TSX-V-listed Aton Resources has announced the discovery of high-grade quartz-vein-associated mineralisation from new drilling at the West Garida prospect, located in the company’s 100%-owned Abu Marawat concession, in Egypt.

“West Garida is an area that has interested us since we first mapped it in 2017, has been on our radar since then, and we are delighted with the results from this initial short reverse circulation (RC) [drilling] programme,” Aton interim CEO Tonno Vahk said on September 2.

The West Garida prospect is located about 3 km east-northeast of the Hamama West deposit and is accessed by a road built in 2017. A short programme consisting of five vertical RC percussion drill holes was completed at West Garida during a break in the Hamama West drilling programme.

“Its proximity to the Hamama West deposit makes it particularly interesting, in terms of its potential ease of development, and West Garida again confirms the outstanding exploration potential of the entire Abu Marawat concession,” Vahk said.

The West Garida prospect was discovered, mapped and sampled by Aton geologists in 2017, with individual surface channel samples returning grades including 99.6 g/t and 45.6 g/t of gold.

Visible gold was identified in several samples associated with the quartz-vein-hosted mineralisation.

West Garida is located about 500 m from the western margin of a younger granite intrusive and is more or less along the strike of the Hamama West deposit. The general geology of the West Garida area is similar to that at Hamama West and is characterised by a sequence of intermediate to felsic volcanic and pyroclastic rocks that are cut by a number of subvolcanic felsic intrusive bodies.

Mineralisation at West Garida occurs in shallow dipping, narrow gold-bearing quartz veins, and mapping by Aton geologists has identified the presence of three principal gold-bearing veins – which have all been worked in ancient times – as well as a further three to four minor veins.

There are also extensive ancient superficial workings in colluvium in the general surrounding area.

“We continue to push strongly ahead at both Rodruin and Hamama West, but these new results show the bigger potential of the concession, which we fully intend to develop over time,” Vahk said.

Two notable results were from hole WGP-003, which intersected 41.7 g/t gold, 263 g/t silver and 2.08% lead over a 1 m interval from 17 m depth, as well as hole WGP-005, which intersected 1.54 g/t gold over a 5 m interval from 65 m depth.

“We anticipate further follow-up drilling to come at West Garida, as we look to shift our drilling focus to the numerous other high priority exploration targets at Abu Marawat, including Abu Gaharish, which appears to be a Sukari analogue, following the completion of the current diamond drilling programme at Rodruin,” Vahk said.