DeSoto Expands Timbakouna Auger Program by 200 Holes
Key Takeaways
- DeSoto has added 200 holes to its Timbakouna power auger program, on top of 352 holes and 3,473m already completed, after new magnetic and radiometric targets emerged.
- 1,769 auger and soil samples go to Intertek on 12 October 2026, with first assays anticipated in late October 2026 on an indicative, not guaranteed, timeline.
- No assay results are reported, so the expansion reflects targeting rather than grade, and the historical 18 m @ 11.8 g/t Au intercept belongs to earlier Search Gold drilling.
- DeSoto holds approximately 1,300km² of tenure across more than 22 permits, the fifth-largest land package in the Siguiri Basin.
- Permit conversions, a heavy equipment submission and the end of the wet season are the next catalysts, with the company expecting activities to accelerate.
DeSoto expands Timbakouna power auger program by 200 holes
DeSoto Resources (ASX: DES) has added a further 200 drill holes to its power auger program at Timbakouna in Guinea, after new targets emerged from recently completed magnetic and radiometric surveys. The update is dated 8 October 2026.
Power auger drilling is a shallow technique that tests the weathered ground near surface. No assay results are reported in the announcement, so the expansion is a statement about targeting, not about grades.
Here is where the program stands:
- 352 power auger holes completed
- 3,473m drilled in total
- 1,403 samples collected and logged
- 1,769 auger and soil samples scheduled for dispatch on 12 October 2026
Dispatch is planned to Intertek Laboratory, and initial results are anticipated within two weeks of submission. The company anticipates the first batch of assay results in late October 2026, a date it describes as indicative and not guaranteed.
For you as an investor, an expanded program built on new geophysical targets points to a project still generating leads. A near-term assay release is also the next event that could test whether the auger work is finding anything.
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
Why Timbakouna and what does auger drilling test?
Testing the saprolite transition
The program is testing the weathering profile, particularly the transition into saprolite. Saprolite is rock that has weathered in place into a soft, clay-rich material, and the company considers this transition an important horizon for evaluating the potential continuation of gold mineralisation beneath lateritic cover (a hardened, iron-rich surface layer).
The geophysics has also pushed auger sampling into new areas. These include places where traditional soil programs may have been less effective, for example those masked by alluvial cover (sediment deposited by water).
Historical high-grade drilling
Timbakouna has had limited modern exploration. Historical reverse circulation (RC) drilling by Search Gold, a private Canadian exploration company, was largely confined to the northern part of the project, and it did not test below 80 m in depth or into fresh rock.
That earlier work returned several high-grade intercepts:
| Hole | Intercept | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| NDI-02 | 18 m @ 11.8 g/t Au, including 1 m @ 78.84 g/t Au and 3 m @ 40.4 g/t Au | From 48 m |
| NDI-39 | 4 m @ 10.6 g/t Au | From 33 m |
| NDI-15 | 1 m @ 54.1 g/t Au | From 5 m |
These are historical results previously announced on 20 February 2025. They are not new DeSoto results, and they do not indicate what the current auger program will return.
What are the regional programs and the Siguiri Basin land position?
Soil geochemistry and JV work
Soil geochemistry programs continue at Moïko and Yarakoura in the south-west Siguiri area. They build on a Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) stream-sediment campaign of 143 samples covering more than 687km² of drainage catchments across six projects.
The announcement gives two different sample counts for these soil programs (449 in the highlights and 499 in the body), so this article does not rely on either figure. The BLEG work produced three priority areas, which will be evaluated with soil sampling, mapping and rock-chips first. If results are warranted, auger drilling and/or bedrock drill testing will follow.
Mapping and sampling also continue at the Fortuna-DeSoto Joint Venture projects. Fortuna Mining Corp. (TSX: FVI; NYSE: FSM) is the joint venture partner.
On geophysics, interpretation of the NRG heliborne survey is ongoing. It covered Timbakouna in the east and Central Siguiri (Dajan/Tole blocks), and the company anticipates the data will refine the geological and structural framework and reveal potential gold targets.
Scale of the land package
Since February 2025, the company has acquired:
- Approximately 1,300km² of gold tenure
- More than 22 Reconnaissance Authorisations and Exploration Permits
- The fifth-largest land package by area in the Siguiri Basin
Additional target areas continue to be screened using a mineral systems approach championed by Chairman Paul Roberts and Non-Executive Director Dr Barry Murphy.
Surrounding deposits shown in the company’s maps are for regional context only. They are not attributable to DeSoto, and nearby mineralisation is not necessarily indicative of mineralisation on its tenure.
The next major ASX story will hit our subscribers first
What are the next steps and what should investors watch?
The announcement points to several upcoming milestones:
- Samples dispatched 12 October 2026.
- First assay results anticipated late October 2026 (indicative only and not guaranteed).
- Expanded auger drilling at Timbakouna.
- Conversion of Reconnaissance Authorisations to Exploration Permits, which the company is currently in the process of doing.
- Submission to local authorities for the use of heavy earth moving equipment.
Access has been constrained in some areas by artisanal workings, deep pits and the rainy season. With the end of the wet season and the equipment submission, the company expects activities to accelerate and expand.
The company also notes that positive discussions on permitting of new and existing projects continue at the highest levels with the Government of Guinea.
The takeaway is straightforward. DeSoto has a near-term assay catalyst, an expanding target pipeline and a large basin position, but with no results yet reported, the auger assays will be the first real test of the new targets.
Don’t Miss the Next ASX Gold Breakout
Join 30,000+ investors receiving FREE breaking ASX gold news within minutes of release, complete with in-depth analysis. Click the “Free Alerts” button at Big News Blast to stay ahead of the market the moment major announcements break.