Project Overview

The 31.75 km² Ammas project is comprised of two licence blocks situated in central Morocco, approximately 30 km south of Marrakech, and is geologically located in the Guemassa Massif, a series of Visean-aged metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, including felsic and mafic lavas that are discordantly overlain by Palaeogene and Neogene sediments. This massif, along with the Jebilet Centrale located 40 km to the north, form a major VMS province in Morocco and are host to numerous active and former VMS mines, deposits and exploration projects, including the active Draa Sfaar mine operated by Managem, the Moroccan state mining group, the historic Bramram, Kettara and Koudiat Aicha mines and the Khwadra project (under development by Managem). In addition, the Hajjar Zn-Pb-Cu VMS mine, which targets a number of buried folded massive sulphide lenses which strike generally NW-SE, is located only 3 km along strike of Ammas. The company holds a 100 % interest in the project which is accessible via asphalt roads and a network of tracks.

Exploration Programme

Aterian is exploring the licence for zinc and copper targeting buried volcanogenic massive sulphide type mineralisation. The company's technical team have completed an initial field programme at Ammas focused on surface mapping and sampling. Results indicate potential for proximity to the felsic metavolcanic-sub-marine sediment seafloor interface and include pyritic felsic metavolcanics and black shale spoil extracted from local water well drilling. Quartz, carbonate, calcite and barite veining and stockwork have been observed in metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks with variable quantities of pyrite, pyrrhotite and rare covellite. Barite veins have historically been exploited by artisanal miners within the project area. Surface rock-chip sampling of veins and stockworks returned anomalous lead and silver of up to 0.43 % and 5.6 g/t respectively.

Mineralisation at the nearby Hajjar VMS mine is localised at the volcanic-seafloor interface with deposits discovered to date within the Guemassa Massif and Jebilet Centrale being characteristically pyrrhotite-rich. The next phases of work will likely include geological mapping, a structural assessment and potential soil survey followed by a magnetics and / or gravimetric survey with the aim of defining a potentially drill ready VMS target.