Aston Bay and American West Metals Announce New Copper Intersections at the Storm Project, Nunavut, Canada Assays for RC drilling confirm thick, near-surface intervals of high-grade, with deeper diamond drilling continuing to highlight a widespread copper system
Aston Bay and American West Metals Announce New Copper
Intersections at the Storm Project, Nunavut, Canada
Assays for RC drilling confirm thick, near-surface intervals of high-grade, with deeper
diamond drilling continuing to highlight a widespread copper system
Highlights:
• Deep diamond drilling has intersected thick intervals of visual copper
sulphides. Nine diamond drill holes (for a total of 2,295 metres ("m")) are now
complete, including the deep hole at Cirrus, with further thick intervals of visual
copper sulphides intersected, including:
o ST25-04, drilled below and along strike of the near-surface Cirrus Deposit,
has intersected approximately 57m combined total of visual sediment-
hosted copper mineralization
o The drill hole has also provided important stratigraphic information that
highlights the large-scale mineralization potential at Storm
• Assays confirm thick, near-surface copper intersections in Reverse-Circulation
("RC") drilling. Assays from the first 10 RC drill holes completed include:
o 12.2m @ 1.9% copper ("Cu"), 77 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver ("Ag") from
19.8m downhole, including;
▪ 4.6m @ 3.2% Cu, 129.0g/t Ag from 27.4m and 1.5m @ 2.9% Cu,
115.0 g/t Ag from 30.4m in SR25-005 at Corona
o 7.6m @ 1.7% Cu, 3.2g/t Ag from 25.9m downhole, including;
▪ 1.5m @ 2.9% Cu, 2.0g/t Ag from 27.4m and 1.5m @ 2.1% Cu, 2.0g/t
Ag from 29.0m in SR25-006 at Corona
o 4.6m @ 1.1% Cu, 1.3g/t Ag from 25.9m downhole in SR25-007 at Corona
o 7.6m @ 1.1% Cu, 2.2g/t Ag from 73.2m downhole in SR25-010 at The Gap -
Assays still pending between 128.0m and 149m downhole.
• The initial RC drill holes were completed at the Corona, Thunder, Lightning
Ridge Deposits and The Gap Prospect: strong drilling results support excellent
resource upgrade and expansion potential
TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / August 7, 2025 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd.
(TSXV:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update
on exploration activities at the Storm Copper Project ("Storm" or the "Project") on Somerset
Island, Nunavut. American West Metals Limited ("American West"), the Project operator, is
conducting the exploration program. Aston Bay and American West have formed a 20/80
unincorporated joint venture with respect to the Storm Project property, with Aston Bay
maintaining a free carried interest until a decision to mine is made upon completion of a
bankable feasibility study.
Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer of Aston Bay,commented :
"We are excited to report these new intercepts of near-surface copper mineralization from
recent RC drilling at Storm. The high grade and style of mineralization are the same as those
of the deposits, suggesting good continuity. Many of these new intersections are located
outside the conceptual pit walls and demonstrate excellent potential to expand the mineral
resource.
"The drillers successfully overcame difficult conditions to reach the area of the deep MLEM
conductive anomaly in the Deep Cirrus target, intersecting significant lengths of copper
sulphide mineralization along the way. Although the area around the conductive target was
not significantly copper mineralized, the hole did intercept a favourable stratigraphy. Every
deep hole drilled at Storm has encountered sediment-hosted copper style mineralization
as we narrow our hunt for additional copper mineralization at depth. I am excited to review
the final processing of the MobileMT geophysical survey, which is expected in the coming
weeks, to integrate the results with our enhanced understanding of the stratigraphy and
mineralization in these prospective deeper areas at Storm. "
Figure 1: Dense crackle breccia with visual chalcopyrite rimming from drill hole ST25-04
(210.6-210.75m downhole).
DIAMOND DRILLING
The second deep diamond drill hole, ST25-04, has been completed and has intersected
thick intervals of visual copper sulphide mineralization. The drill hole was designed to test
the Cirrus Deeps electromagnetic target and stratigraphy within the Central Graben area
(see June 12, 2025, Aston Bay news release ).
Drill hole ST25-04 details
ST25-04 was drilled to a depth of 692m to the south-west of the Cyclone Deposit (Figure 5).
Following difficulties re-entering ST24-03 from 2024, the drill hole was redesigned to be
drilled from the north. This direction gave the ability to test the Allen Bay horizon within the
Central Graben, the south graben fault zone, as well as the moving-loop electro-magnetic
("MLEM") plates located at depth (Figure 3).
The drill hole has intersected two broad zones of visual copper sulphide mineralization (see
Table 1) between 183-215m and 298.5-327m downhole. Each zone is hosted within the
geological unit that hosts copper mineralization at the Storm Project.
The upper zone of visual sulphide mineralization is hosted within a thick sequence of
brecciated dolomudstones of the upper Allen Bay Formation. The visual mineralization
consists of crackle and matrix breccias with diffuse, black iron and copper sulphide infills
as cement (Figure 2). Localized strongly copper sulphide mineralized zones are present
within fault-related breccia at 183-184m and 196-197m (see Figures 1 and 2).
The lower zone of mineralization contains malachite and native copper that occurs along
fracture surfaces and fracture fill. This is commonly associated with fault zones at Storm
and may indicate that the South Graben fault is a series of faults rather than a singular
structure, similar to the strongly mineralized North Graben fault at Cyclone.
A deep horizon of pyrite mineralization was intersected proximal to the South Graben fault
zone and within the Irene Bay Formation. This geological unit has only been seen in the
area of the Seal Zinc deposit to date.
The likely source of the targeted MLEM plates is interpreted to be interbedded organic-rich
shale and dolostones of the Bay Fiord Formation, which were encountered between 578m
and the end of the drill hole (Figure 3). These organic units are important components
within the sedimentary copper model and act as a potential trap for mineralized basin
fluids. This suggests that the base of the Bay Fiord Formation may represent a new copper
and base metal target horizon within the project area.
Figure 2: Dense breccia and fracture fill visual pyrite and chalcopyrite from ST25-04 (183.6-
183.9m downhole).
Figure 3: Schematic NE-SW geological section (+/-75m) through Cirrus Deeps. The copper
mineralization intersected by ST25-04 is located immediately below the Cape Storm
Formation, similar to the other deposits at Storm. View looking west (see Figure 5).
Hole ID From
(m)
To
(m) Min Description / Mineral Mode
ST25-04 0 20 Douro Formation
20 173
Cape Storm Formation - thinly
bedded dolomudstone
173 183
Allen Bay Formation - grey massive
dolomudstone
183 184 py, cc Crackle breccia with sulphide
matrix
184 197 py, cp Fine fractures and breccia, local
Ma blebs
197 200
Allen Bay Fm - beige
dolomudstone
200 210 py, cp Vugs and crackle breccia with cp
and py
210 211 cc, py Mosaic breccia with fine sulphide
211 215 py Sulphide crackle breccia
215 298.5 Allen Bay Fm - beige
dolofloatstone
298.5 327 Cu,
ma
Organic breccia with patchy native
Cu, malachite with bitumen in
fractures
327 489 Dolomudstone with bitumen in
vugs
489 578 py Patchy pyrite replacing dolostone
578 593 Grey dolostone with shale
593 635 Argillaceous dolostone and shale
Table 1: Summary geological log for drill hole ST25-04. Mineralization key: cc = chalcocite,
cp = chalcopyrite, br = bornite, py = pyrite, Cu = native copper, ct = cuprite, ml = malachite,
sph = sphalerite, ga = galena.
STRONG COPPER INTERSECTIONS CONTINUE AT STORM
Assay results from the initial drilling at the Corona, Thunder, Lightning Deposits, and the
Gap Prospect have been received and highlight the exceptional continuity and resource
expansion potential for the deposits (Figures 4 & 5). These drill holes were completed as a
priority to enable the timely receipt of results for resource estimation and upgrade studies.
The assays confirm intersections of copper close to the surface and within key areas within
the current resource envelope. The drilling was designed to upgrade the existing inferred
category resources and to potentially expand the pit-constrained resource.
The drilling at The Gap confirms the expansion potential of the prospect and the
opportunity to define maiden resources of this important satellite deposit. The thick
intervals of near-surface copper mineralization in SR25-010 include 7.6m @ 1.1% Cu,
2.2g/t Ag from 73.2m downhole, with the bottom of the drill hole assays still pending.
Figure 4: Long-section of the Corona Deposit looking north (+/- 75m), highlighting 2025
drilling, conceptual open-pit shell and the copper mineralization envelope. View looking
north (see Figure 5).
Figure 5 : Drill hole locations from the 2025 drilling program (Storm area detail), overlaying
deposit MRE outlines and existing drilling overlaying aerial photography.
Hole ID Prospect From To Int. Cu % Ag g/t Zn PPM
SR25-
001 Thunder 41.1 42.7 1.5 0.4 1.0 10.0
73.2 74.7 1.5 0.4 2.0 10.0
89.9 97.5 7.6 1.0 1.3 10.0
SR25-
002 Thunder 45.7 47.2 1.5 0.9 2.0 10.0
SR25-
003
Cyclone
S
NSI
SR25-
004
Cyclone
S 144.8 146.3 1.5 0.6 2.0 30.0
SR25-
005 Corona 19.8 32.0 12.2 1.9 77.1 20.0
Incl.
22.9 27.4 4.6 3.2 129.0 30.0
And
29.0 30.5 1.5 2.9 115.0 20.0
35.1 41.1 6.1 0.7 11.3 12.5
SR25-
006 Corona 25.9 33.5 7.6 1.7 3.2 12.0
Incl.
25.9 27.4 1.5 2.9 2.0 20.0
And
29.0 30.5 1.5 2.1 2.0 10.0
39.6 41.1 1.5 0.5 7.0 10.0
42.7 44.2 1.5 0.3 6.0 10.0
SR25-
007 Corona 7.6 12.2 4.6 1.1 1.3 26.7
13.7 15.2 1.5 0.3 2.0 20.0
18.3 19.8 1.5 0.4 2.0 10.0
32.0 33.5 1.5 0.4 1.0 10.0
SR25-
008 Corona 0.0 3.0 3.0 0.6 1.0 10.0
12.2 21.3 9.1 0.7 1.0 10.0
SR25-
009 L. Ridge
NSI
SR25-
010 Gap 73.2 80.8 7.6 1.1 2.2 10.0
126.5 128.0 1.5 0.6 2.0 10.0
Table 2: Summary of 2025 significant drilling intersections to date using a 0.3% Cu cut-off
grade. The intersections are expressed as downhole widths and are interpreted to be close
to true widths.