | Altered slates |
| 19694 | Rock chip | 552322 | 2912996 | 2.40 | 6.2 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.04 | Altered slates |
| 19695 | Flushing | <0.005 | <0.2 | 7ppm | 6ppm | 8ppm | |||
| 19696 | Rock chip | 552319 | 2912993 | 1.36 | 6.5 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.03 | Altered slates |
| 19697 | Rock chip | 552332 | 2913000 | 3.36 | 5.5 | 0.15 | 0.21 | 0.05 | Altered slates |
| 19698 | Rock chip | 552324 | 2913001 | 9.20 | 9.7 | 0.21 | 0.30 | 0.15 | Gossanous slates |
| 19699 | Rock chip | 552330 | 2913001 | 2.33 | 3.0 | 0.11 | 0.24 | 0.04 | Altered slates |
| 19700 | Duplicate | 1.91 | 3.3 | 0.10 | 0.22 | 0.03 | Duplicate of 19699 | ||
| 19701 | Rock chip | 552333 | 2913015 | 2.43 | 2.4 | 0.18 | 0.09 | 7.20 | Carbonate rock |
| 19702 | Rock chip | 552338 | 2913006 | 3.46 | 4.9 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.23 | Gossanous slates |
| 19703 | Rock chip | 552336 | 2913002 | 5.85 | 6.5 | 0.27 | 0.25 | 0.08 | Gossanous slates |
| 19704 | Rock chip | 552335 | 2913008 | 9.99 | 36.2 | 0.65 | 0.98 | 0.84 | Gossanous slates |
| 19705 | Blank | 0.01 | <0.2 | 9ppm | 9ppm | 6ppm | |||
| 19706 | Rock chip | 552320 | 2913003 | 0.39 | 6.7 | 0.25 | 0.12 | 4.95 | Gossanous carbonate |
| 19707 | Rock chip | 552331 | 2913010 | 0.89 | 1.0 | 0.06 | 0.09 | 2.16 | Carbonate rock |
| 19708 | Rock chip | 552328 | 2913008 | 0.81 | 1.6 | 0.48 | 0.32 | 8.55 | Gossanous carbonate |
| 19709 | Rock chip | 552328 | 2913004 | 0.70 | 4.3 | 0.33 | 0.15 | 0.21 | Altered slates |
| 19710 | Duplicate | 0.87 | 4.2 | 0.40 | 0.17 | 0.26 | Duplicate of 19709 | ||
| 19711 | Rock chip | 552332 | 2913004 | 3.20 | 5.1 | 0.32 | 0.44 | 0.08 | Altered slates |
| Table 1: Details of Aladdin’s Hill non-selective rock chip samples | |||||||||
The 30 rock chip samples collected from the immediate area of the workings at Aladdin’s Hill were all consistently well mineralised, with 25 of the samples grading over 1 g/t Au, and only 1 returning an assay less than 0.5 g/t Au. The 30 samples returned an average mean grade of 3.75 g/t Au, with individual samples assaying up to 18.15 g/t Au (duplicate 21.7 g/t Au). High grades of zinc were also returned from some samples, up to 13.0% Zn, notably from gossanous carbonates, carbonate rocks, or altered slates adjacent to carbonate rocks.
Figure 1: Rock chip sample and channel sample profile locations at the Aladdin’s Hill area, showing gold assay results (g/t Au) is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4efcaae-62c0-4064-98b1-ea05c46aa0d2
The results of the 5m x 5m grid rock chip sampling are particularly encouraging as they indicate the presence of a body of well mineralised remnant wallrock material at Aladdin’s Hill, occurring within highly altered rocks, probably altered slates, which has not been exploited by the ancient miners who were clearly mining the high grade shoots in this area. This confirms the observations from the underground sampling of “Aladdin’s Slot” (see news release dated April 16, 2018). Onsite microscopic examination of surface rock samples has indicated the presence of occasionally very abundant visible gold, associated with green probable arsenate minerals (oxidised arsenic mineral species) in outcrop at Aladdin’s Hill.
Figure 2: Schematic geological plan of the Central Valley area, showing the location of drill access road and channel sample profiles ROC-010 and ROC-011 is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7ff8e34c-d346-4402-983c-7fdbcbd80c5b
Channel sampling at Rodruin
During the ongoing drill access road construction works a programme of surface channel sampling to test potential mineralisation exposed in the road cuttings was commenced. To date 16 channel profiles have been sampled (ROC-002 to ROC-017). The first 8 profiles ROC-002 to ROC-009 (see Figure 3) in the Aladdin’s Hill area were all mineralised with gold and zinc (see news releases dated August 7, 2018 and August 23, 2018), and returned significant intersections including 25.5m @ 4.74 g/t Au (profile ROC-004), and 39m @ 3.62 g/t Au and 5.44% Zn (profile ROC-009). Additionally, extensions to profiles ROC-002, ROC-003, ROC-005, ROC-008 and ROC-009 (see Figure 3) have now been sampled to test for probable extensions to the mineralisation intersected in these profiles (see news releases dated August 7, 2018 and August 23, 2018). Additional results will continue to be released when they become available. For full details of sampling procedures please refer to the news release dated August 7, 2018. Samples from the channel sampling programme were also crushed to -4mm at Hamama, with the c. 500g splits shipped to ALS Minerals in Romania for analysis.
Assays from channel sample profiles ROC-010 to ROC-013 are now available, and details of mineralised intersections from these profiles are provided below in Table 2:
| Profile ID | Length (m) | Intersection (m) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Cu (%) | Pb (%) | Zn (%) | Comments | ||
| From | To | Interval | ||||||||
| ROC-010 | 33.0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Sub-grade: 33m @ 0.12 g/t Au and 0.38% Zn |
| ROC-011 | 56.6 | 34.8 | 56.6 | 21.8 | 1.17 | 2.6 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.11 | Central Valley |
| ROC-012 | 24.1 | 0.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 1.41 | 3.7 | 0.18 | 0.01 | 4.58 | South of Aladdin's Hill |
| ROC-013 | 5.7 | 0.0 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 1.32 | 0.6 | 0.01 | <0.01 | 0.04 | South of Aladdin's Hill |
| Table 2: Mineralised intersections from channel sample profiles ROC-010 to ROC-013 | ||||||||||
Figure 3: Schematic geological plan of the Aladdin’s Hill area, showing the location of drill access roads, drill pads and channel sample profiles is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc935659-8699-4bbc-864d-4524f3928c69
Channel sample profiles ROC-010 and ROC-011 were completed in the Central Valley area, approximately 350-400m east of the mineralisation at Aladdin’s Hill. ROC-010 sampled gossanous and altered slates on the south side of the creek bed, and ROC-011 sampled altered slates and gossanous and altered carbonates and slates north of the creek bed, adjacent to ancient workings apparently exploiting a gossanous contact between slates and the overlying carbonate (see Figure 2). Channel profile ROC-011 returned a well mineralised intersection at its southeastern end of 21.8m @ 1.17 g/t Au, indicating the existence of a significant width of surface mineralisation 400m away from Aladdin’s Hill. Profile ROC-010 returned strongly anomalous gold and zinc values (see Table 2), but was sub-grade using a cutoff grade of 0.5 g/t Au. Above the ROC-010 profile on the central buttress of the South Ridge there are numerous ancient workings and outcrops of gossanous carbonate and slate that have returned good assay grades from surface sampling.
2 short profiles were also sampled on the south side of Aladdin’s Hill, ROC-012 and ROC-013 (see Figure 3), both of which returned mineralised intersections (see Table 2). Profile ROC-012 returned an intersection of 13.0m @ 1.41 g/t Au and 4.58% Zn, from the intersection of an ESE striking fault with the Aladdin’s Hill carbonate, exposed in a drill pad. Further to the east this structure was sampled over a short width in profile ROC-013 which was also mineralised over the full length of this profile in another excavated drill pad.
Discussion
Aton continues to be very encouraged by the results of the ongoing channel sampling programme at Rodruin. The results from profile ROC-011 confirm the presence of significant widths of gold mineralisation at surface in the Central Valley, 400m to the east of Aladdin’s Hill, but in a similar geological setting, associated with gossanous and faulted contacts between carbonates and slates. The presence of significant ancient workings and previously sampled mineralisation above this profile on the central buttress of the South Ridge (see Figure 3 in news release, dated April 16, 2018), and also on the North Ridge, make this a significant target area. Aton are currently working to put in additional drill road access to this area. This will enable further surface channel sampling and more detailed geological mapping to be carried out. Aton intends to drill test this area, when this work has been completed and drill pads have been constructed.
The identification of additional mineralised structures to the south of Aladdin’s Hill in channel profiles ROC-012 and ROC-013 is also encouraging in that this indicates the presence of gold mineralised structures away from the main identified target zones.
As exploration activities progress, they continue to add credence to Aton’s initial interpretation that there is more than one phase or style of mineralisation present at Rodruin. Aton believes that there is an early carbonate-hosted phase of Au-Zn mineralisation, which has certain similarities to that seen in the Hamama area. There is also a later and significant phase of potentially high-grade Au mineralisation, which is strongly structurally controlled. As the channel sampling programme progresses, along with the exposure of sub-cropping mineralisation in road cuttings, Aton continues to expand the mineralised footprint at Rodruin away from the main zone of ancient workings at Aladdin’s Hill.
Rodruin
The Rodruin prospect was discovered in 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 (see Figure 4). Field mapping and sampling has indicated the presence of ancient mine workings and extensive gold mineralisation over an area of at least 700m x 400m at surface. Abundant visible gold has been and continues to be identified in hand specimens from surface outcrops, and ancient dumps and underground workings, with individual selective grab samples assaying up to 321 g/t Au. The main series of extensive ancient underground workings in the Aladdin’s Hill area (see Figure 1) has also been sampled to a depth of approximately 40m below ground level, indicating continuation of the surface mineralisation at depth (see news releases dated February 6, 2018, March 5, 2018 and April 16, 2018).
Construction of drill access roads and pads in the immediate Aladdin’s Hill area has now largely been completed, but work is continuing to finalise pads for the current Phase 1 RC drilling programme. Construction of further drill access roads and pads to access other mineralised zones is continuing. RC drilling commenced on 27 August, 2018. The Phase 1 programme is planned to consist of approximately 4,000 to 6,000 metres of RC drilling, and will initially test the main zone of ancient workings and mapped mineralisation in the Aladdin’s Hill area, and is expected to take about 6 weeks to complete. Samples from the first drill hole, ROP-001 have already been dispatched from site, and the first assay results are expected in the second half of September 2018.
Figure 4: Abu Marawat regional geology, showing the location of the Rodruin prospect is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/99c6e012-c1b8-4098-8091-ce5e58d6ee2f
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 200km north of Centamin’s Sukari gold mine. Aton has identified a 40km long gold mineralised 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 mineralisation, VMS precious and base metal mineralisation, and epithermal-IOCG precious and base metal mineralisation. 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 Javier Orduña BSc (hons), MSc, MCSM, DIC, MAIG, SEG(M), FGS, 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:
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.
