Dalaroo Metals Drills First Holes at Bondoukou to Test 7km Gold Corridor
Key Takeaways
- Dalaroo Metals has commenced its maiden RC drilling campaign at Bondoukou, with a 102-hole, ~12,000m program now underway across the Wilfred, Mag and Ali targets along a ~7km gold-anomalous corridor.
- An initial 24-hole, ~4,200m orientation phase is already drilling, with assay results expected in early Q2 FY27 following QA/QC review — representing the first binary catalyst for shareholders.
- Surface soil geochemistry across the project has returned values up to 23.26g/t Au, with multiple additional high-grade anomalies underpinning the RC drill targets.
- The A$2.5 million placement announced 3 August 2026 is funding the campaign, which is the first systematic subsurface test ever conducted at Bondoukou.
- Bondoukou sits within the Birimian Greenstone Belt of West Africa, a terrane that hosts several significant regional gold deposits, providing a highly prospective geological setting for the drill test.
Dalaroo drills first holes at Bondoukou as maiden 12,000m RC campaign gets underway
Dalaroo Metals has commenced its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, marking the transition from surface exploration to direct subsurface testing. The planned program spans ~12,000m across 102 holes, targeting the priority Wilfred, Mag and Ali targets along a ~7km gold-anomalous corridor. An initial 24-hole, ~4,200m orientation phase is already underway, following a A$2.5 million placement announced on 3 August 2026 (before costs).
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What the ~12,000m program is designed to test
This campaign is the first systematic subsurface test ever conducted at Bondoukou. Extensive surface anomalism has been identified across the project, but drilling is the only way to determine whether that anomalism reflects mineralised bedrock structures at depth.
The three priority targets, Wilfred, Mag and Ali, sit along a coherent ~7km gold-anomalous corridor defined by earlier geochemistry work. Surface results from that program returned a series of high-grade soil values:
- 23.26g/t Au
- 3.25g/t Au
- 2.54g/t Au
- 2.09g/t Au
- 1.96g/t Au
- 1.72g/t Au
- 1.21g/t Au
Drill targeting was built from an integrated dataset comprising soil and auger geochemistry, geological mapping, structural interpretation, magnetic data, and the distribution of artisanal gold workings across the project area.
Gold Ridge soil sampling at Bondoukou generated several of the high-grade surface anomalies now underpinning the RC drill targets, with the geochemical dataset forming a core input to the collar planning and fence orientation decisions across the Wilfred, Mag and Ali areas.
The program will be managed as a flexible, geology-led campaign. Planned collars, orientations and depths may be adjusted as drilling progresses, reflecting new geological observations, access conditions, safety, or community considerations.
What is RC drilling and why does it matter for investors?
Reverse circulation (RC) drilling is a method where compressed air forces drill cuttings back to the surface through the drill rods, allowing rapid and cost-effective sampling across large areas. It is the preferred first-pass drilling method in gold exploration because it is faster and cheaper than diamond drilling, and well-suited to testing near-surface anomalies across wide target footprints.
For Bondoukou, the binary outcome investors should watch for is straightforward: do the surface gold anomalies reflect mineralised bedrock structures underneath, or not? RC results will answer that question for the first time. If mineralisation is confirmed at depth, it opens the path to follow-up drilling and potential resource definition.
Two-stage program structure: orientation first, scale-up follows
The ~12,000m program is structured in two distinct phases, designed to build geological knowledge progressively before committing the full drilling budget.
Part A — Initial 24-hole orientation phase (~4,200m)
The opening sequence comprises 24 RC holes planned to depths of approximately 150m to 250m, distributed across 11 fence areas. Selected priority areas will be tested from opposing drill directions, generally toward the northeast and southwest. This “scissor-drilling” strategy is designed to test alternative structural orientations and reduce the risk of drilling parallel to the principal targeted structures.
Completion of Part A is expected within 2 to 4 weeks, with assay results anticipated in early Q2 FY27 following QA/QC review.
Part B — Follow-up fence-drilling phase (~7,800m, subject to results)
Subject to geological observations from Part A, the indicative follow-up program comprises 78 RC holes planned to approximately 100m depth, representing a further ~7,800m. Drill fences are aligned with existing auger traverses where practicable. Fence lengths range from approximately 250m to 800m across the surface anomalies.
Part B scope and sequencing will be updated based on geological information obtained from Part A, maintaining the campaign’s flexible, progressive structure.
| Phase | Holes | Metres | Depth Range | Expected Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A — Orientation | 24 | ~4,200m | ~150m to ~250m | 2–4 weeks; assays early Q2 FY27 |
| Part B — Fence drilling | 78 (indicative) | ~7,800m | ~100m | Subject to Part A results |
| Total | 102 | ~12,000m | — | — |
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Management perspective and next steps for shareholders
CEO John Morgan framed the significance of commencing drilling in direct terms:
John Morgan, Chief Executive Officer
“We are incredibly excited to have commenced Dalaroo’s maiden RC drilling campaign at Bondoukou. This 12,000-metre program represents the first systematic drill test beneath the extensive surface gold anomalism identified across the Mag, Wilfred and Ali targets.”
Exploration Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem provided further technical context on the program’s design:
Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem, Exploration Manager — Côte d’Ivoire
“The initial orientation drilling is designed to establish the geometry and geological controls of any mineralisation intersected, with observations from each hole used to refine subsequent drilling. This geology-led program provides an important opportunity to test the continuity of the extensive surface gold anomalism and identify priority zones for follow-up RC and potential diamond drilling.”
What to watch for as drilling progresses
The announcement’s next steps section outlines a clear sequence of catalysts shareholders should monitor:
- Completion of the 24-hole, ~4,200m orientation phase and geological interpretation update.
- Assay results expected in early Q2 FY27 following QA/QC review and validation.
- Advancement of the 78-hole Part B fence-drilling program, subject to Part A geological observations.
- Identification of zones requiring deeper RC or potential diamond drilling follow-up.
- Progressive update of the integrated Bondoukou geological model across the Wilfred, Mag and Ali targets.
One additional point worth noting: any transition to diamond drilling would require separate technical, budgetary and Board approval and is not included in the current RC drilling estimate. Where geological results justify deeper investigation, selected RC holes may be cased to preserve the option for future diamond tails. This represents potential upside optionality, not a committed next step.
Bondoukou sits within the Birimian Greenstone Belt of West Africa, a highly endowed gold-producing terrane that hosts several significant regional gold deposits. The maiden drill campaign now puts Dalaroo in a position to test, for the first time, whether its extensive surface anomalism reflects a discovery-scale mineralised system at depth.
Ready to Follow Dalaroo’s Maiden RC Drill Campaign at Bondoukou?
Dalaroo Metals is now drilling its first-ever RC holes at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, testing a ~7km gold-anomalous corridor across the priority Wilfred, Mag and Ali targets for the first time. With surface soil values reaching up to 23.26g/t Au and a 12,000m, 102-hole program now underway, the coming weeks represent a genuine binary catalyst for shareholders.
Explore Dalaroo Metals’ project pipeline, drilling updates, and investment case by visiting the Dalaroo Metals investor profile on Discovery Alert to stay across results as they emerge from the field.