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News Release for ASHTON MINING OF CANADA INC.
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NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
FOR: ASHTON MINING OF CANADA INC.
TSE, ME SYMBOL: ACA
APRIL 15, 1999
Ashton Mining of Canada: Alberta Winter Drilling Program
Completed
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--John S. Auston, President and CEO of
Ashton Mining of Canada Inc., reports on the recently-completed
winter program on the Buffalo Hills and Joint Venture Lands in
north-central Alberta.
The drilling of 29 geophysical targets was completed on March 18th
and extensive ground geophysical survey work ended on March 30th.
Drilling since February has discovered six new kimberlites, of
which five were reported on March 8, 1999. At this time only one
hole has been drilled on each of the new discoveries.
The latest discovery, BH230, brings to 32 the total number of
kimberlites discovered by Ashton since exploration in Alberta
commenced in late 1996. The new kimberlite was intersected under
39 metres of overburden and core drilling remained in kimberlite
until the hole was terminated at a vertical depth of 150 metres.
All core from the 1999 discoveries has been dispatched to Ashton's
North Vancouver laboratory and, following detailed logging,
kimberlite samples will be processed by caustic fusion for
microdiamond analysis.
Ground geophysical programs using a variety of equipment completed
surveys on 97 anomalies during the winter program. The work has
confirmed several high priority new anomalies which will require
drilling. The scheduling of future drill programs on these new
anomalies and any additional drilling on the recent discoveries
will be determined after receipt of pending microdiamond results
and after consideration of local access restrictions.
The joint venturers on the Buffalo Hills and Joint Venture Lands
are Ashton Mining of Canada Inc. (ACA.TSE/ME), Alberta Energy
Company Ltd. (AEC.TSE and AOG.NYSE) and Pure Gold Minerals Inc.
(PUG.TSE). Under arrangements between the parties announced on
December 22, 1998 the interests of the joint venturers upon
completion of currently-approved programs will be Ashton 45
percent; Alberta Energy 45 percent; and Pure Gold 10 percent.
Ashton is the operator of the programs.
Ashton is a diamond exploration company with interests in a wide
range of properties in Canada and the United States. It is 61.2
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.
-30-
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Ashton Mining of Canada Inc.
John S. Auston
President and CEO
(604) 983-7750
Website: www.ashton.ca
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