Aton Resources drills 6.75 g/t AuEq over 12 metres at Hamama West, Egypt
Aton Resources Inc. [AAN-TSXV; ANLBF-OTC] reported latest assay results from its Hamama West gold-silver project, located in the 100%-owned Abu Marawat concession in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Assay results have now been received for a further 27 RC drill holes, HAP-136 to HAP-162. Significant intersections include 3.71 g/t gold, 258.4 g/t silver and 6.75 g/t AuEq (gold equivalent) over a 12-metre interval, from surface (drill hole HAP-137).
Hole HAP-148 returned 0.92 g/t gold, 26.50 g/t silver and 1.23 g/t AuEq over a 66-metres interval from 2 metres depth. Hole HAP-155 returned 0.85 g/t gold, 26.71 g/t silver and 1.17 g/t AuEq over a 66-metres interval from 14 metres depth. Hole HAP-156 returned 0.81 g/t gold, 22.14 g/t silver and 1.07 g/t AuEq over a 68-metre interval from 23 metres depth.
“These latest results from Hamama West continue to meet with our expectations, and are more than respectable,” said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO. “The RC drilling is again demonstrating the presence of the wide and continuous body of gold-silver mineralization at Hamama West. Aton is continuing to push ahead with the strategy agreed with our partners at the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority, which will lead to the initial development of the starter open pit heap leach operation at Hamama West, followed by the Rodruin mine.”
The Hamama West project has an indicated resource of 137,000 ounces of gold equivalent (AuEq, gold and silver combined), and an inferred resource of 341,000 ounces AuEq. The uppermost oxide and transitional component of the Hamama West deposit (the gold oxide cap) comprises an inferred resource of 106,000 ounces AuEq. Metallurgical testwork has indicated average gold recoveries of 75.6% and 72.7% from oxide and transitional mineralization types respectively using standard heap leach processing technology. Aton plans to initially mine the outcropping oxide gold cap of the deposit, which is mineralized directly from surface, as a low capex/opex starter open pit mining operation, with a heap leach processing facility. The Hamama West oxides will provide early cash flow and will represent the first stage of phased mine development at the Abu Marawat Concession.
A total of 6,620m was drilled for the programme, predominantly at the Hamama West zone. 3 holes were completed, for 297 metres at the Western Carbonate zone, and 5 holes, for 390 metres at the West Garida prospect approximately 3km east of Hamama West with the remaining 5,933 metres drilled at Hamama West. These latest holes continue to show good continuity of the mineralization at Hamama West.
Aton Resources is focused on its 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession 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 mineralization. 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.