Aton Announces New Regional Exploration Results from the Sir Bakis Prospect
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ATON ANNOUNCES NEW REGIONAL EXPLORATION RESULTS FROM THE SIR BAKIS PROSPECT
Vancouver, September 13, 2017: Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to
provide investors with an update on their regional exploration activities, specifically at the Sir Bakis
prospect, currently underway at the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat concession (“Abu Marawat” or
the “Concession”), located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
x Field inspection of the Sir Bakis prospect (see Figure 1) has indicated the presence of widespread
gold mineralization, over an area covering at least 1800m x 900m in size; indicating potential for
the development of reduced intrusive related gold (RIRG) mineralization in the Sir Bakis area,
associated with individual shear veins and sheeted vein systems;
x Initial grab and channel sampling from the Sir Bakis area has returned assays up to 150 g/t Au and
32.9 g/t Au from grab samples, and 29.5 g/t Au from channel samples;
x First pass surface trenching at the Sir Bakis prospect has returned a highly anomalous surface
intersection of 109.1m @ 0.21 g/t Au;
x First pass regional reconnaissance has identified a new target area, the Black Gaharish prospect,
and an initial sample returned an assay grade of 16.5 g/t Au.
Mark Campbell, President and CEO of Aton, commented “Most companies would be happy to have a single
exploration district, whereas we have multiple districts at our Abu Marawat Concession area, each with
unique geological characteristics. The recent exciting results from Sir Bakis prospect area, and at the old Sir
Bakis mine demonstrate the huge exploration potential of the newly identified reduced intrusive related
gold mineralization trend at Abu Marawat. We have returned similar results from Bohlog, and expect
similar results from the old Semna mine, Massaghat and West Garida. Along with our recent new VMS
discovery at Waayrah, which lies within the Waayrah-Miranda VMS trend, the potential overall scale of our
Abu Marawat license area is impressive. The work that we are doing has created targets for our upcoming
autumn drilling campaign. Now that we are moving towards developing our first mines at Hamama and Abu
Marawat, which we hope to see producing by the middle of 2020, the focus now is to bring more of our
projects on stream over time.”
Sir Bakis Prospect
The Sir Bakis prospect is located approximately 12km NE of the Company’s Hamama West mineral deposit,
and has been extensively worked in both ancient and modern times. Review of remote sensing imagery
indicates the widespread occurrence of ancient workings, as well as the remains of ancient mining
settlements, and there is archaeological evidence suggesting that mining dates back to the New Kingdom
period, over 3,000 years ago. During the modern era a British company, Eridia (Egypt) Exploration
Company, mined at Sir Bakis between 1904 and 1906. The remains of the old processing plant, various
other mine buildings, a tailings pile, and 2 open adits, which access the underground stopes are evident at
Sir Bakis (see Figure 2), dating back to the modern phase of exploitation.
The Main Vein at Sir Bakis, which was the focus of the modern underground mining, can be traced at
surface for a distance of some 1.6km in a N-S strike direction. The Main Vein is considered to be a shear
vein and was mined at widths of up to 1.5m underground. Approximately 600m NW of the adits there is a
zone of narrow sheeted veins which has been worked extensively at surface to shallow depths in ancient
times, known as the NW Vein Swarm. The Vein Swarm is approximately 400m along its’ N-S strike length at
surface, and in excess of 100m in width. There are also a number of other major veins in the area, to the
NW of the modern mine workings, and numerous smaller veins and shears through the area which have
been worked by the ancients. Limited previous sampling at Sir Bakis by the Company in 2014 has returned
assays of 4.79 g/t Au from underground, and 2.38 g/t Au from surface channel sampling.
Figure 1: Abu Marawat regional geology, showing the location of Sir Bakis
The mineralization at Sir Bakis predominantly occurs in older basement granodiorites, and is sp atially
associated with a series of younger granite plutons, including the Ria al Jarrah pluton which outcrops to the
north of Sir Bakis (see Figures 1 and 2). There is considerable hornfelsing and contact metamorphism of
basement volcanic rocks by the yo unger intrusive plutons. The younger plutons are considered to
represent evolved magmas, displaying aplitic textures in the immediate Sir Bakis area, and are associated
with modern tungsten mining at Abu Garida (see Figure 1), and also fluorite mining at a site between Abu
Garida and Hamama, to the SW of Sir Bakis. Mineralization at Sir Bakis is primarily located in basement
granodiorites, and is typically low sulphide in nature, with only limited amounts of accessory arsenopyrite
and pyrite. Previous sampling by the Company of a homogenized bulk sample of the modern tailings
returned average assay values of 1.99 g/t Au, 1.71 g/t Ag, 26 ppm Cu, 91 ppm Pb and 82 ppm Zn.
Figure 2: Geological map of the Sir Bakis prospect (after Murr, 1999)
During the first phase of recent sampling a total of 182 surface samples, predominantly channel samples,
and some grab samples (see Figure 3) were collected from the general Sir Bakis area. Additionally 3 surface
trenches were mechanically excavated, SBT-001 to SBT-003 for a total length of 704m, and were manually
channel sampled, over nominal 2m intervals, with a total of 376 trench samples being collected. All
samples were submitted to ALS Rosia Montana in Romania, and were analyzed for gold using fire assay with
an atomic absorption finish, and for copper, lead, zinc and silver using an aqua regia digest with an atomic
absorption finish.
The results from the initial sampling program are very encouraging, with 10% of the surface channel and
grab samples returning assay grades greater than 1 g/t Au, with mineralized samples returned from all
areas sampled. A single grab sample from an isolated ancient working approximately 2km NE of Sir Bakis
between the modern mine and the Massaghat prospect returned an assay of 150 g/t Au. Channel samples
from partially mined surface outcrops of the Main Vein returned assays of 29.5 g/t and 5.34 g/t Au; a
channel sample from the westernmost vein returned an assay of 7.94 g/t Au, and a grab sample of vein
quartz from the northern extension of the Main Vein workings returned an assay of 32.9 g/t Au. Results of
the surface sampling are presented in Appendix A. Ag assays were typically low, as were Cu, Pb and Zn
which typically had assay values less than 100ppm.
Figure 3: Sampling and trench plan of the Sir Bakis project (quartz veins: red, dykes: blue)
Results from the trenches are also encouraging with anomalous results being returned from all 3 trenches
(see Table 1). The best results were obtained from the western end of trench SBT-001, (see Figure 3),
which intersected a highly anomalous interval of 109.1m @ 0.21 g/t Au, over the NW Vein Swarm. The NW
Vein Swarm was marked by many shallow, narrow ancient workings, typically less than a meter in width to
a maximum of 3-4m depth, with the highest grade quartz veins having been removed by the ancient
miners. It is therefore considered probable that the trench assays would therefore have considerably
underestimated the true grade of the mineralized interval, prior to the ancient shallow mining activity.
Trench From
(m)
To
(m)
Interval
(m)
Au
(g/t)
SBT-001 3.5 112.6 109.1 0.21
SBT-001 203.9 225.4 21.5 0.09
SBT-001 234.4 240.9 6.5 0.22
SBT-002 57.4 59.4 2.0 0.26
SBT-002 132.2 136.8 4.6 0.50
SBT-002 162.2 162.8 0.6 0.97
SBT-002 169.7 190.2 20.5 0.09
SBT-003 34.0 36.0 2.0 0.58
SBT-003 70.0 74.0 4.0 0.42
SBT-003 84.0 86.0 2.0 0.48
SBT-003 173.8 175.8 2.0 0.64
SBT-003 203.8 205.8 2.0 1.24
Table 1 – Anomalous intersections from Sir Bakis trenches
The results of the initial phase of sampling at Sir Bakis are very encouraging and the Company believes that
the mineralization identified at Sir Bakis displays strong affinities with reduced intrusion related gold (RIRG)
systems, such as the proximity to evolved volatile-rich granite plutons, displaying evidence of tungsten and
fluorite mineralization; gold mineralization associated with granodioritic host rocks; structural controls on
mineralization in preferred orientations; the presence of narrow structurally controlled shear veins and
vein swarms or sheeted vein systems; low levels of accessory sulphide minerals; and typically very low
levels of silver, lead, zinc, and notably copper in the mineralization. Similar styles of mineralization have
also been identified at the nearby Bohlog, Massaghat and Zeno prospects, and the Company believes that it
has identified a significant belt of potential RIRG mineralization within the Concession, associated with the
late granites (see Figure 1). Further follow-up field work and geochemical analysis of the mineralized
samples is planned at Sir Bakis.
It is also noted that there are strong similarities between the Sir Bakis prospect and other significant gold
mines and projects within the Egyptian Arabian-Nubian Shield, where mineralization is associated with high
grade quartz veins and large lower grade zones of stockwork and sheeted vein mineralization , largely
hosted in granitoid host rocks, such as Sukari, Fawakhir-El Sid, Hammash and possibly Anbat. AAN believes
that the Arabian-Nubian Shield of Egypt has potential to emerge as a significant RIRG belt, with excellent
potential within the Company’s Abu Marawat Concession, associated with the post-orogenic or younger
granitoid suite of late intrusives.
Black Gaharish Prospect
The new Black Gaharish prospect was identified from investigation of remote sensing imagery, and the
presence of ancient workings in the area was confirmed by local Bedouin who have extensive knowledge of
many ancient workings in the whole region. A brief initial field visit to the prospect area revealed the
presence of numerous ancient working sites, and ancient miners huts. The prospect is located
approximately 3km south of the old British mine at Semna, and some 3.5km south -east of a large but
remote ancient mining settlement at Zeno. The Company has previously reported high grade assays of up
to 46.9 g/t Au from Zeno (see press release dated 15 August 2012).
Mineralisation at Black Gaharish is associated with flat lying structures within intrusive granodioritic host
rocks. Limited iron staining and occasional minor copper staining was observed in the mineralised quartz
veins, suggesting a generally low sulphide content of the mineralisation. Mineralisation is considered to be
structurally controlled and orogenic in nature, and is similar in nature to that at the Semna mine. Further
workings to the north were subsequently identified from imagery, and the mineralisation is considered to
be an extension of the structurally controlled gold mineralisation system at Semna, and possibly also that at
Zeno were many ancient workings have been identified from imagery. A single grab sample of vein quartz
from one of the ancient workings returned an assay grade of 16.5 g/t Au. Further field follow up is planned
at Black Gaharish, and also at Zeno when the cooler temperatures of autumn and w inter will facilitate
access to this rather remote site.
Activity update:
x Additional results from the preliminary field inspections and sampling conducted at the Semna and
West Garida;
x Crone Geophysics has completed a ground and downhole electromagnetic survey of the 6 km long
prospective horizon (or the hanging wall contact) at Hamama. Interpretation of the survey data
has been delayed but is now complete, and the final geophysical synthesis of all geophysics
including the 2008 IP and magnetics survey completed at Hamama is expected shortly;
x Phase 1 metallurgical test work conducted on Hamama West samples at ALS Metallurgy in
Kamloops, BC, has been completed.
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 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, 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.
For further information regarding Aton Resources Inc., please visit u s at www.atonresources.com or
contact:
Mark Campbell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +1-936-689-2589
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.
Appendix A – Sir Bakis surface samples, assay data
Sample ID Sample
Type Easting Northing Au
(g/t)
Ag
(g/t)
Cu
(ppm)
Pb
(ppm)
Zn
(ppm)
AHA-14169 Channel 545118 2918999 0.09 <0.2 6 11 31
AHA-14170 Channel 545116 2918997 0.13 <0.2 6 5 25
AHA-14171 Channel 545139 2918977 0.02 <0.2 5 4 16
AHA-14172 Channel 545138 2918979 0.02 <0.2 22 31 73
AHA-14173 Channel 545135 2918979 0.02 <0.2 8 7 29
AHA-14174 Channel 545133 2918980 0.36 <0.2 15 43 40
AHA-14175 Channel 545131 2918981 0.30 <0.2 9 44 37
AHA-14176 Channel 545129 2918981 0.62 <0.2 5 37 27
AHA-14177 Grab 545130 2918979 32.90 3.8 11 120 20
AHA-14178 Channel 545195 2918957 0.29 0.2 274 2 15
AHA-14179 Channel 545193 2918956 0.24 <0.2 8 3 9
AHA-14180 Channel 545194 2918963 1.24 1.8 2230 4 26
AHA-14181 Channel 545200 2918946 0.07 <0.2 28 2 14
AHA-14182 Channel 545202 2918945 0.03 <0.2 18 2 17
AHA-14183 Channel 545152 2918886 0.02 <0.2 10 2 14
AHA-14184 Channel 545150 2918885 0.01 <0.2 15 2 22
AHA-14185 Channel 545148 2918886 0.03 <0.2 8 2 16
AHA-14186 Channel 545146 2918886 0.03 <0.2 31 4 11
AHA-14187 Channel 545144 2918885 0.01 <0.2 165 6 23
AHA-14188 Channel 545142 2918885 0.01 <0.2 19 8 22
AHA-14189 Channel 545140 2918884 0.02 0.4 34 9 20
AHA-14190 Channel 545138 2918883 0.01 <0.2 16 7 11
AHA-14191 Channel 545137 2918884 0.01 0.2 45 43 27
AHA-14192 Channel 545136 2918883 0.01 <0.2 55 18 14
AHA-14193 Channel 545134 2918882 0.01 <0.2 69 22 13
AHA-14194 Channel 545132 2918880 0.01 <0.2 29 15 9
AHA-14195 Channel 545131 2918879 0.05 <0.2 11 8 15
AHA-14196 Channel 545129 2918878 0.03 <0.2 9 7 16
AHA-14197 Channel 545127 2918876 0.02 0.2 12 20 52
AHA-14198 Channel 545125 2918875 0.03 3.0 8 72 67
AHA-14199 Channel 545123 2918874 0.01 3.0 9 107 39
AHA-14200 Channel 545122 2918871 0.01 0.2 7 21 12
AHA-14205 Channel 545140 2919196 0.06 0.2 11 4 8
AHA-14206 Channel 545142 2919195 0.05 <0.2 25 8 36
AHA-14207 Channel 545144 2919196 0.05 0.2 10 10 24
AHA-14208 Channel 545146 2919197 0.08 0.2 13 14 27
AHA-14209 Channel 545122 2919210 0.03 <0.2 7 2 112
AHA-14210 Channel 545125 2919209 0.01 <0.2 5 2 39
AHA-14211 Channel 545127 2919209 0.02 <0.2 10 3 87
AHA-14212 Channel 545129 2919209 0.02 <0.2 5 1 14
AHA-14213 Channel 545130 2919208 0.04 <0.2 12 3 65
AHA-14214 Channel 545132 2919209 0.10 <0.2 7 3 143
AHA-14215 Channel 545135 2919209 0.04 <0.2 15 3 133
AHA-14216 Channel 545136 2919210 0.02 <0.2 41 4 99
AHA-14217 Channel 545137 2919211 0.05 <0.2 34 3 123
AHA-14218 Channel 545139 2919211 0.06 <0.2 9 2 214
AHA-14219 Channel 545138 2919214 0.07 <0.2 16 2 62
AHA-14220 Channel 545140 2919216 0.11 <0.2 39 2 125
AHA-14221 Channel 545141 2919219 0.17 <0.2 4 2 130
AHA-14222 Channel 545143 2919219 0.02 <0.2 3 2 95
AHA-14223 Channel 545145 2919220 0.10 <0.2 4 2 121
AHA-14224 Channel 545147 2919222 0.08 <0.2 5 2 251
AHA-14225 Channel 545148 2919224 0.19 <0.2 5 4 196
AHA-14226 Channel 545151 2919225 0.08 <0.2 4 2 147
AHA-14227 Channel 545151 2919228 0.05 <0.2 6 2 247
AHA-14228 Channel 545153 2919227 0.03 <0.2 5 2 109