Castle Minerals’ Exploration Push Faces Permit and Assay Uncertainties in West Africa

Exploration Momentum Builds in Côte d’Ivoire

Castle Minerals Limited (ASX, CDT) is ramping up its exploration efforts in West Africa with the launch of a large-scale soil sampling program on the recently acquired Ebony permit in Côte d’Ivoire. The 981-sample campaign aims to identify primary sources of alluvial gold that artisanal miners have sporadically recovered, focusing on two prospective Birimian target zones within the granted permit area. This initiative marks a significant step in unlocking the potential of a region that has seen limited systematic exploration despite hosting numerous mapped gold occurrences.

Accelerated Drilling Drives Ghana Projects Forward

Simultaneously, Castle has completed a 220-hole power auger drilling program at its Kandia Gold Project in Ghana’s emerging Upper West gold region. The program targeted new mineralised zones and extensions of known gold prospects, with samples now en route to laboratories for assay. The auger rig has since moved to the adjacent Bulenga licence, where a 214-hole campaign is halfway complete, further testing the Birimian terrane’s potential.

Strategic Targeting of Underexplored Terrains

Looking ahead, Castle plans a 400-hole phase-one auger drilling campaign on the Gbiniyiri licence, surrounding the Degbiwu licence that hosts the Kpali gold discovery. This follows a detailed structural interpretation using reprocessed aeromagnetic data, highlighting deeply penetrating regional structures known to host multi-million-ounce gold systems elsewhere in West Africa. The company’s approach combines broad-scale soil sampling with focused auger drilling, creating multiple discovery vectors across its portfolio.

Regional Significance and Growth Potential

The Ebony permit lies near the 4.5 million ounce Tanda-Iguela discovery by Endeavour Mining, while the southern permit application extends into the Birimian-age Bibiani–Chirano belt, home to significant gold resources including the Chirano Mine and Turaco Gold’s Afema resource. Castle’s acquisition of Mineralis Ltd, which holds rights to seven permits in Côte d’Ivoire, strategically expands its footprint along the Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana border, positioning the company to capitalize on this emerging exploration frontier.

Outlook and Market Expectations

Executive Chair Stephen Stone emphasised the company’s sequencing of rigs and crews to maintain a steady flow of assay results and emerging anomalies. Investors can anticipate regular updates as Castle advances its exploration programs, potentially setting the stage for new discoveries that could reshape the company’s resource base and market positioning in West Africa’s competitive gold sector.