Dalaroo Metals Completes Drill Pads for Fully Funded 12,000m Gold Program

Dalaroo clears the way for fully funded 12,000m maiden drilling at Bondoukou Gold Ridge

Dalaroo Metals (ASX: DAL, OTCQB: DALMF) has completed initial drill pads and access routes at its Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project in Côte d’Ivoire, clearing the way for final rig mobilisation ahead of the company’s fully funded 12,000-metre Phase 1 RC program. Drilling is scheduled to commence no later than 15 August 2026, marking the first direct test at depth of the Mag, Wilfred and Ali targets.

The maiden drilling campaign represents a systematic test of three priority gold targets supported by integrated soil and auger geochemistry, geological mapping, magnetic interpretation and the distribution of artisanal workings across the broader Gold Ridge corridor. With initial assay results expected approximately four to six weeks after the first sample batches are delivered to Intertek, the company is positioned to begin generating near-term exploration newsflow from a fully funded program designed to establish mineralisation geometry and structural controls beneath extensive surface anomalies.

Capital raise expands Phase 1 from 10,000m to 12,000m

Following a successful capital raising, Dalaroo has expanded the Phase 1 RC program from 10,000 metres to 12,000 metres, enabling systematic testing of all three priority targets—Mag, Wilfred and Ali—within a single phase. The expanded scope allows the company to build a broader geological understanding of the Gold Ridge corridor before designing subsequent drilling phases.

The opening stage will comprise scissor holes at each target, with opposing drill directions used to test alternative structural orientations. This approach is designed to reduce the risk of drilling parallel or subparallel to the principal targeted mineralised structures, which can under-represent mineralisation and provide limited information on geometry. By establishing the preferred orientation and geometry of mineralisation early in the program, the company aims to determine the most effective drilling direction and spacing before systematic fence drilling advances.

The opening scissor holes are designed to establish:

• The preferred orientation and geometry of the targeted mineralised structures
• The relationship between surface gold anomalism, interpreted geology, magnetic features and artisanal workings
• The distribution of lithological contacts, weathering, alteration, quartz veining and sulphides
• Whether the targeted structures show potential continuity along strike and across the width of the surface anomaly
• The most effective drilling orientation and spacing for systematic follow-up drilling

Chief Executive Officer John Morgan

“Completion of the initial drill pads and access routes is a significant milestone for Dalaroo, positioning the Company to commence its maiden drilling campaign at Gold Ridge. This will be the first time the extensive surface gold anomalies at Mag, Wilfred and Ali are directly tested at depth, representing an important step in determining the discovery potential of the broader Gold Ridge corridor.

“The success of our recent capital raising has allowed us to expand Phase 1 from 10,000 metres to 12,000 metres and systematically test Mag, Wilfred and Ali before determining where the next phases of drilling should be focused.

“Our broader strategy at Gold Ridge is deliberately phased and geology-led. We will begin with scissor holes at Mag, Wilfred and Ali to establish the orientation and geometry of mineralisation before progressing into systematic fence drilling. The geological model developed from Phase 1 will then guide the design and prioritisation of Phase 2 and Phase 3 within our broader planned 20,000-metre program, giving our geological team the flexibility to direct subsequent drilling toward the areas demonstrating the strongest potential.

“With the 12,000-metre Phase 1 program fully funded, drilling scheduled to commence no later than 15 August and initial assay results expected approximately four to six weeks after the first sample batches are delivered to the laboratory, Dalaroo is entering an exciting and potentially defining period of exploration at the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project.”

Understanding scissor drilling — why the opening holes matter

Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling uses compressed air to bring rock chips to the surface through an inner tube, allowing geologists to log lithology, alteration and mineralisation in near real-time. The scissor-drilling approach—where holes are drilled in opposing directions at the same target—helps avoid drilling parallel to a mineralised structure, which can result in narrow intercepts that fail to represent the true width or geometry of the system.

By testing alternative structural orientations early in the program, the company can define the true orientation and dip of targeted structures before committing the majority of drilling metres. This geology-led method reduces the risk that follow-up fence drilling is planned using an incorrect orientation, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of subsequent drilling and making better use of shareholder capital across the 102 planned holes.

A phased, geology-led path toward 20,000m

The 12,000-metre Phase 1 program forms the opening stage of Dalaroo’s broader planned 20,000-metre phased drilling strategy at Gold Ridge. Geological logging, structural observations, downhole survey data and assay results will be progressively integrated into an evolving geological model that will provide the foundation for the design and prioritisation of Phase 2 and Phase 3.

This phased approach provides flexibility to progressively refine exploration strategy as new information becomes available. Individual holes may be moved, extended, shortened, reoriented or replaced as geological understanding improves, allowing the company to maintain broad systematic coverage whilst progressively redirecting metres toward developing priority zones demonstrating the strongest geological and mineralisation potential.

The program will advance across all three priority targets using approximately eleven drill fences comprising 102 total planned holes across the broader Gold Ridge corridor. Follow-up drill fences will, where appropriate, use established surface sampling alignments across Mag, Wilfred and Ali, allowing drilling results to be directly integrated with existing geological, geochemical and magnetic datasets whilst minimising additional clearing and limiting further crop-compensation requirements.

Drilling and assay timeline — near-term catalysts

RC drilling is scheduled to commence no later than 15 August 2026, following completion of final rig mobilisation and remaining site-readiness activities. Samples will be collected, prepared and delivered progressively to Intertek as drilling advances, with laboratory deliveries currently anticipated on approximately a weekly basis. This staged submission process is intended to maintain a consistent flow of samples, avoid the accumulation of large batches and support the progressive receipt of assay results throughout the drilling program.

Based on current laboratory guidance, assay results are expected approximately four to six weeks after delivery of each sample batch to the laboratory. Geological logging and field observations will be reviewed as each hole is completed, allowing emerging geological information to be incorporated into ongoing drill targeting whilst assays are pending. Selected sample batches may be submitted for expedited analysis where logging identifies priority structures, strong alteration, significant quartz veining, elevated sulphide content or other geological features considered important to the interpretation and targeting of potential mineralisation.

Key dates and catalysts for investors:

• Drilling commences no later than 15 August 2026
• Samples dispatched to Intertek on an approximately weekly basis
• Initial assay results expected approximately 4 to 6 weeks after first sample batches delivered to laboratory
• Expedited analysis possible for priority intervals showing strong alteration, quartz veining or elevated sulphides
• Drilling continues whilst assays are pending, maintaining operational momentum and allowing geological information to guide immediate progression of the program

Exploration Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem

“Gold Ridge contains three distinct priority targets supported by the integration of surface and auger geochemistry, interpreted geology and structures, magnetic data and the distribution of artisanal workings across Mag, Wilfred and Ali. The opening scissor holes are designed to answer the key geological questions early in the program. By drilling in opposing directions at each prospect, we can better understand the orientation and geometry of the targeted mineralised structures before advancing into systematic fence drilling across all three targets.”

What comes next for Dalaroo

Dalaroo is positioned to commence its maiden drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project with a fully funded 12,000-metre Phase 1 program that will test three priority targets—Mag, Wilfred and Ali—for the first time at depth. The systematic, geology-led approach provides flexibility to refine targeting as geological understanding develops, with near-term assay catalysts expected within weeks of drilling commencement. The Phase 1 program will establish the geological model required to design and prioritise Phase 2 and Phase 3 within the company’s broader planned 20,000-metre drilling strategy.

Immediate activities at the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project include:

• Commencement of RC drilling
• Completion and geological review of initial scissor drilling at Mag, Wilfred and Ali
• Progression into systematic fence drilling across all three targets
• Progressive sample dispatch to Intertek
• Ongoing refinement of the integrated Gold Ridge geological model
• Design and prioritisation of Phase 2 and Phase 3
• Continued engagement with local communities and stakeholders

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