Aton announces the latest tranche of drill results from Rodruin, including 2.99 g/t gold over 53.4m, and 2.33 g/t gold over 54.6m, both from surface at the Aladdin’s Hill zone
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aton announces the latest tranche of drill results from
Rodruin, including 2.99 g/t gold over 53.4m, and 2.33 g/t gold
over 54.6m, both from surface at the Aladdin’s Hill zone
Vancouver, August 22, 2022 : Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX -V) (“Aton” or the “Company") is pleased to
update investors on the latest assay results from the Phase 2 diamond drilling programme at its advanced
Rodruin gold exploration project , located in the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu
Marawat” or the “Concession”), in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
• Results are now available from a further 11 drill holes, ROD-080 to ROD-090. Holes ROD-080 to ROD-
085 were drilled in the Aladdin’s Hill area with 2 holes twinning RC percussion holes from the 2018
RC drilling programme. Holes ROD-086 to ROD-090 were drilled to test oxide resources at the Central
Buttress Zone;
• Holes ROD-082 and ROD-084 both intersected wide zones of mineralisation from surface, associated
with phyllic altered sediments, at Aladdin’s Hill returning 2.99 g/t Au and 5.3 g/t Ag over a 53.4m
interval (hole ROD-082), and 2.33 g/t Au and 6.6 g/t Ag over a 53.6m interval (hole ROD-084);
• Correlation of the results from the 2 twin holes, ROD -082 and ROD -083, with the original RC holes
was good;
• 4 holes were drilled from a single pad at the eastern edge of the CBZ, and all returned wide
intersections of mineralisation, including 1.07 g/t Au and 14.5 g/t Ag over 42.25m from surface (ROD-
088);
• 2 of the drill holes intersected visible gold in phyllic altered oxidised sediments, ROD -083 and ROD-
087, further indicating the potential for additional discrete zones of high grade, coarse gold bearing
mineralisation within the general Rodruin area.
“This latest tranche of drill results continues to show the potential of the Rodruin deposit, as we work towards
establishing the maiden mineral resource estimate” said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO. “Aton’s focus is now very
much on moving towards the new mineral resource estimates at both Rodruin and Hamama West, with the
diamond drilling continuing at Rodruin, and the RC resource infill programme virtually complete at Hamama.
We continue to work hand in hand with our partners at the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority towards the
issuance of the long term mining licence covering both deposit areas, which will give the Company the flexibility
to initially mine the oxide resources before moving on to the longer term big prize of developing the deep
sulphide resources. We are also continuing to hold fruitful discussions with a number of parties as we look to
move this long term strategy forwards, including drilling some of our other exciting regional exploration
prospects, and the ongoing identification of excellent grades and thicknesses of mineralisation at surface at
Rodruin is just another important step along this road towards the full development of the exploration potential
of the Abu Marawat Concession.”
Rodruin diamond drilling programme
The Rodruin prospect was discovered in December 2017 by Aton geologists (see news release dated
December 14, 2017), and is located approximately 18km east of the Company’s Hamama West mi neral
deposit (Figure 1). During 2018 , Aton constructed a c. 4.5km access road to the prospect, and undertook a
highly successful 50 hole Phase 1 reverse circulation percussion (“RC”) drilling programme, which returned
numerous mineralised intercepts and intersected gold mineralisation in virtually every hole (see news release
dated January 29, 2019).
Figure 1: Geology plan of the Abu Marawat Concession showing the location of the Rodruin project
The ongoing Phase 2 diamond drilling programme at Rodruin commenced in late November 2021, and oxide
zone results reported to date include 88.25m grading 1.74 g/t Au and 9.7 g/t Ag, from 25.75m (hole ROD-055,
see news release dated March 1, 2022), and 129.5m grading 1.00 g/t Au and 8.8 g/t Ag, over the entire length
of hole ROD-056 from its collar (see news release dated March 7, 2022). Recent drill testing of deeper sulphide
mineralisation has returned intersections including 88.6m grading 5.76 g/t Au, 42.0 g/t Ag, 0. 31% Cu and
2.40% Zn (hole ROD-071, see news release dated May 10, 2022), and 36.9m grading 7.04 g/t Au, 47.2 g/t Ag,
0.63% Cu and 7.18% Zn (ROD-075, see news release dated June 1, 2022).
Discussion of results
The current diamond drilling programme has been designed with the specific objective of delineating and
establishing a maiden mineral resource estimate (“MRE”) at Rodruin. Holes ROD -080 and ROD-081 (Figure
2) were drilled to follow up on the previously reported high grade sulphide mineralisation discovered northeast
of Aladdin’s Hill (see news releases dated May 10, 2022 and June 1, 2022). Holes ROD-082 to ROD-085 were
all drilled to test outcropping surface mineralisation at the Aladdin’s Hill zone (Figure 2) , with 2 of the holes,
ROD-082 and ROD-083, designed as twin holes to test the results from the 2018 RC programme. Holes ROD-
086 to ROD -089 were drilled from a single pad on the difficult to access eastern flank of the gossanous
carbonate hosted mineralisation at the Central Buttress Zone (“CBZ”), with hole ROD-090 also designed to
test this zone (Figure 3). Collar co-ordinates of all holes are provided in Table 1.
Hole ID
Collar co-ordinates 1
Dip 2 Grid
azimuth 2
EOH
depth (m) Comments
X Y Z
ROD-080 552542.7 2913096.0 733.0 -49.7 277.9 231.10 Aladdin’s Hill NE
ROD-081 552504.8 2913101.0 736.3 -48.9 273.6 155.50 Aladdin’s Hill NE
ROD-082 552354.6 2913013.1 786.8 -54.7 185.4 60.60 Aladdin’s Hill
ROD-083 552353.3 2913021.8 787.1 -80.0 345.2 153.50 Aladdin’s Hill
ROD-084 552325.8 2913016.5 790.0 -37.5 180.7 63.60 Aladdin’s Hill
ROD-085 552309.8 2913032.2 783.7 -49.9 198.6 86.00 Aladdin’s Hill
ROD-086 552691.4 2912907.1 765.3 -60.0 329.3 75.30 Central Buttress Zone
ROD-087 552693.9 2912903.8 765.3 -54.8 007.5 102.30 Central Buttress Zone
ROD-088 552690.6 2912908.5 765.3 -84.4 112.2 59.90 Central Buttress Zone
ROD-089 552693.2 2912900.1 765.2 -50.0 163.3 56.10 Central Buttress Zone
ROD-090 552696.2 2912792.4 776.2 -49.9 013.3 26.50 CBZ / SPZ
Notes:
1) Collar co-ordinates surveyed by Leica TCRA1203+ R1000 Robotic total station
2) Collar surveys of drill holes undertaken at c. 5-6m depth, using Reflex EZ-Trac survey tool
3) All co-ordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R
Table 1: Collar details of diamond drill holes ROD-080 to ROD-090
ROD-080 and ROD-081
Holes ROD-080 and ROD-081 were drilled on a westerly azimuth (Figure 2) to provide further information on
the potential orientation of the high grade blind mineralisation previously intersected in holes ROD -071 and
ROD-075 (see news releases dated May 10, 2022 and June 1, 2022).
Both holes intersected wide zones of mineralisation, with hole ROD -080 returning 0.83 g/t Au, 7.8 g/t Ag and
1.35% Zn over an interval of 35.85m from 137.65m downhole depth (see Table 2) . Aton’s geologists are
reviewing these results and the associated structural data from orientated core, and further follow-up drilling is
planned in this area.
ROD-082 to ROD-085
ROD-082 to ROD-085 were drilled to test outcropping surface mineralisation at the Aladdin’s Hill zone (Figure
2), with 2 of the holes, ROD -082 and ROD-083, designed as twin holes to test the results from the 2018 RC
programme.
The 2 holes ROD -082 and ROD-084 which tested the block of phyllic hosted mineralisation at Aladdin’s Hill
both returned wide intersections from surface: 2 .99 g/t Au and 5.3 g/t Ag over a 53.4m interval (hole ROD-
082), and 2.33 g/t Au and 6.6 g/t Ag over a 53.6m interval (hole ROD-084), see Table 2. Hole ROD-084
intersected a 5m wide underground mining void, which was allocated zero grade, indicating the presence of
significant high grade mineralisation at Aladdin’s Hill, which would have been the target of the ancient miners.
Holes ROD-083 and ROD-085 also returned lower grade mineralised intersections, associated with gossanous
carbonates, including 1.56 g/t Au and 4.2 g/t Ag over a 7.25m interval also from 10.75m (hole ROD-085).
Holes ROD-082 and ROD-083 were specifically designed to twin holes ROP-003 and ROP-011 from the 2018
RC programme at Rodruin (see news releases dated October 1, 2018 and November 12, 2018).
Hole ROD-082 returned a mineralised intercept of 35.5m @ 4.27 g/t Au, 6.8 g/t Ag, 0.20% Cu and 0.14% Zn
from 4.5m downhole depth (Table 2), which correlates favourably with the previously reported mineralised
intercept of 36m @ 5.38 g/t Au, 9.3 g/t Ag, 0.20% Cu and 0.19% Zn, from 5m (see Table 2 in news release
dated October 1, 2018, as reported with a 30 g/t Au top cut). Differences in the gold grades between ROP-003
and ROD-082 are largely attributable to high grade, presumably nuggety coarse gold bearing samples in both
ROP-003 and ROD -082. ROD -082 assayed 22.2 g/t Au between 10- 11.05m ( cf. ROP-003, 221.0 g/t Au
between 9-10m), and 12.67 g/t Au over 4.5m from 24.7m ( cf. ROP-003, 19.24 g/t Au over 3m from 22m,
including a single assay of 94.3 g/t Au), adjacent to an old narrow mining void.
The surface intersection from ROD-083 (28.4m @ 0.61 g/t Au and 4.5 g/t Ag, Table 2) correlated very closely
with that from hole ROP -011 (27m @ 0.58 g/t Au and 4.0 g/t Ag, previously reported as 11m @ 0.88 g/t Au
and 4.9 g/t Ag, from 16m, see news release dated November 12, 2018).
Furthermore, visible gold was identified at 110m in hole ROD -083, in a mineralised zone grading 1.18 g/t Au
over an interval of 8.30m, from 108.8m downhole d epth, again associated with phyllic alteration. While the
sample containing visible gold returned an assay of only 2.80 g/t Au , this zone indicates the potential for
additional zones of high grade coarse gold bearing mineralisation associated with phyllic alteration.
The results from these newly reported diamond hole s ROD-082 and ROD-083 very closely correlate with the
grade distribution in holes ROP-003 and ROP-011, and tend to confirm the validity of the results from the RC
programme.
Figure 2: Aladdin’s Hill area drill hole collar location plan, showing holes ROD-080 to ROD-085
Hole ID
Intersection (m) 1 Au
(g/t)
Ag
(g/t)
Cu
(%)
Pb
(%)
Zn
(%) Comments
From To Interval
ROD-080 137.65 173.50 35.85 0.83 7.8 0.12 0.02 1.35 Aladdin’s Hill NE
(“AHNE”)
incl. 137.65 147.64 9.99 1.88 14.3 0.19 0.01 2.36
ROD-081 117.60 140.00 22.40 0.37 8.1 0.07 0.02 0.55 AHNE, NSA > 0.81 g/t Au
ROD-082 0.00 53.40 53.40 2.99 5.3 0.17 0.09 0.17 Aladdin’s Hill (“AH”),
includes 1.7m of voids/
cavities (twins RC hole
ROP-003).
incl. 4.50 40.00 35.50 4.27 6.8 0.20 0.12 0.14
incl. 24.70 29.20 4.50 12.67 11.0 0.80 0.10 0.09
ROD-083
0.00 28.40 28.40 0.61 4.5 0.02 0.00 0.37 AH, includes 1.5m of
voids/cavities (twins RC
hole ROP-011). Visible
gold at 110m
78.30 88.50 10.20 0.70 7.7 0.12 0.00 0.57
108.80 117.10 8.30 1.18 3.3 0.04 0.06 0.07
ROD-084 0.00 53.60 53.60 2.33 6.6 0.29 0.05 1.13 AH, includes 5.1m
ancient mining void
between 18.0 - 23.1m incl. 0.00 18.00 18.00 0.96 9.7 0.39 0.06 3.20
and incl. 23.10 53.60 30.50 3.54 5.9 0.29 0.05 0.10
incl. 28.50 40.70 12.20 6.36 8.5 0.49 0.07 0.10
ROD-085
10.75 18.00 7.25 1.56 4.2 0.02 0.11 0.67 Aladdin’s Hill
22.00 33.40 11.40 0.31 4.3 0.01 0.01 0.29
ROD-086 0.00 37.20 37.20 0.77 12.3 0.01 0.02 0.11 Central Buttress Zone
ROD-087
9.70 58.65 48.95 0.81 13.9 0.01 0.05 0.15 Central Buttress Zone
(abundant visible gold at
c. 88m) 86.30 97.05 10.75 2.43 14.2 0.01 0.00 0.09
ROD-088 0.00 42.25 42.25 1.07 14.5 0.01 0.02 0.15 Central Buttress Zone
incl. 16.30 34.10 17.80 2.01 18.9 0.01 0.03 0.24
ROD-089
0.00 6.00 6.00 1.32 10.4 0.27 0.02 0.60 Central Buttress Zone
22.70 52.70 30.00 1.06 12.5 0.04 0.03 0.12
ROD-090 - - - - - - - - CBZ, NSA > 0.65 g/t Au
Notes:
1) Intersections calculated at a nominal cutoff grade of 0.3 g/t Au in runs of continuous mineralisation
2) Zones of poor (or no) recovery through ancient mining voids/workings were not sampled, and allocated zero grade
Table 2: Mineralised intersections from diamond drill holes ROD-080 to ROD-090
ROD-086 to ROD-090
Holes ROD-086 to ROD-090 were drilled to test the eastern margin of the CBZ carbonate- hosted
mineralisation (Figure 3).
All 4 holes drilled from the single pad (ROD-086 to ROD -089) intersected wide zones of mineralisation,
returning intersections including 37.2m grading 0.77 g/t Au and 12.3 g/t Ag from surface (hole ROD-086, Table
2), 48.95m grading 0.81 g/t Au and 13.9 g/t Ag from 9.7m (hole ROD -087), 42.25m grading 1.07 g/t Au and
14.5 g/t Ag from surface (hole ROD-088), and 30.0m grading 1.06 g/t Au and 12.5 g/t Ag from 22.7m (hole
ROD-089). These results continue to confirm the potential of the CBZ to host a substantial block of oxide Au-
Ag mineralisation, starting from surface.
Hole ROD-087 also intersected a deeper zone of phyllic and carbonate altered meta-sediments which returned
a mineralised interval grading of 2.43 g/t Au and 14.2 g/t Ag over 10.75m , from 86.3m depth (Table 2).
Abundant visible gold was observed in the core at 87.8m and 88.3m, associated with narrow quartz and quartz-
carbonate veinlets in heavily phyllic altered meta- sediments (Figure 4), again indicating the potential for
localised high grade coarse gold bearing zones at Rodruin.
Figure 3: Central Buttress/Spiral Pit area drill hole collar location plan, showing holes ROD-086 to ROD-090
Figure 4: Visible gold in a veinlet in silicified meta-sediments (hole ROD-087, 88.3m)
Hole ROD-090 was drilled entirely in sediments and failed to intersect significant mineralisation (Table 3), but
did intersect a 3.4m wide void, possibly ancient mining workings , on the South Ridge Thrust structure.
Gossanous meta-sediments above this void returned a single assay result of 0.65 g/t Au over a single metre.
Sample processing and analytical procedures
Drill core was logged by Aton geologists, and marked up for cutting and sampling at the Rodruin core farm.
Samples were typically selected over nominal 1m intervals, but as determined by the logged lithologies. The
core was half-cut by Aton staff at the onsite Rodruin sample preparation facility.
The split half-core samples were collected and bagged up in cloth bags, weighed and crushed to -4mm onsite,
and split to a nominal c. 250-500g sample size. The coarse crushed reject samples are retained onsite at the
Rodruin sample prep facility.
QAQC samples are inserted at a rate of approximately 1 certified reference material (or “standard” sample)
every 30 samples, 1 blank sample every 15 samples, and 1 duplicate split sample every 15 samples.
The c. 250-500g dried, crushed and split samples were shipped to ALS Minerals sample preparation laboratory
at Marsa Alam, Egypt where they were pulverised to a size fraction of better than 85% passing 75 microns.
From this pulverised material a further sub-sample was split off with a nominal c. 50g size, which was shipped
on to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for analysis.
Samples were analysed for gold by fire assay with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (“AAS”) finish (analytical
code Au-AA23), and for silver, copper, lead and zinc using an aqua regia digest followed by an AAS finish
(analytical code AA45). Any high grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using analytical code Au-
GRA21 (also fire assay, but with a gravimetric finish). Any high grade Ag and base metal samples (Ag >100
g/t, and Cu, Pb and Zn >10,000ppm or >1%) were re- analysed using the ore grade technique AA46 (also an
aqua regia digest followed by an AAS finish).
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 world-class Sukari gold mine.
Aton has identified numerous gold and base metal
exploration targets at Abu Marawat, including the
Hamama deposit in the west, the Abu Marawat deposit in
the northeast, and the advanced Rodruin exploration
prospect in the south of the Concession. Two historic
British gold mines are also located on the Concession at
Sir Bakis and Semna. Aton has identified several distinct
geological trends within Abu Marawat, which display
potential for the development of a variety of styles of
precious and base metal mineralisation. Abu Marawat is
447.7 km2 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, as are the
international airports at Hurghada and Luxor.
Qualified person
The technical information contained in this News Release
was prepared by Javier Orduña BSc (hons), MSc, MCSM,
DIC, MAIG, SEG(M), Exploration Manager of Aton
Resources Inc. Mr. Orduña 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:
TONNO VAHK
Interim CEO
Tel: +1 604 318 0390
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.
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