Компания Aston Bay подтвердила новые цели для добычи меди в Канаде благодаря 3D-моделированию

PR-Inside.com: 2026-08-27 13:01:07 Additional ground staked; planning underway for additional 2026 surface work and positioning for anticipated 2027 drill program TORONTO, ON / ACCESS Newswire / August 27, 2026 / Aston Bay Holdings Ltd. (TSXV:BAY)(OTCQB:ATBHF) ("Aston Bay" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from geophysical modelling of its Epworth sediment-hosted copper ("Cu") - silver ("Ag") - zinc ("Zn") - cobalt ("Co") - gold ("Au") project ("Epworth" or the "Project") located 80 kilometres ("km") southeast of Kugluktuk in Nunavut, Canada. Highlights New discovery: two independent 3D geophysical inversions converge on a series of large, previously unrecognized near-surface targets across the highly prospective southern Epworth trend - a strong validation signal in copper exploration. Advanced 3D Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) and resistivity inversion modelling, completed across 126 square km, has mapped a complete basin-scale "plumbing system" for copper mineralization for the first time at Epworth. Deep-seated structural breaks identified by MVI align directly with strong conductive anomalies from the resistivity model - the classic geophysical fingerprint of sulphide-bearing fluid pathways feeding copper mineralization. Several targets show conductive zones widening toward the surface, a textbook signature of stratigraphically controlled, sediment-hosted copper systems similar to the world-class Central African Copper Belt. These new targets sit directly on trend with 2025 surface discoveries, including new showings like Greenback (29.2% Cu, 217 g/t Ag) - confirming the fertility of the system now mapped at depth. With overlapping geophysical evidence reducing false-positive risk, Aston Bay is fast-tracking ground geophysics, mapping and sampling this fall, with camp and fuel pre-positioned for a 2027 drill program to test these high-priority targets. 18.7 square km of additional prospective ground staked, bringing the Epworth Property to 1040.7 square km in total area. "It is very encouraging to see two independent geophysical inversions converge on the same overlapping signatures, giving us high confidence in a series of previously unrecognized, large near-surface targets across the southern portion of Epworth," stated Thomas Ullrich, CEO of Aston Bay. "These results validate the basin-scale plumbing system we believe is responsible for the exceptional high-grade copper and silver mineralization already documented at surface, and point toward the kind of stratigraphically controlled, sediment-hosted system we have been targeting since acquiring the property. With ground geophysics, mapping and sampling planned for this fall to refine these targets, and camp and fuel logistics positioned over winter, we are well set up to move directly into drill testing in 2027. Epworth continues to demonstrate the scale and grade potential we look for, and this work meaningfully de-risks our path to the drill bit." Historic and recent work at Epworth has yielded high-grade copper and other base- and precious-metal mineralization at the surface (see January 15, 2026, Aston Bay news release). Chalcocite boulders yield up to 61.2% Cu with 5,600 grams per tonne ("g/t") Ag in select rock grab samples from over 300 historical samples, with recent prospecting selective rock grab samples yielding up to 37.8% Cu, 27.4% Zn, 1,100 g/t Ag, 3.0 g/t gold ("Au") and 1700 ppm cobalt ("Co"). Several new showings from the 2025 mapping program (e.g., 29.2% Cu with 217 g/t Ag in chalcocite veinlets at Greenback) are spatially associated with conductive anomalies in the southern portion of the claim block. Most surface mineralization occurs in veins and local disseminations associated with faults, contacts, dikes, and other zones of structural weakness. These are interpreted to represent productive fluid conduits for mobilizing metal-bearing fluids but are unlikely to generate significant tonnage of economic mineralization within the structures themselves, except under special circumstances. Intersection of this plumbing system with favourable, permeable stratigraphic horizons, however, could result in large-scale mineralization; this is similar in style to the sediment-hosted copper mineralization in deposits of the Central African Copper Belt and is the exploration target at Epworth. MobileMT Geophysical Survey Expert Geophysical Systems completed an 8,105 line-km MobileMT MT geophysical survey spanning the entire Aston Bay claim block in 2024 (see June 5, 2025, Aston Bay news release and Figure 1). The survey used 100-meter ("m") line spacing in the northern half of the claim block and 200m spacing in the southern half. The resulting 2.5D resistivity inversion models, plan maps, depth slices and sections of the electromagnetic and magnetic datasets formed the basis for geophysical interpretation and targeting. Figure 1. Example of a helicopter with a probe slung for airborne MT ( https://expertgeophysics.com/services/) Unlocking New Copper Targets with Advanced 3D Modelling Technology Aston Bay engaged Global Geologica to complete 3D Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) modelling of the magnetic data and 3D resistivity inversion modelling of the electromagnetic (EM) data acquired from the airborne MobileMT survey. The geophysical inversion modelling covers a subset area of 126 square km located in the southern portion of the claims (Figure 2). Integration of the magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity models has been completed, enabling interpretation of subsurface features in three dimensions, resulting in overlapping evidence for new target positions. Figure 2. Cross section lines A-A' and B-B' within the area of new geophysical inversion modelling relative to the Aston Bay tenement and MobileMT survey area. Recently staked claims outlined in red. The resistivity inversion produced a single volume that reduces artifacts and directional bias associated with flight-line orientation that may be present in previous 2.5D inversion products. The resulting 3D model provides an improved representation of the geometry and continuity of subsurface features, enhancing the delineation of faults, lithological contacts and other geological structures. The magnetic inversion work was designed to minimize the effect of the ~1.27 Ga Mackenzie dyke swarm (NNW with subordinate NE-trending set) and accentuate the basin architecture. Several compelling exploration targets are evident in the new 3D dataset, with two representative section lines, A-A' and B-B' (Figures 3 through 6), presented herein. The resulting MVI and resistivity inversion datasets are independent and complementary; the magnetic data offer superior near-surface resolution and improved de