Dalaroo Metals has identified a significant 2.5 km long gold mineralisation corridor at its Bondoukou Project in Côte d’Ivoire, highlighted by high-grade rock-chip samples and extensive artisanal workings. This discovery sets the stage for upcoming drilling and further exploration in a prolific West African gold belt.
- 2.5 km by 400 m structurally controlled gold corridor defined
- High-grade rock-chip assays up to 17.95 g/t gold
- Target lies within a broader 9.5 km gold anomalous zone
- Extensive artisanal mining activity supports surface mineralisation
- Follow-up soil geochemistry, trenching, and RC drilling planned
A Major Gold Target Emerges at Bondoukou
Dalaroo Metals Limited (ASX:DAL) has announced a compelling new gold exploration target at its Bondoukou Project in north-eastern Côte d’Ivoire. Geological mapping and rock-chip sampling at the Goldridge Prospect have delineated a structurally controlled gold corridor stretching approximately 2.5 kilometres in strike length and up to 400 metres wide. This corridor is part of a larger 9.5-kilometre gold anomalous zone identified through aeromagnetic data and regional structural analysis.
High-Grade Surface Sampling Validates Prospectivity
The reconnaissance program collected 56 rock and saprolite samples, with eight returning gold grades above 0.5 grams per tonne (g/t), including a standout assay of 17.95 g/t Au. These results, derived from quartz vein material exposed in artisanal workings, confirm the presence of near-surface high-grade gold mineralisation. The mineralisation is structurally controlled along a northwest–southeast trending fold limb, a geological setting favourable for orogenic gold deposits typical of the Birimian Greenstone Belt.
Strategic Location in a Prolific Gold Province
Bondoukou lies within the Birimian Greenstone Belt, one of West Africa’s most prolific gold-producing regions. The project is situated about 35 kilometres northwest of Endeavour Mining’s Tanda-Iguela gold project, which hosts a multi-million-ounce resource. Dalaroo’s exploration team notes that the geological and structural characteristics at Goldridge closely mirror those at Endeavour’s Assafou deposit, providing a strong conceptual framework for significant gold mineralisation potential.
Next Steps: Expanding the Exploration Footprint
Building on these promising early results, Dalaroo is advancing a systematic soil geochemical sampling program designed to trace the gold corridor’s extension beyond the initial 2.5 km target. This will be complemented by detailed structural mapping, trenching, and auger drilling to refine drill targets ahead of an initial reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign. These activities aim to test the continuity and depth potential of the mineralised system, moving the project closer to defining a resource.
Management’s Perspective
CEO John Morgan emphasised the significance of the discovery, highlighting the combination of high-grade assays, structural controls, and artisanal mining as compelling indicators of the project’s potential. Meanwhile, Country Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem underscored the geological validation provided by the initial program and the exciting prospect of a Birimian-style orogenic gold system at Bondoukou.
While these early-stage results are encouraging, it is important to note that the findings are based on selective surface sampling and no drilling has yet been conducted to confirm mineralisation continuity or volume. Nonetheless, the project’s location, geological setting, and initial data position Dalaroo Metals well for a potentially significant gold discovery in a world-class gold belt.
Bottom Line?
Dalaroo’s Bondoukou Project is poised for a critical exploration phase that could unlock a major West African gold discovery.
Questions in the middle?
- Will upcoming drilling confirm the continuity and grade of the gold mineralisation at depth?
- How extensive is the broader 9.5 km gold anomalous zone beyond the current 2.5 km target?
- What are the potential challenges in converting artisanal workings into a formal mining operation?