Alpha Exploration Announces Additional New Drill Results from the Aburna Gold District, Kerkasha Project, Eritrea
Alpha Exploration Announces Additional New
Drill Results from the Aburna Gold District,
Kerkasha Project, Eritrea
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2025) -
Alpha Exploration Ltd.
(TSXV: ALEX)
("Alpha"
or the "Company")
announces additional drill results from its 7,868m drill program at the Aburna
orogenic gold prospect within its 100% owned, 771 km² Kerkasha Project located in Eritrea.
Aburna is a major, district scale orogenic gold project that, based on surface geochemistry, extends over
an area of at least 7km long and 2km wide and is one of three significant discoveries made by Alpha on
the Kerkasha licence to date.
Exploration to date at Aburna has defined six primary areas of interest
including the Hill 52 and Central prospects (see Figure 1, below). This newly released data is from
drillholes in the Hill 52/Central prospect area, now termed the Central Aburna Antiform (CAA).
Assays from 25 additional drillholes completed in July 2024 have now been received. Alpha is pleased
to report assays from both the Hill 52 and Central areas which support current thinking on the
macroscopic structural controls of gold mineralization at Aburna.
HIGHLIGHTS:
From Hill 52 Prospect:
6m @ 2.29 g/t gold (ABRD136)
6m @ 2.97 g/t gold (ABR140)
4m @ 2.26 g/t gold (ABR151)
6m @ 4.98 g/t gold (ABR154)
4m @ 2.00 g/t gold (ABR155)
Mineralization in the Central Aburna Antiform (CAA) is conformable to the current macro-
structural gold mineralization controls.
Hill 52/ Central Prospects or the Central Aburna Antiform (CAA)
Drillhole collar information from the 25 drillholes covered by this press release are shown in Table 1,
while Table 2 shows the significant intervals from these 25 drillholes. All mineralized intervals intersected
occurred within the macro-structural zones targeted, supporting the current mineralization-control model.
Drillholes ABRD136, ABRD137, ABRD138, ABR139, ABR145, ABR146, ABR147, ABR148, ABR149
and ABR152 targeted a potential reverse fault which, it is proposed, fractures the axial crest of the
Central Aburna Antiform or CAA. After a macro-structural simulation and cross-sectional review, it has
become apparent that mineralization at the CAA occurs in two such 'preparation' zones; one
conformable with the regional foliation along the hinge-zone of the antiform and the other being a more
passively fractured lithological unit, called the Hill 52 Unit (Hronsky, 2024), sandwiched between the
upper and lower chlorite schists. These two units are more ductile than adjacent lithologies, creating a
rheologic difference.
The axial crest reverse fault appears to have formed parallel to a major stepover fault between the
Tocina and Aburna shear zones on the southeastern margin of the CAA. It is postulated that the stepover
fault itself became "locked-up", with energy forcing a wrench rotational disruption along the axial crest of
the CAA creating the axial crest reverse fault. This potential reverse fault appears to extend for
approximately 800m from the southwest end of the Hill 52 prospect to the northeast end of the Central
prospect, all now termed the Central Aburna Antiform or CAA. Gold mineralization along the length of the
reverse fault occurs within a zone which varies from 60m to 120m wide and is open to the northeast,
southwest and down dip.
Two structural controls are recognized at the CAA; a rheologic control at the folded lithologic contact
above the Hill 52 Unit and the central axis reverse fault zone (RFZ). Where drilled densely, the combined
mineralization appears to be shaped like a "sliced" mushroom or open umbrella (see the cross section
2080 in Figure 2 below). The next drill program at Aburna will focus on the reverse fault zone at the CAA
and the developing structural corridor at the Northeast prospect.
Figure 1: Map of the Central Aburna Antiform (CAA) area drilling, encompassing the Hill 52 and
Central prospects with drilling completed to date in white and the drillhole results released in
this press release in blue. The pale yellow envelope is a >0.2 g/t Au exploration target defined
by drill intercepts and 100mx100m soil sample grid.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Figure 2 Cross section 2080, at the southwest end of the CAA. The black lines represent the
hanging wall and footwall of the postulated reverse fault zone (RFZ) whilst the mineralization at
the upper Hill 52-unit contact is rheologically controlled.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Tim Livesey, Interim CEO said,
"Alpha's technical team is particularly pleased with these latest drill
results from Aburna as they appear to further validate the team's view of how gold
mineralization is controlled at Aburna and continue to define the wide, well-mineralized core
zone at Hill 52.
We look forward to reporting further drill results from Aburna as they become
available. "
Table 1 Drillhole Collar Details
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To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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Table 2 Significant intervals for the listed drillholes including to and from meters and notes
regarding the main structural control.
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Significant intervals are determined to be >3m wide zones beginning and ending with 0.2 g/t Au or
greater with internal dilution of no more than 2m. A narrower interval is also determined to be
significant if over 1.0 g/t Au. Significant intervals that when calculated result in a g/t Au value of >0.30
are not considered reportable.
Sampling, Sub-sampling and Analysis
Alpha engaged an independent Consultancy, RSC Mining & Mineral Exploration (RSC) to develop a
Standard Operating Procedure ("SOP") for both RC and DD drill samples in June 2021 and all samples
in this release use this RSC SOP. The RSC SOP utilizes blank standards and industry standards that
are inserted at the beginning and end of every batch (and every 20 samples within the batch) for all
batches submitted to ALS for assay. Additionally, field replicates are taken at a frequency of
approximately 1 in 5 (20%) through mineralized areas.
Alpha uses an independent laboratory in Asmara (NABRO) to prepare drill samples for assaying. One-
meter samples from both RC and DD drilling were crushed (to >90% passing 2.0 mm) and pulverised (to
>85% passing 75 μm). Two scoop samples were taken from the pulveriser bowl: approximately 130g for
laboratory analysis and approximately 150g for portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis. The coarse
and pulp rejects were stored at Alpha's warehouse in Asmara. The Company inserted certified reference
material from OREAS (www.ore.com.au) into the sample stream, while Nabro sample preparation facility
inserted barren granodiorite material into the sample stream as a blank. Samples were shipped to ALS
Geochemistry (ALS), Loughrea, Ireland, for analysis. ALS analysed all drill samples for gold by method
Au-AA26 (50 g charge fire assay, AAS finish). ALS is independent of the Company and its quality
management systems framework is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 or certified to ISO 9001:2015
standards.
About Alpha
Alpha (TSXV: ALEX) is an exploration company that is rapidly advancing a number of important gold
and base metal discoveries across its 100% owned, large (771 km2) Kerkasha Project in Eritrea.
The Aburna Gold Prospect is an exciting new gold discovery where recent drilling has confirmed a high-
grade mineralised system, with grades including 18m @ 15.33 g/t Au, 16 m @ 14.07 g/t Au, 9 m @ 10
g/t Au and 23 m @ 6.74 g/t Au.
The Anagulu Gold-Copper Porphyry Prospect includes recent drilling intersections of 108 m @ 1.24 g/t
Au and 0.60% Cu and 49 m @ 2.42 g/t Au and 1.10% Cu within a porphyry unit mapped over at a >2 km
strike length.
The Company is also advancing exploration of the Tolegimja volcanogenic massive sulphide copper-
zinc-gold prospect and over 17 other gold and base metal occurrences since listing in 2021.
The Company is managed by a group of highly experienced and successful mining professionals with
long track records of establishing, building and successfully exiting a number of world class gold and
base metal discoveries in Eritrea and across the wider Arabian Nubian Shield.
For further information go to the Alpha webpage at
www.alpha-exploration.com
or contact:
Tim Livesey
Interim CEO
Alpha Exploration Ltd.
Email:
Tel: +44 7880 955441
Qualified Person
All scientific and technical information in this press release, including the results of the Aburna drill
program and how these results relate to the ongoing exploration at the Kerkasha Project has been
reviewed, verified, and approved by Michael Hopley, Chairman of Alpha and a "qualified person" for the
purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.
Cautionary Notes
This press release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to
United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States.
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts,
contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable
securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to
statements or information with respect to future dataset interpretations, sampling, plans for its projects
(including the Anagulu prospect), surveys related to Alpha's assets, and the Company's drilling
program. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use
of words such as "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may"
or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are
intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. With respect to forward-looking
statements and information contained herein, Alpha has made numerous assumptions including
among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions and the price of
gold and other minerals. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.
Although management of Alpha believes that the assumptions made and the expectations
represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that
forward-looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements
and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or
industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but
are not limited to: risks relating to Alpha's financing efforts; risks associated with the business of Alpha
given its limited operating history; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally;
the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in
interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering
assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and
resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or
processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability
of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals,
industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and
environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest;
changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws
(including regulations respecting mining concessions); risks related to the direct and indirect impact
of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, its impact on general economic conditions, the ability to
obtain financing as required, and causing potential delays to exploration activities; those factors
discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Final Prospectus; and other risk factors as detailed
from time to time. Alpha does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in
accordance with applicable securities laws.
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