PDI Gold Hits Up to 11.18g/t Au at Depth Opening Underground Mine Path
Key Takeaways
- PDI Gold has confirmed high-grade gold mineralisation at depth across 51 holes for 14,671m drilled at Kiniéro, with standout intercepts including 28.35m @ 5.87g/t Au from 155m and 16m @ 7.55g/t Au from 144m.
- Kiniéro achieved commercial production in February 2026 and is tracking ahead of its feasibility study baseline, with 2026 guidance of 157,000–174,000oz gold poured at an AISC of US$1,100–1,300/oz.
- The drilling program is targeting two distinct value pathways: open-pit extension by deepening existing pit designs, and a maiden underground Mineral Resource beneath the Gobele and Jean deposits.
- PDI Gold has scaled its drill fleet from one rig in September 2025 to nine rigs currently operational, with a 2027 campaign of approximately 1,800 holes for 140,000m already in development.
- The company is targeting group production exceeding 400,000oz per annum by 2029, combining Kiniéro with the Bankan Gold Project, which is approaching construction-ready status at approximately 250,000oz per annum over 12-plus years.
High-grade gold confirmed at depth as Kiniéro drilling ramps up
PDI Gold (ASX: PDI, TSX: PDI) has released drilling results from its Kiniéro Gold Project in Guinea, West Africa, confirming high-grade gold mineralisation at depth beneath the Gobele and Jean deposits. The program covers 51 holes for 14,671m drilled, with results pointing to both open-pit expansion potential and the possibility of a maiden underground Mineral Resource.
The standout intercepts from this program include:
- 28.35m @ 5.87g/t Au from 155m (NEGDRCDD26-001)
- 16m @ 7.55g/t Au from 144m (NEGDDD26-005)
- 4.8m @ 11.18g/t Au from 221.2m (JDD26-004)
- 12.8m @ 4.25g/t Au from 396.2m (JDD26-002)
- 11m @ 3.99g/t Au from 185m (GDD26-004)
- 28m @ 1.09g/t Au from 98m and 17m @ 2.42g/t Au from 388m (GRCDD26-001)
These results confirm mineralisation extending well below the existing open pits, with multiple high-grade zones intersected in both the Gobele cluster and the Jean deposit.
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Kiniéro — a cornerstone asset already in production
The Kiniéro Gold Project sits within the Siguiri Basin, a Palaeoproterozoic segment of the Birimian Terrain in Guinea, West Africa. The project encompasses a 470km² land package, including the Kiniéro exploitation permits and Mansounia exploration permits, and represents PDI Gold’s flagship producing asset.
Kiniéro achieved first gold pour in December 2025 and reached commercial production in February 2026. This is a recently commissioned operation, not a long-established mine. Since commissioning, the operation has performed strongly, consistently exceeding nameplate capacity and remaining on track to achieve 2026 production guidance of 157,000–174,000oz gold poured at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of US$1,100–1,300/oz.
For context, the feasibility study completed by Robex Resources prior to the merger with PDI Gold outlined average production of 139,000oz per annum over a 9-year mine life. Current performance is exceeding that baseline.
The Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve base, as updated in the 28 September 2026 MRO announcement, is summarised below:
| Category | Tonnes (Mt) | Grade (g/t Au) | Gold (Moz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probable Ore Reserve | 55.6 | 0.99 | 1.8 |
| Indicated Mineral Resource | 80.3 | 0.96 | 2.5 |
| Inferred Mineral Resource | 66.0 | 0.85 | 1.8 |
Why does mine life extension matter here? The current reserve-based mine life is finite. Every successful exploration result at depth or along strike directly translates to additional production years and shareholder value. That is precisely what the current drilling program is targeting.
What the drill results tell us — and why depth matters
The drilling targeted sulphide mineralisation beneath the existing oxide open pits, specifically the transitional and fresh rock zones that sit below the shallow oxide envelope historically mined at Gobele and Jean.
The key geological finding is that gold at these deposits is concentrated in shoot-like zones, typically at or near intersections of reactivated faults and lithological contacts. Importantly, the structural and lithological interpretation indicates that the veins are not discrete, continuous bodies. Instead, they form part of a larger, interconnected vein system, with the results supporting the continuity of mineralisation throughout the Gobele vein network. That matters for investors: the interconnected system demonstrates continuity of mineralisation throughout the Gobele vein network.
Two distinct value pathways are emerging from this single drilling program. Open-pit expansion means that high-grade zones identified at depth may allow the current pit designs to be extended, adding tonnes directly to the Ore Reserve base. A maiden underground Mineral Resource, if defined, would represent an entirely new production pathway beneath the existing pits, providing long-term mine life extension opportunities.
The drilling fleet has scaled significantly to pursue both objectives. PDI Gold has grown from a single diamond drill rig in September 2025 to 7 diamond drill (DD) and 2 reverse circulation (RC) rigs currently operational at Kiniéro, with additional RC rigs being mobilised.
Four near-mine oxide targets are now being drilled or planned, all offering low strip ratio and near-surface access:
- Zone C
- Banfara
- West Balan
- Farabana
Matthew Wilcox, Managing Director & CEO, PDI Gold
“We are extremely encouraged by initial results we are seeing from exploration drilling at Kiniéro. This program is fundamental to our strategy of increasing Mineral Resources and extending mine life at Kiniéro to further cement its status as a world-class, long-life gold operation.”
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What comes next — 2026 priorities and the 2027 drilling campaign
Based on the positive results from this announcement, PDI Gold intends to continue depth drilling at the Gobele cluster through the remainder of 2026.
In parallel, the company plans to increase its focus on near-mine, low strip ratio oxide opportunities over the same period. These programs use a systematic 40m x 100m RC grid, closing to 30m x 50m, targeting near-surface mineralisation typically at less than 50m depth at grades greater than 0.3g/t Au. The design is deliberate: these parameters are aimed at rapid conversion to Indicated Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves for incorporation into near-term mine plans.
Looking further ahead, an extensive drilling campaign is currently under development for 2027, planned to comprise approximately 1,800 holes for 140,000m. This scale of systematic exploration is anticipated to unlock further Mineral Resource upside and mine life extension opportunities. The 2027 campaign priorities as disclosed include:
- Continued near-surface oxide drilling across the Gobele cluster, Sabali North, the Sabali-Mansounia corridor, Kobane, and Djikouromba
- Deep high-grade sulphide drilling at the Gobele cluster, expanding to additional target areas
- Sterilisation drilling over areas intended for future infrastructure, including the proposed solar PV plant location
Zooming out to the broader PDI Gold picture, the company is targeting production exceeding 400,000oz per annum by 2029, drawing on Kiniéro alongside the Tier-1 Bankan Gold Project in Guinea, which is approaching construction-ready status with expected production of approximately 250,000oz per annum over more than 12 years. PDI Gold has confirmed that all material assumptions underpinning those production targets, as disclosed in the Bankan DFS announcement dated 25 June 2025 and the Robex amendment dated 22 August 2025, continue to apply and have not materially changed.
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