Aton Reports 104.5 g/t Gold from Surface Sampling at the Zeno Prospect

2023-06-26 / @accesswire

 

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2023 / Aton Resources Inc. (TSXV:AAN) ("Aton" or the "Company") is pleased to update investors with the latest results from its recent surface sampling programmes at its regional target areas, undertaken ahead of the ongoing reverse circulation percussion ("RC") drilling programme at the Company's 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession ("Abu Marawat" or the "Concession"), in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

Highlights:

  • A total of 60 selective grab samples were collected from the Zeno prospect area;
  • Samples returned assays including 104.5 g/t Au, 67.1 g/t Au and 43.0 g/t Au;
  • A further 4 samples returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au, and a further 9 samples also returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au;
  • The structural orientations are markedly similar to those observed at the nearby Semna gold mine;
  • Samples were taken in previously unsampled areas, which have been heavily exploited by artisanal miners in recent times. The results of this phase significantly expand the area of mineralised veins and structures in the Zeno prospect area.

"This is another set of very impressive sampling results from an area that we have done little work in since identifying its potential significance back in 2018. The entire Semna-Zeno area is certainly shaping up as a very high priority target, and we are looking forward to getting the RC rig up to Semna in July, and then on to Zeno to test some of these potentially very high grade structures and veins" said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO. "Meanwhile as the RC drilling is ongoing out in the field, our external consultants Cube and Wardell Armstrong International are pushing ahead on the final submission to the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority in support of our upcoming application for the mining licence at the Abu Marawat Concession, and which we expect to be finalised within the coming months. This continues to be a very busy period for Aton, as we get closer to the mining licence application, and these results again show the potential for the long-term development of multiple gold mines at Abu Marawat."

Abu Marawat regional sampling programme

The Company has undertaken several surface sampling programmes, as part of its preparation and planning activities for the regional RC exploration drilling programme started in May 2023 (see news release dated May 19, 2023). As previously reported all the Company's main exploration targets have recently been worked by artisanal miners, predominantly since the Company's suspension of field activities in 2020 as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, which has provided an opportunity to carry out additional sampling and mapping of the known structures, as well as previously unidentified mineralised structures that have been exploited by the artisanal miners. The Company has continued to work in close co-operation with our local Bedouin partners, and in the past 2 months has managed to successfully remove all the artisanal miners from the primary areas of interest within the Abu Marawat Concession area. Samples from the first programmes returned assays up to and including 67.5 g/t Au from Abu Gaharish, 54.9 g/t Au from Bohlog, and 27.6 g/t Au from Semna (see news release dated May 29, 2023).

Aton Resources, Inc., Monday, June 26, 2023, Press release picture
Figure 1: Geological map of the Abu Marawat Concession, showing the location of Zeno

Zeno regional sampling programme

Sampling was undertaken at the Zeno prospect area, located approximately 12 km north of its Rodruin mineral deposit and 4 km west of the old Semna gold mine (Figure 1). Artisanal miners have been very active in the general Zeno area in the previous 3 years, and have excavated numerous open pit and underground workings on what Aton believe to be potentially very high grade gold mineralised veins and structures. Previous surface sampling by Aton of visible gold and iron oxide bearing quartz veins, prior to the incursion of the artisanal miners 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 (see news release dated May 30, 2018).

Aton has recently completed a programme of selective grab sampling at Zeno, in areas to the south and west of the area sampled in 2018 (see Figure 2). A total of 60 samples were collected, including one field duplicate sample. In addition 2 QAQC samples, one blank and one duplicate sample, were inserted into the sample run sent for assaying. Selected results from the sampling programme are shown in Table 1, and full assay results are presented in Appendix A. Following the completion of this currently reported programme additional sampling has also been undertaken in the Zeno and Semna areas, and the results of this more recent work will again be reported once they become available.

Aton Resources, Inc., Monday, June 26, 2023, Press release picture
Figure 2: Zeno prospect - sample location plan

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

AHA-45480

Zeno

552718

2924680

Grab

17.45

0.7

179

11

199

AHA-45484

Zeno

552370

2924854

Grab

43.00

5.7

163

24

470

AHA-45489

Zeno

553951

2924679

Grab

25.50

6.4

37

6

97

AHA-45505

Zeno

553081

2924912

Grab

67.10

4.2

144

24

592

AHA-45507

Zeno

553096

2924909

Grab

13.65

0.9

88

5

654

AHA-45522

Zeno

553186

2924913

Grab

20.20

1.7

206

19

827

AHA-45532

Zeno

553553

2923625

Grab

104.50

11.5

110

22

377

Table 1: Selected surface sampling results

Discussion of results

The mineralisation worked extensively in both ancient and recent times in the Zeno area appears to consist predominantly of narrow (typically <2m) quartz veins and quartz veined shear zones, typically hosted within grey to pinkish coarse grained granodiorites. Some of the individual veins and workings can be traced for 300m or more. Previous sampling has indicated that the mineralisation is hosted within both the quartz veins and their altered and sheared wall rocks. In places the veins appear to pinch and swell with some of the underground workings reaching up to 5m width in places (see news release dated May 30, 2018).

Of the 60 samples taken in the current programme 7 (12% of the samples) returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au (see Table 1), 16 (27%) returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au, and 28 in total (47%) returned assays greater than 1 g/t Au. Visible gold was identified in several of the samples.

The current sampling programme has confirmed that gold is hosted in quartz veins and their surrounding altered and sheared wall rocks in typically narrow zones, that sometimes pinch and swell. In some places multiple veins were observed to coalesce together and anastomose, and in other areas narrow veinlets within broader altered and sheared zones returned high grades of gold mineralisation (eg. 13.65 g/t Au from sample AHA-45507. This structure also returned an assay of 67.10 g/t Au, further along strike). The quartz veins are frequently vuggy, and contain iron oxides on fracture surfaces and in cavities. The veins appear to carry only very limited primary sulphide minerals, as indicated by the low base metal levels, although traces of green copper oxide staining were occasionally observed.

The veins are typically steep, and occur in multiple orientations, however there appears to be a dominant orientation striking approximately east-southeast to east-northeast throughout the area, with the veins and shear zones generally dipping between about 60° to sub-vertically to the south. There are also a number of approximately north to north-northeast striking structures and veins, including one which returned a gold grade of 104.5 g/t (sample AHA-45532). It is noted that the style and structural setting of the Zeno mineralisation is very similar to that at the Semna gold mine, approximately 4 km to the east.

The current sampling programme has considerably expanded the mineralised area at the Zeno prospect, and has confirmed the presence of multiple high grade gold bearing veins and structures, up to several hundreds of metres long, throughout the general area.

Sample processing and analytical procedures

Samples were collected in the field by Aton's exploration teams. The selective grab samples were collected manually, and were mostly, but not entirely, collected in situ, with some samples collected from the artisanal miners' residual rock dumps and ore piles, for example.

The samples were weighed and crushed to -4mm onsite at the Rodruin sample prep facility, and split to a nominal c. 250-500g sample size. The coarse crushed reject samples are retained onsite.

The c. 250-500g 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. 50g size, which was shipped on to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for analysis. The reject pulps were returned from ALS, and are also retained onsite.

Samples were analysed for gold by fire assay with an atomic absorption spectroscopy ("AAS") finish (analytical code Au-AA23), and for silver, copper, lead and zinc using an aqua regia digest followed by an AAS finish (analytical code AA45). Any high grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using analytical code Au-GRA21 (also fire assay, but with a gravimetric 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 VAHK

Interim CEO
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.

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 surface sampling results

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

Comments 3

AHA-45479

Zeno

552766

2924660

Grab

8.41

0.3

45

15

321

Vq, dipping 52/182 and adjacent wall rock, in open pit

AHA-45480

Zeno

552718

2924680

Grab

17.45

0.7

179

11

199

Vq, dipping 60/196 and adjacent wall rock, in 6m u/g working

AHA-45481

Zeno

552688

2924730

Grab

1.12

<0.2

45

4

23

Vq, dipping 60/208 and adjacent wall rock, in 10m u/g working

AHA-45482

Zeno

552187

2924966

Grab

3.65

0.3

192

4

51

Vq, dipping 86/348 and adjacent wall rock, in 10m u/g working

AHA-45483

Zeno

552142

2924974

Grab

0.04

<0.2

48

2

19

Vq, dipping 77/339 and adjacent wall rock, in 3-5m u/g working

AHA-45484

Zeno

552370

2924854

Grab

43.00

5.7

163

24

470

Vq, dipping 64/354 and adjacent wall rock in 3m u/g working, with strong gouge zone, probably fault

AHA-45485

Zeno

552402

2924869

Grab

0.24

<0.2

40

4

39

Sheared Vq, dipping 76/312 and adjacent wall rock, in 3m u/g working

AHA-45486

Zeno

552689

2925027

Grab

0.56

0.4

186

12

65

Red haematitic quartz from ore pile

AHA-45487

Zeno

554288

2924494

Grab

7.63

1.2

134

6

279

Vq and adjacent wall rock, in a wider shear zone

AHA-45488

Zeno

553943

2924679

Grab

0.17

<0.2

26

5

34

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45489

Zeno

553951

2924679

Grab

25.50

6.4

37

6

97

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45490

Zeno

554043

2924466

Grab

0.15

0.2

10

1

9

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45491

Zeno

554042

2924467

Grab

0.71

<0.2

9

6

84

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45492

Zeno

553906

2924252

Grab

0.24

<0.2

24

4

12

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45493

Zeno

553854

2924256

Grab

0.59

<0.2

66

4

42

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45494

Zeno

Blank

<0.005

<0.2

3

13

58

AHA-45495

Zeno

553815

2924260

Grab

4.12

0.6

37

7

38

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45496

Zeno

553847

2924450

Grab

2.25

0.2

39

5

24

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45497

Zeno

553830

2924447

Grab

0.28

<0.2

28

4

52

Vq and adjacent wall rock. Different, more shallow dipping vein at the same location as AHA-45497

AHA-45498

Zeno

553807

2924469

Grab

0.09

<0.2

42

5

15

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45499

Zeno

553888

2924475

Grab

0.20

<0.2

15

4

18

Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45500

Zeno

553555

2924415

Grab

0.10

<0.2

14

5

35

Vuggy Vq in a narrow shear, in narrow working

AHA-45501

Zeno

553530

2924386

Grab

5.60

0.7

55

8

1630

Red haematitic quartz from ore pile

AHA-45502

Zeno

553597

2924337

Grab

1.05

0.2

204

13

1010

Gossanous and vuggy Vq and adjacent wall rock

AHA-45503

Zeno

553629

2924332

Grab

0.06

<0.2

47

4

65

Dark brown, gossanous Vq and adjacent wall rock

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

Comments 3

AHA-45504

Zeno

553067

2924922

Grab

6.47

3.8

23

7

185

Sheared Vq, dipping 60/129 and sheared wall rock

AHA-45505

Zeno

553081

2924912

Grab

67.10

4.2

144

24

592

Series of narrow anastomosing Vq veinlets in Gd, dipping c. 56/160. Same open pit as AHA-45504

AHA-45506

Zeno

553099

2924903

Grab

0.20

<0.2

27

6

338

Sheared Vq, dipping 74/190, pinches and swells. N side of large open pit

AHA-45507

Zeno

553096

2924909

Grab

13.65

0.9

88

5

654

A series of 2-3cm anastomosing Vq veinlets in Gd host rock, dipping 59-71/198-206. Ankerite alteration zone, possible several parallel veins?

AHA-45508

Zeno

553128

2924943

Grab

0.03

<0.2

28

4

18

Small prospecting (?) pit with narrow Vq, dipping 69/224

AHA-45509

Zeno

553090

2924693

Grab

0.20

<0.2

86

5

45

Narrow Vq dipping 60/127 from large u/g workings

AHA-45510

Zeno

553030

2924673

Grab

0.52

<0.2

49

5

238

Whitish greasy Vq, dipping 69/143

AHA-45511

Zeno

553674

2924321

Grab

1.93

0.2

26

7

157

Narrow Vq, dipping 73/004 from u/g drive

AHA-45512

Zeno

553690

2924312

Grab

0.50

<0.2

13

4

80

Shear zone, dipping 80/014, containing loose brown fissile material

AHA-45513

Zeno

553714

2924297

Grab

6.34

<0.2

21

4

38

Vuggy FeOx-stained greasy Vq, dipping 80/355, hosted in Gd

AHA-45514

Zeno

553741

2924293

Grab

0.06

<0.2

10

5

58

Vq, dipping 72/158, hosted in soft, sheared and altered Gd

AHA-45515

Zeno

553841

2924059

Grab

3.32

0.2

80

6

966

Narrow Vq dipping 70/120 in sheared Gd

AHA-45516

Zeno

553770

2924100

Grab

0.04

<0.2

25

4

21

Several anastomosing Vq veinlets, dipping 85/171, with soft fissile, altered margins. Westernmost of a series of deep u/g shafts

AHA-45517

Zeno

553802

2924094

Grab

0.78

<0.2

29

4

16

Vuggy Vq hosted in sheared Gd, from the southeastern end of u/g pits

AHA-45518

Zeno

Duplicate

0.84

0.2

26

3

13

Duplicate of AHA-45517

AHA-45519

Zeno

553842

2923977

Grab

0.13

<0.2

61

4

45

Vq from u/g shaft, dipping 57/147

AHA-45520

Zeno

553851

2923985

Grab

0.19

<0.2

7

2

9

Sampled from ore pile next to several u/g shafts

AHA-45521

Zeno

553873

2924002

Grab

1.53

0.5

112

12

21

Vuggy Vq, associated with sheared Gd

AHA-45522

Zeno

553186

2924913

Grab

20.20

1.7

206

19

827

Very vuggy and oxidised altered brown rock from large open pit with u/g workings, structure dipping at 60/190

AHA-45523

Zeno

553877

2923775

Grab

2.37

<0.2

19

5

22

Narrow, vuggy Vq, dipping 55/144 in a fissile shear zone in open pit

AHA-45524

Zeno

553939

2923799

Grab

0.22

<0.2

105

5

38

Narrow Vq, dipping 53/174, in prospecting pit, within fissile shear zone

AHA-45525

Zeno

553967

2923812

Grab

4.29

0.6

61

6

68

Narrow converging Vq's in a shallow u/g pit on same structural trend as AHA-45524

AHA-45526

Zeno

553864

2923772

Grab

0.58

<0.2

145

6

53

Brown weathered quartz, from ore pile

AHA-45527

Zeno

553864

2923772

Grab

0.35

0.2

140

5

50

Brown weathered quartz, from ore pile (field duplicate)

AHA-45528

Zeno

554026

2923841

Grab

5.50

0.6

188

10

36

Light brown fissile shear zone, dipping 73/201, from large u/g working

AHA-45529

Zeno

554455

2923799

Grab

0.84

0.5

54

3

22

Very vuggy and oxidised Vq, dipping 80/116, from shallow pit

AHA-45530

Zeno

553518

2923578

Grab

6.84

1.0

45

7

179

Narrow, vuggy Vq, dipping 64/136 at surface, from large working

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

Comments 3

AHA-45531

Zeno

553540

2923611

Grab

0.58

<0.2

293

7

813

Loose material around small Vq, from surface open pit working

AHA-45532

Zeno

553553

2923625

Grab

104.50

11.5

110

22

377

Large Vq, dipping at 62/120 pinches and swells, sampled at depth from >15m u/g working (same working as AHA-45530)

AHA-45533

Zeno

553561

2923632

Grab

5.05

0.7

124

6

585

Haematite-stained Vq, dipping 51/146, also from same deep u/g working as AHA-45532

AHA-45534

Zeno

553568

2923640

Grab

7.35

0.9

81

8

107

Gossanous brown Vq, dipping 50/113, sampled from northern extent of the same large working as samples AHA-45530 to AHA-45533

AHA-45535

Zeno

553574

2923668

Grab

0.99

<0.2

140

5

149

Vq dipping 65/113, from shallow open pit along strike from deep u/g working sampled by AHA-45530 to AHA-45534

AHA-45536

Zeno

554451

2923780

Grab

3.61

0.6

179

8

78

Orange-stained and oxidised Vq, exposed at surface, dipping 87/293

AHA-45537

Zeno

554458

2923790

Grab

0.07

<0.2

17

5

82

Narrow Vq, dipping 79/101, exposed at surface

AHA-45538

Zeno

554549

2923359

Grab

2.42

0.2

11

3

15

Orange haematite-stained Vq, dipping 87/140, weakly sheared

AHA-45539

Zeno

554558

2923321

Grab

0.09

<0.2

49

4

20

Taken from rock dump - not in situ

AHA-45540

Zeno

554546

2923360

Grab

0.07

<0.2

10

4

12

White greasy quartz with brown oxidised vugs from rock dump - not in situ

Notes:

  1. All coordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R
  2. Au analysed using Au-AA23 analytical code, overlimit assays >10 ppm re-analysed using Au-GRA21 analytical code
  3. Vq: quartz vein; Gd: granodiorite; u/g: underground

SOURCE: Aton Resources, Inc.



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