Aton Announces the Final Results of Column Leach Testing of Hamama WEST “GOLD Oxide Cap” Samples, with Average Oxide and Transition Zone GOLD Recoveries of 75.6% and 72.7% Respectively
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
ATON ANNOUNCES THE FINAL RESULTS OF COLUMN LEACH TESTING OF HAMAMA WEST “GOLD OXIDE
CAP” SAMPLES, WITH AVERAGE OXIDE AND TRANSITION ZONE GOLD RECOVERIES OF 75.6% AND 72.7%
RESPECTIVELY
Vancouver, February 22, 2018: Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX -V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to
provide investors with an update on the results of the column leach metallurgical testwork completed on
bulk composite samples from the “gold oxide cap” portion of the Hamama West deposit, located in the
Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession, located in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
• 4 bulk composite samples of Hamama West “gold oxide cap” mineralisation consisting of 2 oxide
zone and 2 transition zone samples underwent column leach testing for a period of 70 days;
• The 2 oxide zone samples were crushed to an optimum size of - 12.5mm, with one sample
agglomerated with cement (sample OBC-1), and the other not being agglomerated (sample OBC-2).
The 2 transition zone samples (samples TBC -3 and TBC -4) were combined and homogenized, with
one sample tested at a crush size of 100% passing -12.5mm, and the other sample tested at a crush
size of 100% passing -8mm;
• The 2 oxide zone samples returned gold recoveries of 77.9% and 73.3% (average 75.6%), and silver
recoveries of 42.6% and 43.1%, from the column leach tests;
• The 2 transition zone samples returned gold recoveries of 73.2% and 72.1% (average 72.7%), and
silver recoveries of 32.9% and 39.6%, from the column leach tests;
• The column leach tests indicate fast initial leach kinetics for gold and silver, with a long leaching
period tail.
Commenting on the column leach test results, Mark Campbell, President and CEO of Aton stated, "These
metallurgical test results confirm our belief that heap leach processing at Hamama West is the most attractive
option for processing the “gold oxide cap” at Hamama West . This latest round of metallurgical testwork
strongly confirms the results of the previous coarse bottle roll leach testing. The volume of testwork now
completed has consistently produced high gold recoveries from the “gold oxide cap” , demonstrating its
amenability to processing with heap leach technology. The results of this testwork will be used to form the
basis of the heap leach process design and be used in open pit optimization runs".
Metallurgical testwork programme
Four (4) b ulk composite samples were dispatched to Wardell Armstrong International (UK) in Q4 2017 for
metallurgical testing at their Truro laboratory. Two (2) representative 120kg bulk composites , consisting of
HQ or PQ sized half core drill samples, from each of the oxide and transitional zones of the Hamama West
deposit, and representing material from the upper “gold oxide cap” portion of the deposit, were selected
and dispatched for testing. Initial testwork included head assays, coarse and fine bottle roll leach tests , and
percolation and agglomeration tests. Variable parameters of crush size and cyanide concentration were
tested. Optimal test conditions derived from the coarse bottle roll leach and percolation/agglomeration tests
were used to set the parameters for the colum n leach tests, which were started on November 27, 2017 to
determine the final gold and silver leach recoveries obtainable using heap leach technology. The column
leach tests were terminated after 70 days.
The results of the column leach tests are summarized below in Table 1, and the leach curves for the 4 samples
are shown in Figure 1.
Sample
ID
Crush
Size
(mm)
Agglom.
Stage
Leach
time
(days)
Calculated
Head (g/t)
Extracted
Grade (g/t) Recovery (%) Reagent
Consumption (kg/t)
Au Ag Au Ag Au Ag Cyanide Lime
OBC-1 -12.5 Yes 70 1.00 41.0 0.73 17.7 73.3 43.1 1.49 0.04
OBC-2 -12.5 No 70 0.88 34.7 0.67 14.9 77.9 42.6 2.23 0.09
TBC-3&4 -8.0 No 70 0.75 21.9 0.54 8.8 73.2 32.9 1.43 0.04
TBC-3&4 -12.5 No 70 0.67 20.4 0.48 7.5 72.1 39.6 1.28 0.05
Table 1 – Results of column leach testing
Based on these column leach test results received to date, the following observations can be made:
The oxide column OBC -1 was carried out using cement to assist with the formation of agglomerates.
Agglomeration is required to ensure that high percolation rates are achieved in the heap leach pad . The
transitional ore did not require an agglomeration stage. There appears to be no benefit with respect to
improved gold recovery arising from adopting a finer crush size , indicating that the optimum crush size for
all material from the Hamama West “gold oxide cap” will be -12.5mm.
The leach kinetics in Figure 1 show that both the oxide and transitional ore types exhibit fast gold leach
kinetics with circa 65% of the contained gold extracted after 10 days of leaching . Furthermore ongoing
leaching of gold continued throughout the testing period , with the gold recoveries from all samples still
increasing up until the termination of the column tests after 70 days.
Lime consumption was very low and cyanide consumption considered to be moderately high.
Figure 1 – Column leach test curves based on back calculated gold head grade
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 Gary Patrick BS c, MAusIMM, CP
(Met), Principal Consultant of Metallurg Pt y Ltd . Mr. Patrick 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: +202-27356548
Email: [email protected]
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uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such
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