Dalaroo Metals (ASX:DAL) is progressing final planning and site preparation for its maiden drilling campaign at the Gold Ridge prospect, located within its Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
The company plans to complete about 20,000m of combined reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling across the 7km Gold Ridge corridor during the remainder of 2026.
Phase one comprises approximately 10,000m of RC drilling focused on the Wilfred target, the largest of three priority targets identified along the corridor. Dalaroo notes RC drilling was chosen for this phase due to its faster penetration rate and lower cost, allowing it to test and refine more targets.
The RC holes are planned to reach downhole lengths of 100–150m to test priority geological, structural, and geochemical targets.
Drill pad preparation is scheduled to start during the coming week, ahead of RC drilling commencing early next month.
Phases two and three, which comprise about 10,000m of targeted diamond drilling, aim to test the Wilfred, Mag, and Ali targets.
CEO John Morgan says phase one aims to identify the strongest areas of potential mineralisation at Wilfred and progressively home in on principal target zones.
“Our decision to initially concentrate drilling at Wilfred is deliberate and technically driven,” Morgan says.
“Wilfred is the largest of the three priority targets and provides the scale, geological setting, and supporting exploration datasets required for a substantial first-phase drilling program.
“Rather than spreading the initial drilling metres too thinly across the entire 7km corridor, we intend to provide sufficient drilling coverage at Wilfred to properly test the geological model and assess the potential continuity of mineralisation.”
Dalaroo then intends to integrate phase one results into its geological model, helping position diamond holes more accurately for phases two and three.
“Diamond drilling will provide the continuous core and detailed geological and structural information required to better understand the orientation and controls of any mineralisation identified by the RC program,” Morgan says.
“This staged strategy allows us to test Wilfred efficiently before directing diamond drilling towards the strongest and most technically supported targets across Wilfred, Mag, and Ali.
“We believe this approach gives Dalaroo the best opportunity to maximise the effectiveness and discovery potential of the planned 20,000m campaign.”
The company is currently finalising phase one drill hole locations, preparing access routes and pertinent procedures, and confirming water, fuel, and field support arrangements, alongside ongoing discussions with stakeholders.
Located within the Birimian Greenstone Belt in West Africa, the Bondoukou Project sits in an area known for multimillion-ounce gold discoveries.
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
Images: Dalaroo Metals
