AMN - EGYPT: Sampling by Aton returns high-grade gold

Aton Resources has received high-grade gold results from surface channel and underground sampling at the Rodruin prospect of its Abu Marawat Concession in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Channel sampling was undertaken along drill access road and pad cuttings, which are under construction ahead of a reverse circulation drilling program.

There were 84 samples gathered from the Aladdin’s Hill area, nine underground samples from the ancient ‘Spiral Pit’ underground working, and 16 QAQC samples.

All channel sample profiles returned gold mineralised intersections, which included 25.5 metres at 4.74 g/t, 16.5 metres at 2.15 g/t and 28.0 metres at 1.83 g/t.

The results suggest that mineralisation at Aladdin’s Hill consists of a high-grade core of structurally controlled gold mineralisation and associated alteration, which was exploited in the main zone of ancient workings, within a much broader ‘background’ zone of lower grade mineralisation, hosted in both carbonate rocks and slates/metasediments.

Individual channel and selective grab samples taken from underground at the deep Spiral Pit ancient mine working have returned assays including 35.3 g/t, 20.6 g/t and 14.85 g/t, and 37.9% and 20.7% zinc. The Spiral Pit area bears many similarities to the Aladdin’s Hill area.

A multi-purpose drill rig has now arrived on site ahead of the upcoming RC drilling program.

Aton’s president and CEO Mark Campbell said: “The channel samples were good overall, but of particular interest are the samples from the Spiral Pit. Even though samples could only be collected to a depth of 12-15 metres, as the working had collapsed and was filled with debris below this, we believe that the ancient working and the high-grade mineralisation could potentially go much deeper, as at Aladdin’s Slot, which is open to 40 metres below ground level.

“The results of the underground sampling indicate the gold-zinc mineralisation occurs and continues at depth, not only at the surface, and we believe that the mineralisation at the Spiral Pit area is very similar to that seen at Aladdin’s Hill.

“Broadly the lithological sequence at Rodruin is similar to Hamama, and the mineralisation occurring within the gossanous carbonates is also very similar. There is also a second distinctive, structurally controlled style of mineralisation at Rodruin, which is not present at Hamama.

“There are broad similarities between Rodruin and Hamama, and we believe that the carbonate-hosted mineralisation at both areas are related, but there are also significant differences between Rodruin and Hamama.

“We do not see any development of the high-grade structurally controlled mineralisation that we have identified at Rodruin in the Hamama area, and we are very excited about the potential at Rodruin and the start of the drilling later this month.

“These results and the upcoming drilling, along with EMRA’s acceptance of our study and the granting of our extension, I believe offers our shareholders some exciting times ahead.”

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