Aton operator starts 2,300 m drill program at Hamama
Aton operator starts 2,300 m drill program at Hamama
2017-02-21 09:04 ET - News Release
Mr. Mark Campbell reports
ATON ANNOUNCES THAT DRILLING IS UNDERWAY TO INCREASE RESOURCES AND TO TEST NEW EXPLORATION TARGETS
A diamond drill program is under way at Aton Resources Inc.'s Hamama deposit. The drill program will look to increase sulphide resources at Hamama West, one of three contiguous zones at Hamama, and will also test a new exploration target, the western carbonate zone. Hamama is situated within Aton's Abu Marawat concession, located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
- The Company has contracted Capital Drilling Limited to drill approximately 2,300 metres in 14 holes at Hamama West and the Western Carbonate Zone (see Figure 1 for the proposed drill hole location plan).
- Aton plans to drill approximately 1,500 metres in nine holes at Hamama West, which hosts an Inferred Mineral Resource of 341,000 ounces gold equivalent ("AuEq") and an Indicated Mineral Resource of 137,000 ounces AuEq (see news release dated January 24, 2017).
- The Company plans to drill approximately 800 metres in five holes at the Western Carbonate Zone, a new target area located approximately 400 metres west-southwest from the western edge of Hamama West.
To view Figure 1: Proposed drill hole location plan, please visit: https://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1086390fig1.jpg
At Hamama West there is good potential to increase sulphide resources by targeting the western extension of the Main Zone ("MZ"), which strikes under the Western Boundary Fault ("WBF"). Earlier drilling by Aton proved that the MZ continued beneath the WBF and that it may increase at depth. Drill hole AHA-062 encountered three distinct zones of mineralization toward the upper contact of the MZ, including 8.37 metres containing 1.72 g/t Au & 29.3 g/t Ag (see Figure 2 and the news release dated September 26, 2016). In addition, there is excellent potential to increase sulphide resources on the eastern flank of the MZ at Hamama West, which has not been tested to depth.
To view Figure 2: Hole AHA-062 Cross Section, please visit: https://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1086390fig2.jpg
The Western Carbonate Zone, located approximately 400 metres west-south west of Hamama West (see Figure 1), has never been drilled before and represents an excellent opportunity for Aton to potentially expand the footprint of mineralization in the Hamama area. Carbonate in this area has been mapped as having a potential surface thickness of approximately 100 metres. The drill program has been planned to intersect the interpreted position of the potentially mineralized carbonate horizon target at depths of approximately 50 metres and 100 metres below surface.
"The drill program has been designed to accomplish two things," said Rick Cavaney, Aton's Vice President, Exploration. "The first thing we want to accomplish is to increase sulphide resources at Hamama West. We believe that we can accomplish this by drilling some deeper holes on the eastern flank of the Main Zone and by testing the western extension of Main Zone, where it strikes under the Western Boundary Fault. The second thing we set out to accomplish is to increase the potential size of the mineralized footprint in the Hamama area and the Western Carbonate Zone represents an excellent opportunity to do just that."
"We are excited to restart drilling at Hamama," said Mark Campbell, President and CEO of Aton. "We were very happy with the results from last year's drilling campaign, which contributed to a robust maiden resource estimate for Hamama West, and believe that this drill program will help us to outline additional gold resources."
In addition to the diamond drilling program, Aton has completed a 240km2 WorldView-3 multispectral survey over the Hamama and Abu Marawat gold deposit areas. Further, Aton has been notified that Crone Geophysics and Exploration Ltd.'s equipment is in country. The Company expects the geophysical program to start within the next month. The geophysical program will consist of ground magnetic, ground EM and downhole EM geophysical surveys, with the primary goal of delineating new geophysical targets, and improving the geological understanding of the mineralized horizon at Hamama. A geophysical program will also be conducted over an 8-km long hydrothermally altered and mineralized zone between the Abu Marawat gold deposit and Miranda.
About the Hamama deposit
The Hamama deposit ("Hamama") is located at the western end of the 40-km long gold trend at the Abu Marawat concession and is comprised of three zones, Hamama West, Hamama Central and Hamama East. The mineralized horizon at Hamama has a strike length of approximately 3-km and remains open to the west and the east. Mapping indicates that the horizon may extend another 1.8-kms to the east. Further exploration work will be conducted to confirm this. Other potentially mineralized horizons, separate from the main mineralized horizon, have also been mapped in the general Hamama area.
About Aton Resources Inc.
Aton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:AAN) is focused on its 100% owned Abu Marawat concession, 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 trend at Abu Marawat, anchored by the Hamama deposit in the west and the Abu Marawat deposit in the east. In addition to Hamama and Abu Marawat, the trend contains numerous gold exploration targets, including two historic gold mines. 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, SEG, 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.