TSX-V-listed Aton Resources has reported the first results from its diamond drilling programme at the Abu Marawat deposit, in Egypt, including 8.98 g/t gold, 185 g/t silver, 0.43% copper and 6.12% zinc over an interval of 3.9 m.

To date, 35 diamond drill holes have been drilled at Abu Marawat, for a total of 3 381 m.

The company notes that all holes have been drilled horizontally or at shallow angles to test previously undrilled near-surface mineralisation in an area of steep and mountainous terrain that is hard to access for conventional drilling rigs.

Results for the first 14 holes of the programme – AMD-101 to AMD-114 – are now available, with significant high-grade polymetallic mineralised intersections, including 8.98 g/t gold, 185 g/t silver, 11.16 g/t gold equivalent, 0.43% copper, 0.23% lead and 6.12% zinc over a 3.9 m interval, from 82.1 m downhole depth, from hole AMD-110.

Results also include 9.57 g/t gold, 92.9 g/t silver, 10.66 g/t gold equivalent and 0.52% copper over a 3.9 m interval, from 24.2 m downhole depth – hole AMD-107.

The company has also reported 6.24 g/t gold, 203 g/t silver, 8.63 g/t gold equivalent, 0.30% copper, 0.10% lead and 4.81% zinc over a 2.6 m interval, from 97.2 m downhole depth – hole AMD-111.

The company reports 3.15 g/t gold, 172 g/t silver, 5.17 g/t gold equivalent, 0.50% copper, 0.23% lead and 4.69% zinc over a 3.15 m interval, from 82.5 m downhole depth – hole AMD-112.

“I am pleased to announce these very encouraging first results from our new diamond drilling programme; the first new drilling that Aton has carried out at Abu Marawat since 2011.

“This new drilling programme has been designed to test areas of previously undrilled mineralisation at Abu Marawat that lie outside or on the southern margins of the 2012 maiden resource. The primary objective of the new drilling programme is to upgrade the mineral resources at the Abu Marawat deposit to indicated category.

“This is an integral part of the longer-term plan to bring the retained exploration areas into the exploitation lease and, ultimately, leading to the development of multiple gold mining operations on the Concession including the Hamama West, Rodruin and Semna deposits, as well as Abu Marawat.

“In Egypt the company continues to make steady progress with our partners the Egyptian Mineral Resources Authority towards the initial development of the Hamama West mine,” says CEO Tonno Vahk.