News 2023

Aton reports new surface sampling results from the Zeno and Semna regional target areas

Jul 31, 2023 Download PDF

Vacouver, British Columbia, July 31, 2023: Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) (“Aton” or the “Company”) is pleased to update investors with the latest results from surface sampling programmes at its Zeno and Semna regional target areas, at the Company’s 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat” or the “Concession”), in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

Highlights:

  • A total of 106 selective grab samples were collected from Zeno and the Semna regional prospect areas;
  • The Semna regional samples were taken in a wide and previously unsampled area to the southeast of the historic Semna gold mine, which has been heavily exploited by artisanal miners in recent times, and the Zeno samples were taken from new artisanal workings where newly and/or more deeply exposed mineralised structures had previously been sampled at or near surface;
  • 34 samples were collected from the Zeno prospect area, and returned assays including 36.20 g/t Au, 15.30 g/t Au and 14.15 g/t Au. 3 more samples also returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au, and a further 3 samples also returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au;
  • 72 samples were collected from the Semna regional prospect area, and returned assays including 25.70 g/t Au, 16.55 g/t Au and 15.20 g/t Au. 4 more samples returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au, and a further 6 samples returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au;
  • The structural orientations and style of mineralisation at both prospects bear similarities to those observed at the nearby Semna gold mine;
  • This sampling programme significantly expands the area of mineralised veins and structures in the broader Semna-Zeno area.

“We are very pleased with another set of impressive sampling results from the Semna and Zeno areas, which significantly expands the area of known mineralisation, as well as helping us to better understand the distribution of the mineralisation and its structural controls. The entire Semna-Zeno regional area is a very high priority target for us, and we have now started RC drilling at Semna, and expect to start drilling at Zeno in the middle of August” said Tonno Vahk, Interim CEO. “We continue to push ahead, and remain firmly on track to submit our application for the mining licence at Abu Marawat in the coming weeks. We were also pleased to have recently attended the very successful Egypt Mining Forum in Cairo, and would like to congratulate our partners at the Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority for organising and hosting such a great event which will surely aid in the development of the mineral exploration and mining sectors in Egypt. We are already looking forward to next year’s event!”

Abu Marawat regional sampling programme

The Company has recently undertaken several surface sampling programmes, as part of its preparation and planning activities for the ongoing regional RC exploration drilling programme started in May 2023 (see news release dated May 19, 2023), and also to guide future exploration activities. Samples from the surface sampling programme have returned assays up to and including 67.5 g/t Au from Abu Gaharish, 54.9 g/t Au from Bohlog, and 27.6 g/t Au from Semna (see news release dated May 29, 2023), and 104.5 g/t Au from Zeno (see news release dated June 26, 2023).

Figure 1: Geological map of the Abu Marawat Concession, showing the location of Zeno

Discussion of results

Zeno

Sampling was undertaken at the Zeno prospect area, located approximately 12 km north of the Rodruin mineral deposit and 4 km west of the old Semna gold mine (Figure 1). Artisanal miners have been very active in the general Zeno area in the previous 3 years, and have excavated numerous open pit and underground workings on what Aton believe to be potentially very high grade gold mineralised veins and structures. Previous surface sampling by Aton of visible gold and iron oxide bearing quartz veins returned assays including 117.5 g/t Au, 100.5 g/t Au, 72.3 g/t Au, 56.5 g/t Au and 48.3 g/t Au (see news release dated May 30, 2018), and more recently 104.5 g/t Au, 67.1 g/t Au and 43.0 g/t Au (see news release dated June 26, 2023).

Aton has recently completed a follow-up programme of selective grab sampling at Zeno, in areas previously sampled in 2018 (Figure 2), but which have recently been exploited by artisanal miners. A total of 34 samples were collected from recently mined veins and structures, or from excavations that were previously sampled at a higher level or along strike. Selected results from the recent sampling programme are shown in Table 1, and full assay results are presented in Appendix A.

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

AHA-45616

Zeno

555097

2924519

Grab

14.15

2.5

112

9

892

AHA-45622

Zeno

555309

2924030

Grab

11.20

2.2

387

10

301

AHA-45625

Zeno

554711

2924464

Grab

13.40

2.6

527

7

294

AHA-45640

Zeno

555265

2923672

Grab

36.20

4.2

2

9

1

AHA-45644

Zeno

555014

2924404

Grab

15.30

1.6

8

4

10

AHA-45645

Zeno

554940

2924426

Grab

10.20

1.5

13

7

25

Table 1: Selected surface sampling results from Zeno

Figure 2: Zeno prospect – sample location plan (recent imagery showing artisanal mining activity)

The mineralisation has been worked extensively in both ancient and recent times in the Zeno area and appears to consist predominantly of narrow (typically <2m) quartz veins and quartz veined shear zones, typically hosted within grey to pinkish coarse grained granodiorites. Some of the individual veins and workings can be traced for 300m or more. Previous sampling has indicated that the mineralisation is hosted within both the quartz veins and their altered and sheared wall rock. In places the veins appear to pinch and swell with some of the underground workings reaching up to 5m width in places (see news release dated May 30, 2018).

Of the 34 samples taken during the current programme 6 (18% of the samples) returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au (see Table 1), 9 (26%) returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au, and 28 in total (82%) returned assays greater than 1 g/t Au.

The current sampling programme has confirmed that gold is hosted in both quartz veins and their surrounding altered and sheared wall rocks in typically narrow zones, that sometimes pinch and swell. In some locations multiple veins were observed to coalesce together and anastomose, returning higher grades of gold mineralisation where the shearing is more intense.

The veins are typically steep, and occur in multiple orientations, however there appears to be a dominant orientation striking approximately east-southeast to east-northeast throughout the area, with the veins and shear zones generally dipping between about 60° to sub-vertically to the south. There are also a number of approximately north to north-northeast striking structures and veins that generally dip to the east, one of which previously returned a gold grade of 104.5 g/t Au (see news release dated June 26, 2023). A different north striking structure returned a grade of 36.20 g/t Au during this phase of sampling, and Aton plans to drill these potentially high grade structures during the upcoming RC drill programme.

The current sampling programme has considerably expanded the mineralised area and understanding of the mineralisation at the Zeno prospect. It has also confirmed the presence of multiple high grade gold bearing veins and structures, up to several hundreds of metres long, throughout the general area. The style and structural setting of the Zeno mineralisation bears distinct similarities to that at the Semna gold mine, approximately 4 km to the east.

Semna (regional)

An additional programme of selective grab sampling and mapping was completed in the regional Semna area, where extensive exploitation of mineralised veins and structures has again been carried out by artisanal miners in recent years. The area sampled in the current programme is located between 1.5 km – 4 km southeast of the old British-era Semna gold mine (Figure 1), and had been largely been previously unsampled by Aton.

A total of 72 samples were collected in the current programme (Figure 3). In addition, 2 QAQC samples, one blank and one duplicate sample, were inserted into the sample run sent for assaying. Selected results from the sampling programme are shown in Table 2, and full assay results are presented in Appendix A.

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

AHA-45541

Semna (regional)

559969

2923599

Grab

13.45

6.0

2220

11

3070

AHA-45558

Semna (regional)

560013

2922952

Grab

13.50

6.1

3670

26

278

AHA-45560

Semna (regional)

559679

2922722

Grab

10.25

2.4

601

11

28

AHA-45571

Semna (regional)

560023

2922623

Grab

10.30

2.1

746

4

18

AHA-45586

Semna (regional)

561046

2922169

Grab

16.55

70.9

762

3000

582

AHA-45601

Semna (regional)

559847

2922376

Grab

25.70

17.1

555

6

32

AHA-45605

Semna (regional)

560023

2922102

Grab

15.20

22.7

146

1710

227

Table 2: Selected surface sampling results from the Semna regional area

Figure 3: Semna regional area prospect – sample location plan

The mineralisation worked in recent times in the Semna regional prospect area appears to consist predominantly of narrow (typically <1m) quartz veins and quartz veined, carbonate altered shear zones, typically hosted within dark green fine grained diorites. The veins and shear zones mapped and sampled are predominantly moderate to steeply dipping to the southwest, and returned assays up to 25.70 g/t Au (AHA-45601). Other north-south striking structures, reminiscent of the Zeno and main Semna gold mine areas, returned assays of up to 16.55 g/t Au (AHA-45586). Some of the individual veins and workings can be traced for 200m or more with minor apparent strike slip offsets. This sampling programme has indicated that mineralisation is hosted within both the quartz veins and their altered and sheared wall rocks.

Of the 72 samples taken in the current programme 7 (10% of the samples) returned assays greater than 10 g/t Au (see Table 1), 13 (18%) returned assays greater than 5 g/t Au, and 42 in total (58%) returned assays greater than 1 g/t Au.

The current sampling programme has considerably expanded the area of known mineralisation away from the historic Semna gold mine, and has confirmed the presence of multiple previously unidentified high grade gold bearing veins and structures, up to several hundreds of metres long, throughout the regional Semna area.

Sample processing and analytical procedures

Samples were collected in the field by Aton’s exploration teams. The selective grab samples were collected manually, and were mostly, but not entirely, collected in situ, with some samples collected from the artisanal miners’ residual rock dumps and ore piles, for example.

The samples were weighed and crushed to -4mm onsite at the Rodruin sample prep facility, and split to a nominal c. 250-500g sample size. The coarse crushed reject samples are retained onsite.

The c. 250-500g dried, crushed and split samples were shipped to ALS Minerals sample preparation laboratory at Marsa Alam, Egypt where they were pulverised to a size fraction of better than 85% passing 75 microns. From this pulverised material a further sub-sample was split off with a nominal c. 50g size, which was shipped on to ALS Minerals at Rosia Montana, Romania for analysis. The reject pulps were returned from ALS, and are also retained onsite.

Samples were analysed for gold by fire assay with an atomic absorption spectroscopy (“AAS”) finish (analytical code Au-AA23), and for silver, copper, lead and zinc using an aqua regia digest followed by an AAS finish (analytical code AA45). Any high grade gold samples (>10 g/t Au) were re-analysed using analytical code Au-GRA21 (also fire assay, but with a gravimetric finish).

About Aton Resources Inc.

Aton Resources Inc. (AAN: TSX-V) is focused on its 100% owned Abu Marawat Concession (“Abu Marawat”), located 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 mineralisation. 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.

Qualified person

The technical information contained in this News Release was prepared by Javier Orduña BSc (hons), MSc, MCSM, DIC, MAIG, SEG(M), Exploration Manager of Aton Resources Inc. Mr. Orduña is a qualified person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

For further information regarding Aton Resources Inc., please visit us at www.atonresources.com or contact:

TONNO VAHK
Interim CEO
Tel: +1 604 318 0390
Email: info@atonresources.com

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking statements. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions; by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

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 release.

Appendix A: Surface sample results

Sample ID

Project

E

N

Sample type

Au (ppm)

Ag (ppm)

Cu (ppm)

Pb (ppm)

Zn (ppm)

AHA-45615

Zeno

555107

2924564

Grab

0.47

<0.2

4

3

21

AHA-45616

Zeno

555097

2924519

Grab

14.15

2.5

112

9

892

AHA-45617

Zeno

555062

2924515

Grab

6.31

1.6

61

10

234

AHA-45618

Zeno

555124

2924467

Grab

1.94

1.0

8

9

9

AHA-45619

Zeno

555090

2924312

Grab

7.90

0.6

58

4

24

AHA-45620

Zeno

555267

2924436

Grab

1.63

0.3

123

5

39

AHA-45621

Zeno

555312

2924058

Grab

2.46

0.7

29

4

32

AHA-45622

Zeno

555309

2924030

Grab

11.20

2.2

387

10

301

AHA-45623

Zeno

555580

2924043

Grab

4.21

0.4

1115

2

4

AHA-45624

Zeno

555184

2924131

Grab

1.18

0.9

140

5

117

AHA-45625

Zeno

554711

2924464

Grab

13.4

2.6

527

7

294

AHA-45626

Zeno

554713

2924464

Grab

3.83

0.7

120

6

213

AHA-45627

Zeno

554639

2924415

Grab

2.45

0.2

84

7

23

AHA-45628

Zeno

554622

2924412

Grab

0.77

<0.2

29

4

8

AHA-45629

Zeno

555055

2924221

Grab

4.94

0.5

24

4

55

AHA-45630

Zeno

555033

2924219

Grab

0.36

0.2

13

3

5

AHA-45631

Zeno

555113

2924189

Grab

2.85

0.5

5

6

16

AHA-45632

Zeno

555242

2923802

Grab

1.11

0.4

249

6

601

AHA-45633

Zeno

555239

2923775

Grab

1.14

1.2

327

7

261

AHA-45634

Zeno

555075

2924082

Grab

4.10

1.6

913

8

25

AHA-45635

Zeno

554875

2924160

Grab

0.13

<0.2

18

3

13

AHA-45636

Zeno

555019

2923865

Grab

3.39

0.2

13

6

37

AHA-45637

Zeno

555150

2923710

Grab

1.78

0.3

3

4

9

AHA-45638

Zeno

555104

2923755

Grab

1.31

0.2

132

6

7

AHA-45639

Zeno

555266

2923658

Grab

6.20

1.2

12

9

50

AHA-45640

Zeno

555265

2923672

Grab

36.20

4.2

2

9

1

AHA-45641

Zeno

554700

2924596

Grab

0.66

0.3

13

2

6

AHA-45642

Zeno

554697

2924598

Grab

1.32

0.5

400

5

23

AHA-45643

Zeno

554914

2924451

Grab

1.81

0.2

3

4

9

AHA-45644

Zeno

555014

2924404

Grab

15.30

1.6

8

4

10

AHA-45645

Zeno

554940

2924426

Grab

10.20

1.5

13

7

25

AHA-45646

Zeno

554872

2924473

Grab

4.42

1.6

24

4

102

AHA-45647

Zeno

554808

2924422

Grab

3.73

0.4

15

11

27

AHA-45648

Zeno

554844

2924386

Grab

0.07

<0.2

8

4

49

AHA-45541

Semna (regional)

559969

2923599

Grab

13.45

6.0

2220

11

3070

AHA-45542

Semna (regional)

560046

2923656

Grab

0.43

<0.2

31

8

82

AHA-45543

Semna (regional)

560004

2923686

Grab

5.79

12.3

43

590

135

AHA-45544

Semna (regional)

559974

2923708

Grab

5.62

2.8

23

119

149

AHA-45545

Semna (regional)

559987

2923802

Grab

0.04

<0.2

13

6

11

AHA-45546

Semna (regional)

559885

2923593

Grab

1.20

1.4

91

315

77

AHA-45547

Semna (regional)

559854

2923443

Grab

1.39

0.6

26

23

67

AHA-45548

Semna (regional)

559926

2923481

Grab

6.07

47.0

20

11400

273

AHA-45549

Semna (regional)

560022

2923454

Grab

0.07

0.2

7

29

18

AHA-45550

Semna (regional)

560009

2923385

Grab

1.87

2.2

75

166

33

AHA-45551

Semna (regional)

560108

2923319

Grab

1.16

0.8

271

97

187

AHA-45552

Semna (regional)

559836

2923319

Grab

1.11

0.3

58

48

133

AHA-45553

Semna (regional)

559791

2923101

Grab

0.15

<0.2

60

9

133

AHA-45554

Semna (regional)

559802

2923054

Grab

1.39

0.5

186

8

491

AHA-45555

Semna (regional)

559868

2923058

Grab

0.03

<0.2

130

9

78

AHA-45556

Semna (regional)

559865

2923057

Grab

0.66

0.3

223

9

85

AHA-45557

Semna (regional)

559995

2923000

Grab

1.20

1.6

32970

9

107

AHA-45558

Semna (regional)

560013

2922952

Grab

13.50

6.1

3670

26

278

AHA-45559

Semna (regional)

559678

2922711

Grab

1.03

0.3

610

8

57

AHA-45560

Semna (regional)

559679

2922722

Grab

10.25

2.4

601

11

28

AHA-45561

Semna (regional)

559648

2922743

Grab

0.06

<0.2

23

9

111

AHA-45562

Semna (regional)

559723

2922863

Grab

4.05

1.4

973

13

34

AHA-45563

Semna (regional)

559729

2922865

Grab

0.11

<0.2

19

6

41

AHA-45564

Semna (regional)

559730

2922864

Grab

0.19

<0.2

40

7

47

AHA-45565

Semna (regional)

560232

2922517

Grab

2.49

2.3

483

130

55

AHA-45566

Semna (regional)

560225

2922506

Grab

7.40

43.0

374

990

624

AHA-45567

Semna (regional)

560081

2922964

Grab

4.70

12.9

117

323

70

AHA-45568

Semna (regional)

559949

2922892

Grab

1.09

0.9

17

42

134

AHA-45569

Semna (regional)

560172

2922821

Grab

0.09

<0.2

8

5

11

AHA-45570

Semna (regional)

560073

2922636

Grab

4.73

1.9

2130

8

113

AHA-45571

Semna (regional)

560023

2922623

Grab

10.30

2.1

746

4

18

AHA-45572

Semna (regional)

560077

2922542

Grab

1.44

3.1

47

350

58

AHA-45573

Semna (regional)

560091

2922630

Grab

0.65

<0.2

27

5

11

AHA-45574

Semna (regional)

560075

2922595

Grab

7.83

1.2

8

53

23

AHA-45575

Semna (regional)

559723

2922557

Grab

1.30

0.2

183

4

16

AHA-45576

Semna (regional)

559721

2922517

Grab

2.14

1.1

1650

3

12

AHA-45577

Semna (regional)

559770

2922451

Grab

0.64

0.3

165

6

33

AHA-45578

Semna (regional)

559775

2922441

Grab

2.11

1.5

549

6

68

AHA-45579

Semna (regional)

559911

2922365

Grab

3.63

0.5

509

5

11

AHA-45580

Semna (regional)

Blank

<0.01

<0.2

4

14

64

AHA-45581

Semna (regional)

561199

2921960

Grab

1.45

6.6

145

513

90

AHA-45582

Semna (regional)

561222

2921964

Grab

1.71

5.8

620

828

603

AHA-45583

Semna (regional)

561118

2921871

Grab

2.05

5.1

762

586

1475

AHA-45584

Semna (regional)

561077

2921924

Grab

0.08

12.9

14

132

15

AHA-45585

Semna (regional)

561048

2922169

Grab

4.96

54.5

986

3590

980

AHA-45586

Semna (regional)

561046

2922169

Grab

16.55

70.9

762

3000

582

AHA-45587

Semna (regional)

561044

2922167

Grab

0.55

1.5

52

43

114

AHA-45588

Semna (regional)

561159

2922092

Grab

4.26

10.6

271

721

311

AHA-45589

Semna (regional)

560654

2921674

Grab

0.85

2.3

22

324

211

AHA-45590

Semna (regional)

560654

2921674

Grab

0.80

3.6

87

113

41

AHA-45591

Semna (regional)

560355

2923914

Grab

0.03

0.4

258

7

30

AHA-45592

Semna (regional)

560373

2923916

Grab

0.01

<0.2

105

6

25

AHA-45593

Semna (regional)

560379

2923913

Grab

0.09

0.7

49

8

84

AHA-45594

Semna (regional)

560642

2923975

Grab

0.01

<0.2

22

6

65

AHA-45595

Semna (regional)

560579

2923823

Grab

0.03

<0.2

6

4

17

AHA-45596

Semna (regional)

560581

2923834

Grab

0.02

<0.2

5

4

11

AHA-45597

Semna (regional)

560453

2921739

Grab

0.14

0.2

21

4

32

AHA-45598

Semna (regional)

560678

2921952

Grab

0.12

2.6

65

43

36

AHA-45599

Semna (regional)

560615

2922066

Grab

3.61

9.4

162

1000

435

AHA-45600

Semna (regional)

559825

2922383

Grab

0.66

0.2

205

9

16

AHA-45601

Semna (regional)

559847

2922376

Grab

25.70

17.1

555

6

32

AHA-45602

Semna (regional)

560043

2922228

Grab

0.25

2.2

26

23

22

AHA-45603

Semna (regional)

560035

2922249

Grab

5.46

4.7

92

18

44

AHA-45604

Semna (regional)

560012

2922125

Grab

2.40

6.6

121

131

60

AHA-45605

Semna (regional)

560023

2922102

Grab

15.20

22.7

146

1710

227

AHA-45606

Semna (regional)

560045

2922074

Grab

0.08

<0.2

3

7

17

AHA-45607

Semna (regional)

560028

2922081

Grab

2.24

3.5

12

341

123

AHA-45608

Semna (regional)

559923

2922106

Grab

1.02

0.7

34

603

45

AHA-45609

Semna (regional)

559943

2922047

Grab

0.33

1.1

131

46

37

AHA-45610

Semna (regional)

559948

2922026

Grab

0.86

1.6

652

38

165

AHA-45611

Semna (regional)

560031

2921921

Grab

4.36

3.9

49

33

58

AHA-45612

Semna (regional)

560109

2921710

Grab

1.16

2.0

29

174

107

AHA-45613

Semna (regional)

560113

2921553

Grab

0.04

0.4

142

11

36

AHA-45614

Semna (regional)

Duplicate

0.04

0.4

138

11

35

Notes:

  1. All coordinates are UTM (WGS84) Zone 36R
  2. Au analysed using Au-AA23 analytical code, overlimit assays >10 ppm re-analysed using Au-GRA21 analytical code