Aton Announces High Grade GOLD-Silver- Zinc Oxide Mineralization from Channel Sampling of Excavated ROAD Cuttings at Hamama East
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ATON ANNOUNCES HIGH GRADE GOLD-SILVER- ZINC OXIDE MINERALIZATION FROM CHANNEL
SAMPLING OF EXCAVATED ROAD CUTTINGS AT HAMAMA EAST
Vancouver, May 3, 2018: Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX -V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to provide
investors with a progress update on exploration activities at the Hamama East zone of its Hamama Project,
located within the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat C oncession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”),
in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
• Drill access roads have been completed at Hamama East, in advance of anticipated drilling to further
test for potential oxide mineralization in the area;
• Continuous sampling of mechanically saw -cut channels along the excavated road cuttings has
confirmed the presence of high grade Au-Ag-Zn oxide mineralization at Hamama East ;
• Mineralized intersections returned included 84m @ 1.13 g/t Au , 49.7 /t Ag and 7.29 % Zn (channel
profile HAC-160) and 42.8m @ 1.28 g/t Au, 55.5 g/t Ag and 10.37 % Zn (channel profile HAC -161);
• While the sampling was along the strike of the Hamama East mineralization, and is not indicative of
true width, it does indicate the potential development of a significant zone of gossanous carbonate -
hosted Au-Ag-Zn oxide style mineralization at Hamama East, in an area which has had only limited
testing to date.
“As we move towards the completion of the technical and financial study for subm ission to the Egyptian
Mineral Resources Authority in support of our intended declaration of commerciality at Hamama West, we
are continuing to evaluate the overall Hamama area” said Mark Campbell, President and CEO. “These results
at Hamama East are very promising and we intend to carry out a short drilling program here , to evaluate this
potential incremental ore source for the Hamama West heap leach project . We will also be looking to
undertake preliminary metallurgical testwork to evaluate potential flowsheets to recover zinc metal from the
Au-Ag-Zn mineralization at Hamama East, which as well as carrying good grades of potentially heap leach
recoverable gold and silver, carries very significant grades of zinc” .
Previous exploration at Hamama East
The Hamama East zone is located approximately 1 km to the east of the Company’s Hamama West mineral
deposit, and represents a continuation of the mineralized horizon at Hamama West, which comprises one
zone of the Company’s overall Hamama Project (Figure 1). It has undergone only relatively limited exploration
and drilling to date. There is evidence of significant ancient mining in the area, believed to date f rom the
early Arabic period, including the c. 25m long underground working at the “Roman Adit ”. Archaeological
evidence indicates that copper was the metal being extracted and smelted in the area. There is no evidence
of ancient gold mining or processing in the general Hamama area.
During the late 1980’s the area was explored by Minex Minerals (E gypt) Ltd, a subsidiary of Greenwich
Resources plc, who drilled 40 shallow open hole rotary percussion holes in the Hamama East and Central
areas. Incomplete assay data is now available, with base metal data from limited sample intervals available
for only 6 holes, the locations of which can only be approximately identified from surface plans. No collar co-
ordinates are available for any holes. While the Minex data is incomplete and cannot be taken as being
representative, Au -Ag-Zn oxide mineralized in tersections were recorded from some of the Minex holes,
including 16m @ 1.19 g/t Au, 80.9 g/t Ag, and 9.74 % Zn (hole HP-23).
Figure 1: Location of the Hamama East zone within the Hamama Project
Commencing in November 2011, t he Company completed a program of 11 diamond drill holes in the
Hamama East and Central areas (see news release dated February 16, 2012) that intersected precious and
base metal mineralization at both areas. 4 holes were drilled in the Hamama East area, but did not intersect
significant mineralization, although subsequent re -interpretation suggests that these holes did not effectively
test the zone of potential Au-Ag-Zn oxide mineralization, with holes intersecting the target mineraliz ed zone
below the base of weathering, and sev eral holes interse cting a late andesitic intrusive . Drillhole AHA -008
returned a mineralized intersection of 13m @ 0.22 g/t Au and 1.88 % Zn.
Since then the Company has undertaken selective surface grab sampling in the area, which has returned
numerous high grade assay results including 1.32 g/t Au and 3.54 % Zn (sample AHA -00559, 535368E -
2914119N), 1.17 g/t Au and 31.4 % Zn (sample AHA-06507, 535342E -2914034N), and 0.96 g/t Au and 42.2
% Zn (sample AHA -06493, 535308E -2914006N) from gossanous carbonate samples . Aton has also
undertaken manual chip channel profile sampling at surface over the Hamama East and Central areas, the
results of which indicate outcrop of potential Au -Ag-Zn oxide mineralization, but not are deemed to be
representative (Figures 2 and 3).
Channel profile sampling at Hamama East
Re-interpretation of the Hamama East area has indicated the potential for a zone of gossanous carbonate-
hosted Au-Ag-Zn oxide mineralization, over a potential strike length of in excess of 500m. Due to the steep
and rugged topography of the area, with the carbonate -hosted mineralized horizon outcropping as steep
ridges (Figure 4), it has not been possible to adequately test the area up to now. In order to test the area a
number of access roads have been constructed on the flanks of the carbonate ridge, using a Caterpillar 225
excavator, to allow construction of potential drill pads for future drilling and also for channel sampling
purposes (Figure 4). These road cuttings have been s ampled along mechanical saw -cut channel s, with
sampling at nominal 2m intervals (sample profiles HAC-159 to HAC-161). In addition a further channel profile
was excavated and sampled at the end of 2017 (sample profile HAC-154), and the new access road cutti ng in
front of the Roman Adit has also been sampled (HAC -146).
Figure 2: Location of channel sample profiles HAC-146, HAC-154, and HAC-159 to HAC-161, gold assay results
Figure 3: Location of channel sample profiles HAC-146, HAC-154, and HAC-159 to HAC-161, zinc assay results
Figure 4: Location of drill road cuttings and channel sample profiles at Hamama East (note the dark brown color of
the gossanous carbonate-hosted Au-Ag-Zn oxide mineralization)
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 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 samples (Ag > 100
g/t, and Cu, Pb, and Zn > 10,000ppm or 1%) were routinely re -analyzed using the ore grade technique AA46.
Mineralized intervals from t he 5 sampled channel profiles are summarized in Table 1.
TRENCH
ID
LENGTH
(m)
FROM
(m)
TO
(m)
INTERVAL
(m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu (%) Pb (%) Zn (%)
HAC-146 21.0 5.0 18.0 13.0 0.68 9.1 0.49 0.61 10.30
HAC-154 25.5 0.0 25.5 25.5 0.68 24.8 0.27 0.35 6.09
HAC-159 112.5 2.0 22.0 20.0 0.27 16.4 0.17 0.82 0.63
56.0 89.0 33.0 1.09 51.1 0.27 0.74 2.14
HAC-160 84.0 0.0 84.0 84.0 1.13 49.7 0.34 1.10 7.29
HAC-161 50.8 6.3 49.1 42.8 1.28 55.5 0.44 1.71 10.37
Table 1: Summary of mineralized intervals in channel profiles HAC-146, HAC-154, and HAC-159 to HAC-161
The results of the recent channel sampling at Hamama East confirm the presence of high grade Au-Ag-Zn
oxide mineralization over a potentially significant strike length , notably in the thicker carbo nate unit to the
north of the Roman Adit (Figure 1), as evidenced by the results of profiles HAC -160 and HAC -161. The
extension of the carbonate further to the NE is largely untested to date, but channel profile HAC -159 also
returned good grade mineralizat ion where the road cutting intersected the base of the outcropping
mineralized carbonate horizon.
Previous surface chip channel sampling in the Hamama Central area to the south of the Roman Adit has also
returned significant Au and Zn assay results (Figures 3 and 4), although the mineralized carbonate horizo n
thins in this area . Previous diamond drilling by Aton has intersected good grades of Au- Ag-Zn sulphide
mineralization below the weathered zone, including 14.1m @ 0.81 g/t Au, 42.5 g/t Ag, and 6.51 % Zn (hole
AHA-004, see news release dated February 16, 2012 ), and further evaluation is required at Hamama Central .
A short drilling program is currently being planned to test the Au- Ag-Zn oxide mineralization potential at
Hamama East. An initial program of metallurgical testwork is planned to investigate the potential to extract
zinc metal from th e high grade Zn oxide mineralization, and also to test the suitability of this m aterial for
processing at the Hamama West heap leach processing facility .
Activity update:
• The final stages of work on the financial and technical study into the development of an open pit
mine on the oxide zone mineralization and a heap leach processing facility at Hamama West are
ongoing, and the final report is scheduled to be delivered to the Egyptian Mineral Resources
Authority by May 20, 2018.
• A preliminary program of surface sampling has been undertaken over the Zeno prospect area ,
approximately 23 km NE of Hamama West . Numerous significant ancient workings have been
identified at the Zeno area, and visible gold has been identified from several samples. Samples have
been dispatched to ALS Minerals in Romania, and results are expected soon.
• Access road construction is continuing satisfactorily at Rodruin, approximately 18 km east of
Hamama West and the road head is now only about 500m away from the main western zone of
ancient workings.
• A first-pass reverse circulation percussion (“RC”) drilling program has been planned at Rodruin, which
will commence onc e drill access roads and pads have been constructed, as soon as possible after
Ramadan. Further RC drilling is being planned at the Hamama West to test the upper oxid e zone
mineralization, with the intention of upgrading the inferred resource to indicated or measured
categories. To coincide with the Hamama West RC drilling program, further drilling is being planned
at Hamama East and West Garida.
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 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 mineral ization, 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 Resour ces
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: +20227377274
Email: [email protected]
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.