Aton Announces the Results of Surface and Underground Sampling at Zeno, with Selective Grab Samples Returning Assays of up to 117.5 g/t Gold

2018-05-30 / @nasdaq

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aton Resources Inc. (TSX-V:AAN) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to provide investors with an update on exploration activities at the Zeno prospect at the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”), located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

Figure 1:
Abu Marawat regional geology, showing the location of the Zeno prospect


Figure 2:
2012 Sample location plan of the Zeno prospect (”Gold Mine Valley” area)


Figure 3:
2017 Sample location plan of the Zeno prospect


Highlights:

  • Aton have recently completed a program of surface sampling at the Zeno prospect, covering an approximate area of c. 4.5 x 1.8 km, totaling 105 samples (64 selective grab samples, 18 channel profile samples, 16 individual channel samples, and 7 QAQC samples). Samples were predominantly taken at surface, with 18 samples being collected underground from the numerous ancient workings in the area;
     
  • Channel sample profiles returned intersections including 5.0 m @ 2.52 g/t Au (profile ZEC-006);
     
  • The ‘point’ samples (selective grabs and individual channels) returned numerous high grade gold assays including 117.5 g/t Au and 100.5 g/t Au, sampled underground from visible gold and iron oxide bearing quartz veins. Other samples returned assay values including 72.3 g/t Au, 56.5 g/t Au and 48.3 g/t Au;
     
  • Of the 80 point samples, 16 (20% of all samples) returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au, and 57 (71%) returned assays greater than 1 g/t Au. The 80 point samples returned a mean average grade of 10.58 g/t Au.
     
  • Results of this sampling program confirm the widespread occurrence of quartz vein hosted gold mineralization in the Zeno prospect area, carrying potentially significantly high grades of gold.

“Zeno is potentially a very important target area for us, as can be seen from the significant amount of high-grade gold results from this sampling programme,” said Mark Campbell, President and CEO. “The Gold Mine Valley group of veins represents a significant new target for us and one which we will be looking to follow up as soon as possible. With the anticipated start of drilling at Rodruin in July, and the imminent declaration of a commercial discovery at Hamama West busy times lie ahead for the Company.”

Sampling at the Zeno Prospect
The Zeno prospect area is located approximately 23 km northeast of the Hamama West mineral deposit, and is centered about 4 km west of the old British-era gold mine at Semna (Figure 1). It has had only limited field inspection and exploration to date due to its relatively inaccessible location within the Concession. The Zeno prospect is centered on an area known as the “Gold Mine Valley” which is located approximately 1 km to the north-northeast of a large, undocumented ancient mining settlement (Figure 2), and is 2 km from the nearest point that is accessible by vehicle. Aton completed a preliminary program of chip channel sampling at the Gold Mine Valley area in 2012 (see news release dated August 15, 2012, which returned assay values including 46.9 g/t Au, 14.75 g/t Au and 14.55 g/t Au from 10 channel samples, all of 2m length.

Figure 1: Abu Marawat regional geology, showing the location of the Zeno prospect

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d35bc90b-b3cf-4ba0-b183-c1a375dd967d

During 2017 a detailed photogeological review of the Zeno area was undertaken using high resolution imagery, which indicated the presence of numerous quartz veins, and ancient workings, paths and buildings over a roughly northwest trending 8-10 km2 area, approximately spatially coinciding with the outcrop of orogenic, or basement “grey granites” (Figure 1). Local Bedouin have anecdotally indicated the existence of “high grade gold mineralization” in the general Zeno area.

During March and April 2017 Company field crews completed a new follow-up program of surface sampling covering a total area of approximately 8 km2 (c. 4.5 x 1.8 km) at the Zeno prospect. A total of 98 samples were collected, along with 7 QAQC (duplicate, blank and flushing) samples. 6 short chip channel profiles (ZEC-001 to ZEC-006) were sampled across veins, structures and/or workings, for a total of 18 samples. The remaining 80 ‘point’ samples consisted of 64 selective grab and grab composite samples, and 16 individual channel samples, which were mainly collected from surface. 18 of the point samples were taken underground from the ancient workings at depths of up to 20m below ground level. 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, and Au-GRA21 for samples which returned gold grades greater than 100 g/t).

Figure 2: 2012 Sample location plan of the Zeno prospect (”Gold Mine Valley” area)

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cccd961-14dd-4adf-807c-31ca182411a3

Figure 3: 2017 Sample location plan of the Zeno prospect

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae7a988e-564f-43d1-85c8-21a614d76fbb

Discussion of Results
The results of the 6 short chip channel profiles are presented below in Table 1.

Channel
ID
Start LocationFinish LocationLength
(m)
Au
(g/t)
Comments
XYXY
ZEC-001554066292383755406429238392.91.04 
ZEC-002554473292384855447029238503.81.05 
ZEC-003555143292349655514829234945.60.35Includes mined out 0.7m gap
ZEC-004555256292365355525129236525.61.00 
ZEC-005555099292408855509629240903.92.55 
ZEC-006555074292409755507029240935.02.52 
Notes:
  1. Chip channel samples manually sampled using hammer and chisel
  2. Variable sample intervals, typically between 1-2m, shorter samples over mineralized quartz veins etc.
  3. Profiles sample across mineralized structures from footwall into hangingwall
  4. Intersections calculated across entire length of channel profile, no cutoff grade applied
  5. All coordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R

Table 1: Assay intersections from Zeno chip channel profiles

All the channel profiles were mineralized, and assay intersections across the mineralized structures included 5.0 m @ 2.52 g/t Au (channel profile ZEC-006) and 3.9 m @ 2.55 g/t Au (ZEC-005).

A total of 80 ‘point’ samples were collected, of which were 64 samples were grab or grab composite samples, with 16 individual channels sampled over lengths varying between 0.4 - 2.2 m. 18 of the point samples were collected underground from ancient workings. Full details of the point samples from Zeno are provided in Appendix A, and a summary of the point sample results is presented below in Table 2:

Zeno ‘point’ samplesAu gradeNumber%
Total point samples80> 100 g/t Au23%
Grab samples64> 10 g/t Au1620%
Channel samples16> 5 g/t Au3038%
Mean average Au (g/t)10.58> 1 g/t Au5771%
Median average Au (g/t)3.71> 0.5 g/t Au6176%

Table 2: Assay intersections from Zeno chip channel profiles

The sampling program has yielded significant results with 20% (16) of the point samples returning assays greater than 10 g/t Au, including 15% (12) of the samples grading greater than 20 g/t Au. Samples of the mineralized quartz veins and structures from ancient underground workings returned assays including 117.5 g/t Au, 100.5 g/t Au, 72.3 g/t Au, 56.5 g/t Au and 48.3 g/t Au. More than 70% (57) of the point samples returned assays greater than 1 g/t Au. The 80 point samples returned a mean average grade of 10.58 g/t Au, and a median average of 3.71 g/t Au.

Mineralization was identified over the entirety of the c. 8 km2 (4.5 x 1.8 km) area sampled (Figure 3), although the highest grades were returned from the most significant group of ancient workings in the “Gold Mine Valley” zone, which covers an overall area of approximately 2 km2 in size, to the north and north-northeast of the ancient mining village (Figures 2 and 3). The ancient workings appear to be predominantly concentrated on a series of narrow (typically <2m) quartz veins and quartz veined shear zones, typically hosted within grey to pinkish coarse grained granodiorites. Within the Gold Mine Valley area individual veins and workings can be traced for 300m or more. Some of the ancient workings are quite extensive, apparently up to 50m deep or more in places, indicating the likely presence of very high grade mineralization to justify the ancients mining to these depths. The veins are typically steep to sub-vertical, but not exclusively, and occur with a variety of orientations throughout the area. Abundant visible gold was observed in some samples collected from the underground workings. Sampling indicates that the mineralization is not exclusively hosted within quartz veins, but extends into the altered and sheared granodioritic wallrocks. In places the veins appear to pinch and swell with some of the underground workings reaching up to 5m width in places, and the style of mineralization appears quite similar to that seen at the Semna prospect (see news release dated November 22, 2017).

The main host rock type in the area sampled was grey to pinkish coarse grained granodiorite, with lesser medium grained diorite intrusives cut by occasional darker fine grained micro-diorite dykes. A few of the veins are associated with pale aphanitic dykes but their pale yellowish color may be due to quartz-sericite alteration.

The mineralization at Zeno typically consists either of narrow (<2m) quartz veins and quartz veined shear zones, typically hosted within orogenic basement granodiorites. Nearly all of the quartz veins appear to be largely similar, consisting of coarse white greasy quartz with patches of disseminated, fine grained, green chlorite and irregular cavities. The cavities appear to have resulted from the dissolution of another mineral, probably a carbonate. Along the edges of some veins and around wall rock fragment incorporated into the veins pale golden, fine-grained mica (sericite) occurs. Most of these veins contain thin films of red or brown iron oxides coating fracture surfaces and lining cavities that result from weathering. Some veins contain patches of more gossanous cellular quartz containing soft red or ochre yellow limonite that, at least in part, replace siderite and hard brown goethite patches that appear to have replaced sulphides. Traces of residual sulphides, either pyrite or chalcopyrite may occur but are rare. Thin films of turquoise blue to light green copper minerals occur in some veins, they consist primarily chrysocolla and malachite. Coarse visible gold was identified in several quartz veins, and in some veins visible gold was also identified in iron oxide rich selvages on the vein margins. The gold mineralization extends into the altered and sheared granodioritic wallrocks.

About Aton Resources Inc.

Aton Resources Inc. (TSX-V:AAN) 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: +1-936-689-2589
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: Zeno prospect – Point samples (grab and individual channel samples), gold assays

Sample IDSample TypeX YAu (g/t)Sample Description
AHA-19122Grab55405529238417.342x sheared c.10cm and c. 40cm wide FeOx bearing QV’s (underground)
AHA-19123Grab55404329238430.394cm QV with abundant FeOx (underground)
AHA-19124Grab55399729238762.39Old dump, sheared gossanous material
AHA-19128Duplicate  1.01Duplicate of AHA-19127 (ZEC-002 channel sample, 1.12 g/t Au)
AHA-19129Channel55511329235630.841.6m channel: sheared Gd, with 5cm QV, at ancient working
AHA-19133Channel55524429236041.291.6m channel: sheared weathered and friable Gd, with FeOx alteration
AHA-19134Grab555245292362615.25SZ with narrow quartz FeOx bearing veins (c. 20m deep, from underground)
AHA-19135Grab555245292362617.95SZ with narrow quartz FeOx bearing veins (c. 10m deep, from underground)
AHA-19136Grab55525729236947.38Sheared 2m FeOx bearing QV (c. 12m deep, from underground)
AHA-19140Channel55525529236665.971m channel: sheared vuggy FeOx bearing QV (ancient working)
AHA-19141Channel55525429236992.501m channel: sheared FeOx bearing QV (ancient working)
AHA-19142Grab55524729238331.593m SZ with narrow QV with FeOx (small ancient working)
AHA-19143Blank  0.01 
AHA-19144Grab55251129262530.09Yellowish-red tailings (?) at ancient working
AHA-19145Grab552667292620820.00Dump material from shallow vein working, 1m wide FeOx bearing QV
AHA-19146Grab55282129258532.0715cm FeOx bearing QV
AHA-19147Grab55282229258520.01Host rock of AHA-19146: fg yellow strongly sheared dyke (ancient working)
AHA-19148Grab55287629257853.73North side of main zone (AHA-19150), strongly sheared, altered Gd (ancient working)
AHA-19149Grab55287729257814.19South side of main zone (AHA-19150), strongly sheared, altered Gd (ancient working)
AHA-19150Grab55287629257823.0750cm FeOx bearing QV (main zone of ancient working)
AHA-19151Grab55300929259214.1715cm FeOx bearing QV in fg yellow strongly sheared dyke
AHA-19152Grab55281629263620.31Sheared contact material from narrow sheeted FeOx bearing veins (shallow ancient workings)
AHA-19153Grab55281629263620.6120cm FeOx bearing QV
AHA-19154Grab55511029245747.9320cm FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact (10m deep, from underground)
AHA-19155Grab5550882924562100.520cm FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact, with VG (15m deep, from underground)
AHA-19156Grab55508229245385.6210cm FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact (20m deep, from underground)
AHA-19157Grab555072292453656.5010cm FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact (20m deep, from underground)
AHA-19158Grab55491329244564.2730cm SZ with sheeted FeOx bearing QV’s (ancient working)
AHA-19159Grab554906292447639.0020cm FeOx bearing QV (5m depth, from 50m (?) deep underground working?)
AHA-19160Duplicate  21.80Duplicate of AHA-19159 (39.0 g/t Au)
Sample IDSample TypeX YAu (g/t)Sample Description
AHA-19161Grab5548752924481117.5FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact, with abundant VG (c. 40m (?) deep, from underground)
AHA-19162Grab554854292448017.85Sheeted veinlets at h/w vein contact with pyrite, FeOx (20m deep, from underground)
AHA-19163Grab554753292446548.301m FeOx bearing FeOx bearing QV, pyrite (10m deep, from underground)
AHA-19164Grab55467429244173.681m surface FeOx bearing QV and some stockwork veinlets at f/w contact
AHA-19165Grab55461429244209.1550cm QV with 10cm sheared contact with abundant FeOx  (15m deep, from underground)
AHA-19166Grab55460129244162.662m wide SZ, with 50cm QV and abundant FeOx
AHA-19167Grab554373292456272.30Sheared contact on 20cm FeOx bearing vein (15m deep, from underground)
AHA-19168Grab554399292455336.40Sheared contact on 30cm FeOx bearing vein (10m deep, from underground)
AHA-19169Grab55438329245642.62Sheared contact on 5cm FeOx bearing vein (5m deep, from underground)
AHA-19170Channel55451929246054.321.5m channel: SZ in strongly weathered, altered Gd with 5cm FeOx bearing QV
AHA-19171Grab55451829246195.132m SZ in Gd with FeOx, Mn (?) alteration
AHA-19172Grab55456629246973.1610cm sheared FeOx bearing vein, and 50cm main QV (ancient working)
AHA-19173Grab55452429246691.5050cm SZ with 20cm FeOx bearing vein hosted in altered diorite?
AHA-19174Grab55471829246170.60H/w contact of barren-looking 1m FeOx bearing vein
AHA-19175Flushing  0.01 
AHA-19176Channel55451829247048.432m channel: SZ with 30cm vein with much FeOx
AHA-19177Grab55422229254755.76F/w contact of 1-3m vein and shear zone, with FeOx
AHA-19178Grab55424829255150.2520cm SZ with stockwork veinlets at f/w contact with 1-2m FeOx-bearing vein
AHA-19179Grab554129292603417.055cm SZ with FeOx bearing QV and Mn oxides (ancient working)
AHA-19180Grab55411629260176.1910 cm QV, with FeOx and Mn oxides (extension of AHA-19179)
AHA-19181Grab55417129259140.0910cm FeOx bearing QV with sheared contact to Gd (ancient working)
AHA-19182Grab55421329258590.381m FeOx bearing QV with mineralized contact
AHA-19183Grab55405829253340.163m SZ with FeOx bearing stockwork veinlets
AHA-19184Grab55161729264100.332.5m FeOx bearing QV, hosted in fg-cg diorite dyke
AHA-19185Grab55295429252493.221m QV, hosted in FeOx and MnOx bearing SZ
AHA-19186Grab55305029254510.040.6m FeOx bearing QV, hosted in mafic dyke
AHA-19187Grab55305829254563.46Extension of oxidized FeOx bearing QV (sample AHA-19186)
AHA-19188Grab55188729262635.6560cm FeOx bearing QV (ancient working)
AHA-19189Grab55187629262711.98Extension of 60cm QV (ancient working)
AHA-19190Grab55521929249180.01~1m vuggy QV in SZ with MnOx, FeOx
AHA-19191Blank  <0.005 
AHA-19192Grab55510529248423.740.2-1m FeOx bearing QV, Cu staining on the f/w, hosted in altered sheared Gd (ancient working)
AHA-19193Grab55432029244904.58SZ carrying FeOx bearing 20cm QV (ancient working)
AHA-19194Grab555068292410028.301m FeOx, MnOx bearing QV with sheared contact (5m deep, from underground)
Sample IDSample TypeX YAu (g/t)Sample Description
AHA-19195Grab55521429241416.250.3m FeOx, MnOx bearing QV, with gossanous contact (ancient working)
AHA-19196Grab55526029244533.81Altered FeOx bearing SZ, carrying QV, mineralized on QV-SZ contact
AHA-19197Grab555224292413926.700.7m gossanous shear zone with FeOx bearing 0.3m QV, hosted in altered weathered Gd (from ancient working, >50m (?) depth)
AHA-19198Grab55525629241262.71FeOx bearing, Cu stained QV (extension of deep ancient working, AHA-19197)
AHA-19199Grab555293292405824.0010cm FeOx bearing QV
AHA-19200Grab55526829240125.204m SZ carrying MnOx and FeOx bearing stockwork QV's and quartz veinlets, 5-20cm thick
AHA-19201Channel55514029244850.371.2m channel: from h/w of the main QV highly altered and sheared Gd with some narrow quartz veinlets
AHA-19202Grab55511429244714.73Dump material: well mineralized (?) FeOx bearing QV material
AHA-19203Grab55512929243283.2640cm QV with abundant FeOx, and some Cu staining
AHA-19204Grab55514629242090.05Highly sheared, altered Gd, with abundant FeOx and 2-3mm quartz veinlets
AHA-19205Channel55513429240749.852.2m channel: SZ in highly sheared and altered Gd with some sheeted stockwork QV's/veinlets up to 5cm
AHA-19212Blank  <0.005 
AHA-19213Grab55467629248964.91Dump material: FeOx bearing QV material
AHA-19214Channel55456629248340.8750cm channel : f/w of QV in altered, sheared Gd
AHA-19215Channel55456629248303.1440cm channel: QV in c. 30m long SZ 
AHA-19216Channel55456529248310.2970cm channel: h/w of QV (sample AHA-19215) in sheared altered Gd
AHA-19217Grab55440429246810.23Dump material from c. 10m ancient trench: QV hosted in altered, sheared Gd
AHA-19218Channel55444829248010.052m channel: f/w of QV (sample AHA-19219) in highly sheared, altered Gd containing some stockwork quartz veinlets
AHA-19219Channel554448292479920.1040cm channel: FeOx bearing QV, about 100m long
AHA-19220Channel55444529247960.041.6m channel: f/w of QV (sample AHA-19219) in altered, sheared Gd with some veinlets
AHA-19221Flushing  <0.005 
AHA-19222Channel55470229248910.0380cm channel: SZ containing 30cm QV, with minor FeOx
AHA-19223Channel55475729249680.321m channel: SZ containing 20cm QV (ancient working)
Notes:
  1. Channel samples were collected over intervals between 0.4-2.2m, actual sampled widths are indicated in the table
  2. SZ: shear zone;  QV: quartz vein;  FeOx: iron oxide(s);  MnOx: manganese oxide(s);  VG: visible gold;  Gd: granodiorite;  h/w: hangingwall;  f/w: footwall;  fg: fine-grained;  cg: coarse-grained
  3. All coordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R


Primary Logo

Share to Youtube Share to Facebook Facebook Share to Linkedin Share to Twitter Twitter Share to Tiktok