Aston Bay Holdings Drills 29.9 g/t Au over 0.92 m and 19.25 g/t over 1.4 m in Phase 1 Drilling; Phase 2 Yields 150 m Extension at its Buckingham Gold Project, Virginia, USA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TSX-V: BAY; OTCQB: ATBHF
Aston Bay Holdings Drills 29.9 g/t Au over 0.92 m and 19.25 g/t over 1.4 m in Phase 1 Drilling;
Phase 2 Yields 150 m Extension at its Buckingham Gold Project, Virginia, USA
July 22, 2020 - Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSX -V:BAY; OTCQB:ATBHF) (“Aston Bay” or the “Company”) is
pleased to present results from Phase 1 of the 2020 diamond drill program at its Buckingham Gold
Property located in Central Virginia, USA (see March 24 , 2020 Aston Bay press release ). Ten large
diameter (HQ) oriented diamond drill holes totaling 1,218 metres (m) were completed with significant
gold intersected in seven of the holes, including high grade gold intersections in quartz vein and broader
zones of lower grade gold mineralization in zones of sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration.
Highlights
• Significant gold intersected in seven drill holes, including gold-bearing quartz in the Buckingham
Vein in core-length intercepts of:
o 5.81 g/t Au over 6.29 m including 29.9 g/t Au over 0.92 m (hole BUCK20-014)
o 19.25 g/t Au over 1.40 m (hole BUCK20-015), and
o 14.65 g/t Au over 1.06 m (hole BUCK20-016).
• These v ein intercepts represent a southeasterly a long-strike extension of 35 m for the
Buckingham Vein from previous Aston Bay drilling.
• Deepest-yet intercept of the Buckingham vein at 85 m vertical depth ; vein remains open at
depth.
• Additional broad zones of lower grade disseminated gold mineralization to west and west -
northwest of the Buckingham Vein in core-length intercepts of:
o 0.37 g/t Au over 52.66 m (hole BUCK20-007B)
o 0.24 g/t Au over 30.78 m (hole BUCK20-008)
o 0.40 g/t Au over 22.73 m (hole BUCK20-009), and
o 1.01 g/t Au over 9.00 m (hole BUCK20-010).
• Ongoing Phase 2 drilling has encountered gold bearing quartz vein material in four drill holes
up to 115 m farther southeast along strike, indicating a total additional along-strike extension
of 150 m for the Buckingham vein; as well, the vein remains open to the southeast.
“The Buckingham Vein is a high grade, near surface , steeply dipping vein that remains open at depth
and to the southeast,” stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO of Aston Bay. “Together with the broad zones of
lower grade disseminated gold mineralization, we are developing a very attractive and increasingly
compelling gold exploration story here at the Buckingham Property in Virginia. We look forward to build
on this with the assay results from our ongoing Phase 2 drill program. We clearly have additional
exploration potential along strike to the southeast and down-dip with the Buckingham Vein, as well as
prospective areas for broader z ones of lower grade disseminated gold mineralization to the west and
west-northwest of the vein. IP geophysics and additional step -out drilling are the next steps at
Buckingham for the second half of the year.”
Table 1. 2020 Phase 1 Buckingham Project Drilling Summary with Significant
Gold Intercepts.
From To Interval Estimated Au
Drill Hole (m) (m) Length True Width (g/t)
(m) (m)*
BUCK20-007 47.00 50.09 3.09 2.47 1.08
and 68.74 72.00 3.16 2.53 1.11
BUCK20-7B 64.78 117.44 52.66 42.18 0.37
including 85.61 86.38 0.77 0.62 1.71
including 96.97 98.00 1.03 0.82 1.77
including 106.24 107.36 1.12 0.90 1.55
including 110.35 116.00 5.65 4.52 1.30
BUCK20-008 74.94 105.72 30.78 24.62 0.24
including 76.50 78.00 1.50 1.20 2.23
BUCK20-009 20.50 32.00 11.50 9.20 1.00
and 43.15 47.67 4.52 3.62 0.70
and 62.29 85.02 22.73 18.18 0.40
including 62.29 63.07 0.78 0.62 1.81
including 68.00 70.00 2.00 1.60 2.09
including 77.44 78.60 1.16 0.93 1.21
BUCK20-010 10.00 19.00 9.00 7.20 1.01
and 51.35 52.29 0.94 0.75 1.58
BUCK20-011 no significant intersection
BUCK20-012 no significant intersection
BUCK20-013 no significant intersection
BUCK20-014 44.71 51.00 6.29 5.03 5.81
including 45.43 46.35 0.92 0.74 29.90
BUCK20-015 44.60 47.00 2.40 1.92 4.47
and 53.00 54.40 1.40 1.12 19.25
BUCK20-016 95.70 96.76 1.06 0.85 14.65
(*assuming a 72° dip on the quartz vein, the true width is 80%)
Significant intersections from the Phase 1 drilling are presented in Table 1. Drill hole locations with the
significant intercepts from the Phase 1 drilling are presented in Figure 1; these intercepts along with
selected intercepts from previous drilling are presented in a longitudinal cross section in Figure 2. Refer
to the June 27, 2019 Aston Bay news release for additional information on previous drilling.
Quartz Vein Mineralization - “Buckingham Vein”
Three drill holes (BUCK20-014, -015 and -016) targeted the south- east extension of the Buckingham
Vein. The previously known south-east extent of the vein was delineated in 2019 Aston Bay drilling that
yielded 24.7 grams/tonne (g/t) Au over 3.3 m including 34.2 g/t Au over 0.5m and 24.7 g/t Au over 3.57
m including 62.5 g/t Au over 1.39 m in BUCK19- 003 and -004. A hole drilled by a previous oper ator in
2016 (WAR16-004) located 35 m southeast along strike from the two Aston Bay drill holes yielded
modest results of 0.9 g/t Au over 1.7 m in a zone of poorly recovered quartz -altered rock and quartz
veining, casting doubt on continuation of a productive vein. The current drilling by Aston Bay, however,
yielded core-length intercepts of 5.81 g/t Au over 6.29 m including 29.9 g/t Au over 0.92 m, 19.25 g/t
Au over 1.4 m and 14.54 g/t Au over 1.06 m in quartz vein from BUCK20 -014, -015 and 016,
representing a 35 m along-strike extension and a 50 m down-dip extension of the Buckingham Vein.
Zones of Disseminated Sericite-Quartz-Pyrite Mineralization
Seven drill holes (BUCK20-007 through BUCK20-013) targeted the transition from the Buckingham Vein
into a zone of gold -bearing sericite-quartz-pyrite mineralization. Previous drilling by Aston Bay and a
previous operator intersected broad zones of gold mineralization (2.2 g/t Au over 18.0 m and 1.9 g/t
Au over 22.2 m in BUCK19-005 and 0.7 g/t Au over 13.7 m in WAR16-006) west of and northwest along
strike of the Buckingham Vein. Four of the current drill holes (BUCK20 -007, -008, -009 and 010) that
were collard along the line of strike or west of the vein intersected broad zones of lower grade , but
significant, gold mineralization (e.g., 0.37 g/t Au over 52.66 m, 0.24 g/t Au over 30.79 m, 0.40 g/t Au
over 22.73 m, and 1.01 g/t Au over 9.00 m ). No significant intersections were noted in the three drill
holes collared north of the strike of the Buckingham Vein (BUCK20-011, -012 and -013).
Phase 2 Drill Program Ongoing
Phase 2 of the drilling program at the property is currently underway (see Ju ne 26, 2020 Aston Bay
press release), with six drill holes completed to date. Gold-bearing quartz vein material was intercepted
in all four of the step-out drill holes located up to 115 m along strike from the Phase 1 drilling of the
Buckingham Vein. Samples from the initial three drill holes, two drill holes targeting the vein and one
drill hole targeting disseminated mineralizatio n, have been shipped to the laboratory for analysis by
standard fire assay techniques which will include metallic screen assaying of selected intervals with
visible alteration and mineralization (including visible gold). Results are anticipated in the coming
weeks. Drilling of the seventh and final drill hole in the Phase 2 program is underway and anticipated
to be completed soon. The Company will provide an update on the Phase 2 program next week.
About the Buckingham Main Zone
The NW-SE trending Buckingham Main Zone, which comprises a series of visible gold -bearing quartz
vein outcrops that extend over a strike length of some 150 m have yielded grab sample assay values up
to 701 grams per tonne (g/t) Au. The veining and alteration encountered in the current drill program
is similar to that encountered in the 2019 drilling of the zone, which included core-length intercepts of
up to 35.6 g/t Au over 2.03 m and 24.7 g/t Au over 3.57 m in gold-bearing quartz veins, as well as 2.2
g/t Au over 18.1 m and 1.9 g/t Au over 22.2 m in adjacent but separate sericite-quartz-pyrite alteration
zones (see June 5, 2019 Aston Bay release).
The gold -bearing system is hosted within a package of like ly Cambrian -age sediments, including
greywackes with minor quartz-arenites (phyllite, schist and quartzites), within the Appalachian orogenic
belt. This region is the site of the historically prolific Pyrite Belt which hosted a reported 250 gold mines
that were in production prior to the California gold rush of 1849 but has seen little recent mineral
exploration. Gold production has also occurred to the south in the Carolina Slate Belt, notably at
OceanaGold’s Haile Mine located in South Carolina with commercial production commencing in 2017
and slated to produce up to 150,000 ounces of gold per year.
Samples from the Company’s 2020 Buckingham drill program were shipped for analysis at the ALS
Laboratory in Vancouver, BC . A secure chain of custody was mai ntained, and the program included a
comprehensive QAQC program, which did not identify any analytical issues.
QUALIFIED PERSON
As per National Instrument 43 -101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Andrew Turner,
P.Geol., a consultant to Aston Bay, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated
and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres
to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities.
Figure 1: Drill hole locations with significant gold intercepts for 2020 Phase 1 drilling, Buckingham Gold Project, Virginia.
Local grid.
Figure 2: Longitudinal cross section with significant gold intercepts, Buckingham Gold Project, Virginia. 2020 Phase 1
drill intercepts in white boxes; previous drill intercepts in blue italics. View looking northeast.
About Aston Bay Holdings
Aston Bay is a publicly traded mineral exploration company exploring for gold and base metal deposits
in Virginia, USA, and Nunavut, Canada. The Company is led by CEO Thomas Ullrich with exploration in
Virginia directed by the Company’s advisor, Don Taylor, the 2018 Thayer Lindsley Award winner for his
discovery of the Taylor Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit in Arizona.
The Company has acquired the exclusive rights to an integrated dataset over certain prospective private
lands and has signed agreements with timber and land companies which grants the company the option
to lease the mineral rights t o 11,065 acres of land located in central Virginia. These lands are located
within a gold -copper-lead-zinc mineralized belt prospective for Carolina slate belt gold deposits and
Virginia gold-pyrite belt deposits, as well as sedimentary VMS, exhalative (SEDEX) and Broken Hill (BHT)
type base metal deposits. Don Taylor, who led the predecessor company to Blue Ridge and assembled
the dataset, has joined the Company’s Advisory Board and will be directing the Company’s exploration
activities for the Blue Ridge Project. The Company is actively exploring the Buckingham Gold Project in
Virginia and is in advanced stages of negotiation on other lands in the area.
The Company is also 100% owner of the Aston Bay Property located on western Somerset Island,
Nunavut, which neighbours Teck’s profitable, past- producing Polaris (Pb -Zn) Mine just 200km to the
north. The Aston Bay Property hosts the Storm Copper Project and the Seal Zinc Deposit with drill -
confirmed presence of sediment-hosted copper and zinc mineralization.
The Company’s public disclosure documents are available on www.sedar.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements made in this press release, including those regarding the closing and the use of proceeds of the private
placement, management objectives , forecasts, estimates, expectations, or predictions of the future may constitute
“forward-looking statement”, which can be identified by the use of conditional or future tenses or by the use of such verbs
as “believe”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “ estimate”, “anticipate”, “project”, “plan”, and words of similar import,
including variations thereof and negative forms. This press release contains forward -looking statements that reflect, as of
the date of this press release, Aston Bay’s expectations, estimates and projections about its operations, the mining industry
and the economic environment in which it operates. Statements in this press release that are not supported by historical
fact are forward-looking statements, meaning they involve risk, uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward -looking statements. Although Aston Bay believes that
the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these
statements, which apply only at the time of writing of this press release. Aston Bay disclaims any intention or obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except
to the extent required by securities legislation. We seek safe harbour.
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 news release.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Ullrich, Chief Executive Officer
(416) 456-3516
Sofia Harquail, IR and Corporate Development
(647) 821-1337