Dalaroo Metals Plans Five Holes to Chase 18m Gold Hit at Bondoukou

Dalaroo Metals has mapped a five-hole, 1,250 m Dalaroo Bondoukou Gold Discovery Follow-Up to find out whether its 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au hit in Côte d'Ivoire has real width and depth.
By William Hadrian -
  • Dalaroo will drill five holes totalling about 1,250 m around BDRC002, which returned 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au from 63 m, to test whether the Wilfred discovery extends down dip and along strike.
  • Paired -60° and -70° holes 80 m north-west and south-east of BDRC002 are designed to deliver the first data on orientation, true width and continuity, none of which is currently known.
  • An Easy Drill diamond rig mobilises in mid to late October 2026, bringing solid core to expose the structural controls on the gold.
  • BDRC003 and BDRC004 assays are expected in early November 2026, followed by BDRC005 to BDRC010, as part of a 102-hole, ~12,000 m maiden RC program.
  • No Mineral Resource estimate exists yet, and all quoted widths are downhole, so the follow-up is the real test of whether the discovery has scale.
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Dalaroo plans five-hole, ~1,250 m follow-up of 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au at Bondoukou

Dalaroo Metals (ASX: DAL) has planned a five-hole, approximately 1,250 m drilling program to follow up high-grade gold at the Wilfred target, part of the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project in Côte d’Ivoire. The program is centred on BDRC002, which returned 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au from 63 m.

No new assay results are reported. The intercepts were previously reported on 7 October 2026, and BDRC001 returned 23 m at 2.14 g/t Au from surface.

These are the first follow-up holes of the maiden program. They will test whether the discovery extends in depth and along strike, and all widths quoted are downhole, so true widths are not yet known.

Three headline facts:

  • Five holes, planned around BDRC002
  • 250 m planned depth for each hole
  • A diamond rig from Easy Drill to mobilise in mid to late October 2026

Inside the follow-up program

Drilling below and along strike of BDRC002

The first hole will be drilled from the BDRC002 collar at -70°, steeper than BDRC002’s -60°. It is designed to test the mineralised zones below the original intersections, and it will also extend beyond BDRC002’s 210 m final depth.

Four step-out holes make up the rest. Two pairs will be drilled approximately 80 m north-west and 80 m south-east of BDRC002, with one hole at -60° and one at -70° on each section.

Two dips per section give two pierce points through the mineralised system. That delivers the first information on orientation, true width and continuity, none of which is currently known.

Hole Section Dip Azimuth Planned depth (m)
P 1 BDRC002 -70° 225° 250
P 2 80 m NW -60° 225° 250
P 3 80 m NW -70° 225° 250
P 4 80 m SE -60° 225° 250
P 5 80 m SE -70° 225° 250
Total 1,250

Step-out collar positions are approximate and will be finalised in the field. Planned holes may also be adjusted as drilling progresses.

The geological target

The 18 m high-grade interval corresponds to a logged unit of strongly silicified volcaniclastic rock with quartz–sulphide veining and pyrite. The follow-up holes will test whether this host unit and its associated gold mineralisation continue down dip and along strike.

Identifying the controls on gold distribution, including a possible structural control, remains a priority. For you, that matters because it shapes how far a discovery like this could be followed.

John Morgan, Chief Executive Officer

“The obvious next step is to find out where that high-grade zone goes, and these five holes are designed to do exactly that…”

Why diamond drilling and orientation work matter

RC versus diamond drilling

Reverse circulation (RC) drilling is the method used so far. Per the standard approach, it returns rapid chip samples from the hole.

Diamond drilling instead recovers solid core. Dalaroo says core will allow it to build a full understanding of the structural geology controlling the gold mineralisation, while diamond rigs also have a smaller footprint, requiring less clearing at each site, and provide better control of drilling angles.

Structure is the investor link. How a gold system is oriented and how continuous it is drive how it can be modelled and expanded.

The company will keep using the RC rig for follow-up where appropriate. Where RC is not suited to the follow-up objectives, holes will be drilled with the diamond rig.

Wider program momentum

The follow-up runs alongside the wider orientation phase, which continues on day and night shifts.

  • The initial 24-hole, ~4,200 m orientation program covers the Wilfred, Mag and Ali targets
  • It is part of the 102-hole, ~12,000 m maiden RC program
  • As at 3 October 2026, nine RC holes for 1,750 m had been completed, with BDRC010 in progress
  • The Easy Drill diamond rig mobilises in mid to late October 2026, with the potential for further rigs from late November 2026

What are the next steps and upcoming catalysts?

Dalaroo’s listed next steps point to a steady run of activity:

  1. Mobilise the Easy Drill diamond rig in mid to late October 2026.
  2. Report BDRC003 and BDRC004 assays, expected in early November 2026 and subject to laboratory turnaround and QA/QC review, followed by BDRC005 to BDRC010.
  3. Complete the follow-up holes and integrate results into the three-dimensional geological model.
  4. Use the results to plan further step-out drilling along strike and down dip, and to assess the case for deeper RC or diamond drilling.

Mr Morgan said that with follow-up and orientation drilling running together, the company looks forward to “strong news flow” from the project.

Exploration Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem said the follow-up holes have been designed to answer “the key questions of orientation, true width and continuity.”

Project context

The Gold Ridge corridor lies within exploration permit PR-825 in north-eastern Côte d’Ivoire. Dalaroo may earn up to an 80% interest through a joint venture with the permit holder, Goldridge SARL.

The corridor spans approximately 7 km and includes a soil anomaly with a peak assay of 23.26 g/t Au.

What remains open is whether the high-grade zone has real width and continuity. This announcement contains no Mineral Resource estimate, and the drilling is designed to start answering those questions.

Ready To Learn More About Dalaroo’s Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project?

Following 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au in BDRC002, a five-hole, ~1,250 m program will test whether the Wilfred discovery extends down dip and along strike. With a diamond rig mobilising in mid to late October 2026, the first answers on orientation, true width and continuity are drawing closer.

Explore the Dalaroo Metals (ASX: DAL) company profile and latest updates to see how the project is progressing. Stay informed on upcoming assay results and drilling catalysts as they emerge.


Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Dalaroo Bondoukou Gold Discovery Follow-Up drilling program?

It is a planned five-hole, approximately 1,250 m program at the Wilfred target in Côte d'Ivoire, centred on BDRC002, which returned 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au from 63 m. The holes will test whether the gold extends down dip and along strike.

What is the difference between RC and diamond drilling?

Reverse circulation (RC) drilling returns rapid chip samples, while diamond drilling recovers solid core. Dalaroo says core will help it understand the structural geology controlling the gold, and diamond rigs also give better control of drilling angles.

What does true width mean in gold drilling results?

True width is the actual thickness of a mineralised zone, as opposed to the downhole width measured along the drill hole. Dalaroo's quoted widths are all downhole, so true widths are not yet known.

When will Dalaroo report its next Bondoukou assay results?

Assays for BDRC003 and BDRC004 are expected in early November 2026, subject to laboratory turnaround and QA/QC review. Results for BDRC005 to BDRC010 follow, and the Easy Drill diamond rig is due to mobilise in mid to late October 2026.

How much of the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project can Dalaroo own?

Dalaroo may earn up to an 80% interest through a joint venture with the permit holder, Goldridge SARL. The project sits within exploration permit PR-825 in north-eastern Côte d'Ivoire.

William Hadrian
By William Hadrian
Partnerships Director
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