NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
FOR: ASHTON MINING OF CANADA INC.
TSE, ME SYMBOL: ACA
AUGUST 8, 1997
Ashton Exploration Update
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--John S. Auston, President and CEO of
Ashton Mining of Canada is pleased to provide an update of
Ashton's North American exploration activities.
BUFFALO HILLS PROJECT, ALBERTA
Recent drilling on geophysical anomaly K14C has found a new
kimberlite pipe, bringing to 16 the total number of kimberlites
discovered since January of this year. K14C is 300 metres
northeast of pipe K14 and 250 metres east of the
previously-announced kimberlite K14B. Geophysical interpretations
suggest that K14C is a separate and distinct geophysical target
closely associated with the original K14 pipe. Delineation
drilling will be required to fully evaluate the spatial
relationships of these kimberlites.
Elsewhere on the property reverse circulation drilling for
mini-bulk samples has been completed on pipes K14 and K6 and two
coring rigs are presently drilling on the large K5 complex.
To date approximately 14 dry tonnes of kimberlite from pipes K14
and K14B have been received at Ashton's Vancouver laboratory.
Further kimberlite material is being collected through core
drilling and test pitting from these and other pipes and will be
transported to Vancouver at regular intervals. Analysis of these
mini-bulk samples by dense media separation commenced in late July
and will continue through September. Final processing and
observation of the concentrates will follow and it is anticipated
that final results will be available by mid to late October.
In Ashton's Vancouver laboratory the first microdiamond samples
from pipes K1A, K1B and K14B have been completed. The results
indicate that all of these recent discoveries are diamondiferous,
although K1A and K1B returned only very low microdiamond counts.
K14B returned higher microdiamond and macrodiamond results similar
to those previously reported from K14. The results from the
recent analyses are tabulated below.
/T/
Number of Stones
less greater
Kimberlite Sample Interval Sample Wt than than
& Hole No. Number (m) (kg) 0.5 mm 0.5 mm
1A-1 1A-1-1 32.4-39.8 46.6 1 0
1B-1 1B-1-1 40.8-50.0 43.1 1 0
14B 14B-1 surface pit 36.0 39 2
Note: Microdiamonds are stones with a maximum dimension of less
than 0.5 mm and greater than 0.1 mm. Macrodiamonds are stones with
one dimension equal to or greater than 0.5 mm.
/T/
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES PROJECTS
During June and July Ashton completed nine drill holes on the
Roundrock Property. Two of these were drilled into the previously
discovered diamondiferous Aquila kimberlite and the remaining
seven holes tested geophysical anomalies related to nearby
indicator dispersion fans.
Two drill holes in the Aquila kimberlite intersected limited
intervals of kimberlite and brecciated granitic material and
recovered approximately 150 kg of kimberlite. The recent drilling
has indicated that the Aquila body is highly irregular, smaller
than originally anticipated, and unlikely to be of economic
dimensions. Drilling of geophysical anomalies intersected
kimberlite dykes up to three metres in width in two separate drill
holes 500 metres and 1500 metres north of the Aquila kimberlite.
Elsewhere in the Slave region, exploration activities are
concentrating on the collection of heavy mineral samples on
Ashton's various other properties.
Ashton is a diamond exploration company with interests in a wide
range of properties in Canada and the United States. It is 62
percent-owned by Ashton Mining Limited of Australia, a leading
explorer, producer and marketer of diamonds which holds an
interest of 40.1 percent in the Argyle diamond mine in
northwestern Australia.
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