Dalaroo Metals (ASX:DAL) expects to begin diamond drilling next week at its Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
Contractor Easy Drill has mobilised equipment and personnel for an initial five-hole, 1,750m program, with each drill hole planned to reach about 350m.
The start follows minor delays to the mid-to-late October timetable previously indicated.
Drilling will test down-dip and along-strike extensions of the Wilfred discovery, where BDRC001 returned 23m @ 2.14 grams per tonne gold (Au) from surface and BDRC002 yielded 18m @ 7.31g/t Au from 63m. Both are downhole widths, with Dalaroo noting that true widths have not yet been confirmed.
The contract with Easy Drill covers an estimated 20,000m using two rigs. A second rig is also due at the end of this month to drill the northern BDRC010C–BDRC011B section, about 1.25km from the discovery, where hole BDRC010C intersected 13m @ 2.67g/t Au from 87m.
Dalaroo says the first drill pads are already prepared, while a temporary core yard and site office are under construction. These facilities will support diamond core handling, geological logging, and secure storage.
Exploration Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem says mobilising the diamond drill rig is an important next step in evaluating the ‘high-grade’ mineralisation flagged at Wilfred.
“Oriented diamond core will be critical to refining our interpretation of the structural controls, geometry, and continuity of mineralisation, including true widths that are not yet established,” Bosompem says.
“Combined with existing RC [reverse circulation] results and the planned IP [induced polarisation] survey, this data will guide the next phase of targeted drilling and help us assess the broader exploration potential of the Gold Ridge corridor.”
Dalaroo says all follow-up drilling will also use diamond rigs once the current RC orientation program is complete.
It also adds that assays for RC drill holes BDRC012–BDRC018 remain pending.
The company held about $2.04 million in cash at the start of this month, while roughly 263 million in-the-money options could add $13.54 million if exercised in full.
Dalaroo Metals is an explorer focused on the discovery and development of gold and critical mineral projects across Australia and international jurisdictions.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Main image: Dalaroo Metals
