TSX-V-listed gold explorer and developer Aton Resources reports that, thus far, its Egypt-based Rodruin exploration campaign has resulted in the completion of 21 drill holes to a depth of 1 992 m, with drill hole ROD-056 being mineralised throughout, from collar to end of hole, returning a mineralised intersection of 129.5 m at a grade of 1 g/t gold and 8.8 g/t silver.

Rodruin is located in Aton’s fully-owned Abu Marawat concession, in the eastern desert of Egypt.

Drill holes ROD-056 to ROD-061 were drilled to test the Central Buttress Zone – an outcropping body of gossanous and mineralised carbonate rock.

Other drill holes also returned wide mineralised intersections including hole ROD-057 with 86.6 m of mineralisation grading 0.76 g/t gold and 6.3 g/t silver; hole ROD-059 with 45.93 m of mineralisation grading 0.93 g/t gold and 3.8 g/t silver; and hole ROD-069 with 85.4 m of mineralisation grading 0.66 g/t gold and 10.2 g/t silver.

During 2018, Aton built a 4.5 km access road to the prospect and undertook a highly successful 50-hole Phase 1 reverse circulation percussion drilling programme at Rodruin. This campaign returned mineralised intersections including 36 m grading 12.47 g/t gold and 9.3 g/t silver, 5 m downhole.

The Phase 2 diamond drilling programme at Rodruin commenced in late November 2021. Here, the results to date include mineralisation of 48 m grading 1.97 g/t gold and 5.3 g/t silver; as well as 88.25 m grading 1.74 g/t gold and 9.7 g/t silver.

Aton notes that the latest results continue to confirm that a substantial block of predominantly gossanous carbonate-hosted oxide gold mineralisation outcrops at surface at the Central Buttress Zone at Rodruin.

Interim CEO Tonno Vahk says these latest results again back up Aton’s long-held interpretation of there being zones of bulk openpittable oxide mineralisation at Rodruin, starting from surface.

“We are working hard to quantify these in a maiden resource estimate as soon as practically possible,” he says.

Vahk adds that Aton is also “excited” by some of the strong copper/zinc sulphide mineralisation which it is currently drilling at depth.

“This gives us the belief that there is also going to be a really quite substantial primary sulphide resource at Rodruin, which we are now starting to unlock.”