Dalaroo Metals Advances Bondoukou Exploration Amid Uncertain Mineralisation Continuity

Large-Scale Soil Sampling Program Underway

Dalaroo Metals Ltd (ASX:DAL) has commenced a major soil geochemistry survey at the Goldridge Prospect within its Bondoukou Project in north-eastern Côte d’Ivoire. The program involves collecting approximately 4,400 soil samples arranged on a 200m by 50m grid, covering a roughly 9km structural corridor interpreted from aeromagnetic data and prior surface exploration. This systematic approach aims to define the strike continuity of gold mineralisation and identify new targets for follow-up drilling.

The survey targets extensions of a previously identified 2.5km strike by 400m wide gold corridor, which includes high-grade rock-chip mineralisation with assays up to 17.95 g/t gold. Early field operations have opened 12.75 km of sampling lines and collected 262 samples in the first week, focusing initially on priority zones such as Dingbi and Kogodjan.

Geological Context and Indicators

The Bondoukou Project lies within the Birimian Greenstone Belt, a prolific gold province in West Africa known for structurally controlled orogenic gold deposits. The soil sampling grid is oriented along a northwest-southeast structural corridor, consistent with controls on Birimian gold systems. Initial geological observations from the soil samples reveal widespread alteration minerals including hematite, goethite, and limonite, alongside abundant quartz fragments. These features are recognised pathfinder indicators for hydrothermal gold mineralisation in tropical terrains, supporting the interpretation of a large mineralised system at depth.

The project area also hosts extensive artisanal gold workings, particularly along interpreted shear zones and volcanic–granitoid contacts, providing surface evidence of near-surface gold mineralisation. However, no drilling has yet been conducted by Dalaroo to confirm the grade or continuity of mineralisation.

Advancing Exploration Towards Drill-Ready Targets

The soil geochemistry program is designed to rapidly generate coherent gold anomalies and multiple drill-ready targets. The company expects to receive over 4,000 assay results in the coming months, which will underpin subsequent trenching, auger drilling, and maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaigns. These steps represent a critical transition from reconnaissance exploration to resource definition.

CEO John Morgan emphasised the program’s significance, stating it is a key step in unlocking the scale potential of the Bondoukou Project, highlighting the combination of a 9km structural corridor, artisanal activity, and high-grade rock-chip results. Similarly, Country Manager and Exploration Manager Frank Twum-Berima Bosompem noted the program as a value inflection point, targeting continuous mineralisation across a multi-kilometre corridor.

Linking to Prior Discoveries and Regional Potential

This soil sampling initiative builds on Dalaroo’s earlier identification of a 2.5 km high-grade gold corridor at Bondoukou, which was highlighted by significant rock-chip assays and extensive artisanal workings. That discovery set the stage for the current systematic exploration phase aimed at expanding the known mineralisation footprint and refining drill targets. The project’s location approximately 35 km northwest of Endeavour Mining’s Tanda gold deposit situates it within a highly prospective gold-producing region.

In a broader market context, the methodical approach to soil geochemistry aligns with exploration best practices applied across major Birimian gold discoveries in West Africa, where structural controls and hydrothermal alteration are key indicators guiding drill targeting.