Dalaroo Metals Hits 18m at 7.31g/t Gold in First Drill Holes on 7km Ivory Coast Ridge
Key Takeaways
- Dalaroo's first-ever hole on the Gold Ridge corridor, BDRC002, returned 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au from 63 m, about 132 gram-metres, including 12 m at 8.66 g/t Au.
- BDRC001 added 23 m at 2.14 g/t Au from surface, so both of the first two RC holes at the Wilfred target hit gold.
- Only 2 of 24 orientation holes have been reported, with BDRC003 and BDRC004 results due in early November 2026.
- The orientation phase is the start of a 102-hole, ~12,000 m program across a roughly 7 km corridor, with a second phase of about 7,800 m planned.
- This remains early-stage exploration: no Mineral Resource is defined, true widths are unknown, and the announcement does not disclose funding details.
Maiden drilling returns 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au at Bondoukou
Gold turned up in both of the first two holes. In an ASX announcement dated 7 October 2026, Dalaroo Metals (ASX: DAL) reported results from the first two holes of its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Wilfred target, part of the Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
The headline result is 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au from 63 m in BDRC002, with a second zone of 16 m at 1.46 g/t Au from 113 m in the same hole. BDRC001 returned 23 m at 2.14 g/t Au from surface.
Gram-metres multiply grade by downhole width, giving a quick measure of how much gold an intercept carries. The 18 m interval equates to approximately 132 gram-metres, and the 23 m interval to approximately 49 gram-metres.
These are the first-ever drill holes along the roughly 7 km Gold Ridge corridor. Early success is a good sign for the targeting model, though the holes test only a small part of that corridor.
John Morgan, Chief Executive Officer
“This is the start we were hoping for…”
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Intercept breakdown and geology
Key intersections
The table below sets out the intervals reported by Dalaroo, including higher-grade inclusions. All widths are downhole.
| Hole | From m | To m | Width m | Au g/t / gram-metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDRC001 | 0 | 23 | 23 | 2.14 / 49.3 |
| BDRC001 (including) | 7 | 19 | 12 | 3.35 / 40.2 |
| BDRC001 (including) | 8 | 10 | 2 | 7.43 / 14.9 |
| BDRC002 | 63 | 81 | 18 | 7.31 / 131.6 |
| BDRC002 (including) | 69 | 81 | 12 | 8.66 / 103.9 |
| BDRC002 (including) | 78 | 79 | 1 | 15.90 / 15.9 |
| BDRC002 | 113 | 129 | 16 | 1.46 / 23.4 |
| BDRC002 (including) | 114 | 115 | 1 | 6.37 / 6.4 |
Dalaroo also reported several lower-grade intervals, ranging from 0.20 g/t Au to 0.45 g/t Au, which the company lists in its full results table. Together, the two holes returned eight separate mineralised intervals.
What the rock is telling Dalaroo
The BDRC002 main zone shows a consistent pattern:
- 14 of the 18 one-metre samples returned more than 5 g/t Au, and four exceeded 10 g/t Au.
- The margins are sharp, with samples immediately above and below the interval returning less than 0.2 g/t Au.
- The interval matches a logged unit of strongly silicified volcaniclastic rock with approximately 1% quartz-sulphide veining and 1% pyrite.
That tight link between grade and rock type suggests strong silicification with quartz-sulphide veining is an important indicator of gold at Wilfred. Silicification alone does not explain the grade, though. A similar interval from 98 m to 113 m returned less than 0.25 g/t Au, which Dalaroo says points to an additional control, possibly structural.
BDRC001 is a different story. Its gold sits in the oxide profile from surface, and the company says the oxide gold may be the weathered expression of primary mineralisation at depth, with its source “a key question for further drilling.”
Every width is downhole. True widths are not known, and continuity between intersections is not yet established.
How gold exploration works, and why a systematic discovery path matters
Exploration is a sequence of cheaper steps that narrow down where to spend money on the expensive one. At Gold Ridge, the path began with a strong magnetic signature (a map of variations in the Earth’s magnetic field) that coincided with artisanal gold workings.
Geological mapping followed, then soil sampling that defined a gold anomaly over approximately 7 km with a peak of 23.26 g/t Au. Auger drilling confirmed the anomalism below surface before RC drilling began. Each step filters out weaker ground before the costly drilling stage.
The Gold Ridge soil sampling covered the full corridor and set the anomaly footprint that the first RC holes are now testing.
Two terms matter when reading results. Gram-metres combine grade and thickness into one figure, while downhole width is the length measured along the drill hole, not the actual thickness of the gold zone. True width matters because a hole drilled at an angle to a zone can overstate how thick it really is.
The project sits in the Birimian Greenstone Belt, approximately 35 km north-east of Endeavour Mining’s Tanda-Iguela (Assafou) Gold Project. Dalaroo notes that this proximity is not necessarily indicative of the presence of similar mineralisation at Gold Ridge. No Mineral Resource has been defined.
Investment thesis: a small start on a large corridor
The scale story is the draw. Mapping and rock-chip sampling defined an initial target of approximately 2.5 km of strike, and soil sampling then grew the corridor to approximately 7 km.
The targeting chain, from magnetics and artisanal workings through mapping, soils and auger drilling, has now been followed by gold in both RC holes. That is a sound sequence, but it is a small sample.
Assays from only 2 of 24 orientation holes have been reported. The 24-hole, ~4,200 m orientation phase is the start of a 102-hole, ~12,000 m program, with a second phase of approximately 7,800 m planned to follow.
Tenure sits in exploration permit PR-825, where Dalaroo may earn up to an 80% interest through a joint venture with Goldridge SARL, via staged exploration expenditure and project advancement milestones. This remains early-stage exploration, and the announcement does not disclose funding details.
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Drilling momentum and next steps
As at 3 October 2026, nine RC holes for 1,750 m had been completed, with BDRC010 in progress. Drilling is running on both day and night shifts.
Dalaroo listed the following next steps:
- Report BDRC003 and BDRC004 results, expected in early November 2026, subject to laboratory turnaround and QA/QC review.
- Complete the 24-hole orientation program.
- Integrate new data into the three-dimensional model.
- Launch follow-up drilling at Wilfred to test strike and depth potential.
- Evaluate deeper RC and potential diamond drilling.
- Advance the project towards a potential maiden Mineral Resource estimate.
Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem, Exploration Manager – Côte d’Ivoire
“This is a dynamic, geology-led campaign designed to respond quickly to emerging information…”
Three holes finished short of plan. BDRC002 was terminated at 210 m because of deviation in hole dip, and BDRC003 and BDRC004 were terminated at 200 m because of groundwater.
Ready to Learn More About Dalaroo’s Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project?
Dalaroo’s maiden RC drilling at the Wilfred target returned 18 m at 7.31 g/t Au, with gold in both of the first two holes along a roughly 7 km corridor. Only 2 of 24 orientation holes have been reported so far, with further results due in early November 2026.
Explore the Dalaroo Metals company profile on Discovery Alert to see the project details, drilling progress and investment potential in full.