MetalsGrove Mining Launches 10,000m Auger Programme at Zuénoula Gold Project

MetalsGrove Mining Launches 10,000m Auger Drilling Program at Zuénoula Gold Project, Côte d'Ivoire

Metalsgrove Mining Ltd (ASX: MGA) has outlined a step-change in exploration activity at its Zuénoula Permit in Côte d'Ivoire, with the MetalsGrove Mining 10000m auger drilling program at Zuénoula gold project Côte d'Ivoire scheduled to begin using a two-rig, two-stage, ~10,000 metre auger drilling program by the end of June 2026.

According to the ASX announcement dated 22 June 2026, the program is designed to test seven potential drill targets across three of the four consolidated prospect areas. Furthermore, it marks the transition from surface soil sampling to systematic sub-surface testing at the project.

"Following extensive soil sampling and target refinement, we have consolidated the Zuénoula Permit into four principal prospect areas and are preparing to commence a 10,000m auger drilling program across 7 defined potential drill targets. The program is designed to test the bedrock potential beneath surface gold anomalies and represents a critical step towards AC, RC and diamond drilling later this year."

"With more than 1,700 soil samples currently awaiting assay results, we believe there is significant potential to further expand these targets and discover more targets across the permit."

Lijun Yang, Managing Director & CEO, Metalsgrove Mining Ltd

According to the announcement, the auger program will provide the key link between soil geochemistry and potential follow-up Aircore (AC), Reverse Circulation (RC) and Diamond Drilling (DD) planned from late 2026, subject to results.

From Soil Grids to Four Prospects and Seven Targets

Metalsgrove Mining Ltd reports that target definition at Zuénoula has followed a structured, multi-stage soil sampling strategy rather than isolated sample collection.

Soil sampling has been conducted in successive stages using progressively tighter grids:

• Stage 1: 1,000 m x 1,000 m broad-spaced soil grid across the permit
• Stage 2: Infill to 400 m x 400 m over areas with more than 20 ppb gold in soil
• Stage 3: Further infill to 200 m x 200 m over coherent anomalies
• Stage 4: High-density 200 m x 50 m sampling to sharpen anomalies
• Stage 5 (planned/underway): Auger drilling and trenching of coherent soil anomalies
• Stage 6 (planned): AC/RC and DD of priority auger-supported targets

Following technical review and field verification, Metalsgrove Mining Ltd has consequently consolidated multiple gold anomalies into four principal prospects on the Zuénoula Permit:

• Fifty-Five Prospect (including the original area and its north-eastern extension)
• Central Prospect
• South East Prospect (combined with the former Konezra Prospect)
• South West Prospect

Interpretation of the current soil geochemistry dataset has defined seven potential drill targets within these four areas. Each target is reported to exhibit kilometre-scale strike length, indicating that anomalous gold values in soil continue over meaningful distances rather than isolated points.

The planned auger drilling will focus on:

• Fifty-Five Prospect
• Central Prospect
• South East Prospect

The South West Prospect is being advanced through ongoing infill soil sampling at broader spacing (400 m x 400 m), with the potential to define additional auger targets over time.

According to the announcement:

• 1,617 soil samples have been assayed to date
• A further 1,755 samples are at the laboratory awaiting analysis
• An additional 306 samples are scheduled for collection

This ongoing work suggests that target definition is expected to keep evolving as new assay data are integrated into the existing model, even as auger drilling gets underway.

The Auger Drilling Program: Structure, Scope and Objectives

The Zuénoula auger program has been designed in two stages using a two-rig configuration, aiming to progressively refine understanding of potential bedrock mineralisation below gold-anomalous soil.

How Is the Program Structured?

Planned auger program

According to Metalsgrove Mining Ltd, auger holes will average around 5 metres depth, targeting the upper saprolite horizon. Saprolite is the weathered rock layer immediately above fresh bedrock and can act as a geochemical "filter" where gold from underlying mineralised structures accumulates.

Key practical points for investors include the following:

• Stage 1 is intended to identify which of the seven potential targets display the strongest and most coherent bedrock response.
• Stage 2 is then expected to tighten spacing over those areas to map mineralised trends in more detail.
• This detail is considered important before committing to deeper and more expensive AC, RC or diamond drilling from late 2026.

Metalsgrove Mining Ltd expects the two-rig mobilisation and auger program commencement to occur by the end of June 2026, subject to operational factors.

Educational Focus: What Auger Drilling Is and Why It Matters

For many investors, soil sampling and auger drilling can sound technical. At Zuénoula, understanding their role helps explain why this 10,000 m program is a key stage in the exploration sequence.

What Is Auger Drilling?

Auger drilling is a shallow drilling method that uses a rotating screw-like bit to penetrate soft ground and weathered rock.

Key characteristics include:

• Typical depth: 3 to 10 metres
• Target zone: Near-surface weathered material, including saprolite
• Sample type: Loose rock and soil that can be collected and assayed for gold or other metals

Because auger drilling is relatively low cost and rapid, it is often used as a bridge between surface geochemical surveys and deeper drilling.

Why Is Auger Drilling Used at Zuénoula?

At Zuénoula, soil sampling has already defined broad gold anomalies across the permit. However, soil values can be affected by surface processes such as erosion or transported cover.

Auger drilling is used to:

• Sample closer to the bedrock source of mineralisation
• Reduce the influence of surface contamination or transported material
• Identify whether gold-in-soil anomalies correspond to gold in the weathered rock directly above bedrock
• Provide a tighter dataset to position future AC, RC or diamond drill holes

In practice, the sequence at projects like Zuénoula often follows this path:

1. Soil sampling identifies areas with elevated gold values at surface.
2. Auger drilling tests directly beneath those anomalies to see if they relate to real bedrock mineralisation.
3. AC/RC/DD drilling then targets the strongest auger-defined trends to determine grade, continuity and geometry at depth.

For Metalsgrove Mining Ltd, auger drilling at Zuénoula is therefore positioned as the technical filter that will decide which of the seven potential drill targets warrant the next level of drilling commitment.

Soil Geochemistry: Assay Values Behind the Targets

The seven potential drill targets are not conceptual only; they are grounded in a detailed soil geochemistry dataset.

All soil samples from Zuénoula have been:

• Collected to a standardised protocol by SEMS Exploration Services
• Prepared as 1,000 g samples of minus 2 mm fraction
• Analysed for gold by fire assay (lab code FE450, 2 ppb lower detection limit) at Bureau Veritas in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Metalsgrove Mining Ltd has provided a table of soil samples that returned more than 70 ppb Au (parts per billion gold) from Zuénoula PR-750. Selected higher values are summarised below.

Selected Zuénoula soil samples above 70 ppb Au

Several additional samples between 70 ppb and 144 ppb Au are also listed in the ASX announcement, indicating multiple clusters of elevated soil gold values across the permit.

For context:

• 1,242 ppb Au equates to 1.242 g/t gold in soil, which is considered a strong soil anomaly in early-stage gold exploration.
• Multiple values above 100 ppb Au in separate locations suggest that gold anomalism is not confined to a single isolated spot.

For investors, these numbers do not demonstrate a discovery on their own. However, they are often viewed as supportive when they occur in coherent patterns over meaningful strike lengths and are then tested by auger drilling and deeper methods.

Central West Gold Project: Zuénoula Within a Broader Land Position

Zuénoula is part of the Central West Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire, which combines permits under the Gemica and Stellar joint ventures.

According to the announcement, the project covers 1,315.84 km² across four permits.

Central West Gold Project land package

The project is situated in the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian greenstone belt, along the Abujar–Napié gold trend in central west Côte d'Ivoire:

• Approximately 100 km north of the Abujar Gold Mine
• Approximately 160 km south of the Napié Gold Project

Metalsgrove Mining Ltd states it is not aware of any previous systematic gold exploration on Zuénoula PR-750, Vavoua PR-454, Vavoua West PR-1102 or Kounahiri West PR-1063. This positions the Central West Gold Project as a greenfield exploration play, where the current soil and auger programs represent first-pass to second-pass testing on a district scale.

Work Program to Late 2026: Staged Escalation

The announcement outlines a clear sequence of planned work designed to refine targets and progressively escalate drill commitment at Zuénoula.

Auger Drilling (from End June 2026)

• Two-rig auger program, ~10,000 m in two stages
• Coverage across Fifty-Five, Central and South East Prospects
• Initial 400 m x 50 m pattern, tightening to 250 m x 25 m subject to results

Ongoing and Planned Soil Sampling

The infill soil program is reported to be continuing across all four prospects with varying grid spacings.

Infill soil sampling status

According to Metalsgrove Mining Ltd, assay results for 1,755 soil samples currently at Bureau Veritas and the planned additional 306 samples will be integrated with auger data to refine potential drill targets further.

Subsequent Drilling (from Late 2026)

Subject to auger drilling results and ongoing soil interpretation, the company plans:

• AC/RC drilling of coherent bedrock targets identified from auger
• DD (diamond drilling) where structural or detailed geological information is required

These later-stage drilling methods are typically used to determine grade, continuity and 3D geometry of mineralised zones at depth, providing the basis for any future resource estimation if supported by results.

Why This Matters to Investors

For investors tracking early-stage gold exploration on the ASX, the Zuénoula update from Metalsgrove Mining Ltd may be of interest for several reasons grounded in the announcement:

• The project is moving from surface-only soil datasets to sub-surface testing through a defined 10,000 m auger program, which is often seen as a key technical step.
• Seven potential drill targets with reported kilometre-scale strike lengths have been defined across a large, underexplored permit.
• There is material pending data flow, with 1,755 soil samples awaiting assay and more sampling planned.
• Zuénoula forms part of a 1,315.84 km² land position in a well-known West African greenstone belt that already hosts several established gold operations and deposits.

The exploration strategy described in the ASX announcement reflects a methodical approach, with each escalation in drilling intensity — from soil to auger to AC/RC and DD — planned to be guided by results.

For Metalsgrove Mining Ltd, the MetalsGrove Mining 10000m auger drilling program at Zuénoula gold project Côte d'Ivoire is positioned as a critical test of whether the soil anomalies translate into coherent gold mineralisation in the weathered rock profile, which would consequently support follow-up deeper drilling from late 2026.

Could Zuénoula Be Metalsgrove Mining's Next Major Discovery?

With a 10,000m auger drilling program set to commence, seven defined potential drill targets across a 1,315.84 km² land package, and over 1,700 soil samples awaiting assay results, Metalsgrove Mining Ltd (ASX: MGA) is entering a critical phase of exploration at its Zuénoula Gold Project. Investors looking to learn more about the company's Central West Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire and follow the progress of this systematic drilling campaign can visit metalsgrove.com.au.