Aton Resources Inc. (TSXV:AAN) has successfully completed an RC drilling Infill programme on its Hamama West gold-silver project in the company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.
Highlights:
- The Hamama West RC infill drilling programme was completed with a total of 6,620m drilled, including five holes at the West Garida prospect;
- Assay results have been received for the first 35 holes, HAP-101 to HAP-135, to date;
- Significant intersections include 2.90 g/t Au, 68.9 g/t Ag and 3.71 g/t AuEq over a 37m interval from surface (drill hole HAP-115), 2.87 g/t Au, 54.3 g/t Ag and 3.51 AuEq over a 22m interval from 1m depth (hole HAP-110), and 1.43 g/t Au, 24.1 g/t Ag and 1.72 g/t AuEq over a 32m interval from 3m depth (hole HAP-115).
“The RC resource infill drilling programme at Hamama West has now been completed on schedule, and we are surely pleased with the initial results of the drilling that we have received so far” said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO.
“The results are in line with our expectations, and again confirm that the Hamama West oxide gold cap will be an easily mineable body of oxide mineralisation outcropping at surface, and which metallurgical testing has shown to be eminently treatable using heap leach processing technology.
“As soon as all the results have been received they will be forwarded on to our consultants Cube Consulting, who will commence work on revising the Hamama West mineral resource estimate.
“The development of the Hamama West starter open pit and heap leach project on the outcropping oxides, as only the second commercial gold mining operation in Egypt, will be a huge step forwards for the mining and mineral exploration sector in Egypt, the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority, and of course for Aton, and for all our stakeholders.”
Hamama West RC drilling programme
The Hamama West project has an indicated resource of 137,000 ounces of gold equivalent 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 mineralisation types respectively (see news release dated February 22, 2018), using standard heap leach processing technology.
Aton plans to initially mine the outcropping oxide gold cap of the deposit, which is mineralised 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.
The reverse circulation percussion (RC) resource infill drilling programme at the Hamama West gold-silver project has now been completed.
The programme was designed by Aton, in conjunction with our mineral resource consultants, Cube Consulting (Perth, Western Australia), to primarily test the oxide and transitional portion of the Hamama West mineral resource estimate (MRE), with the specific objective of upgrading the confidence of the existing inferred resource. A number of holes also tested the underlying sulphide resource, and a series of deeper holes was added at the end of the programme with a view to testing potential deeper sulphide mineralisation, and increasing the overall MRE at Hamama West.
For further information please visit: https://atonresources.com/
