DeSoto Completes Extensive BLEG Sampling Over 687km2 in Guinea’s Siguiri Basin

• 687km2 of drainage catchments sampled using BLEG
• 143 samples sent to Perth labs, assays pending
• Systematic reconnaissance targets gold anomalies along major trend
• Projects adjacent to multi-million ounce Siguiri gold corridor
• Conversion of reconnaissance authorisations to exploration permits underway

Strategic Sampling Across Key Gold Corridor

DeSoto Resources (ASX:DES) has completed an ambitious Bulk Leach Extractable Gold (BLEG) stream sediment sampling program covering more than 687 square kilometres across six projects in the southwest Siguiri Basin of Guinea. This reconnaissance effort spanned the Dalaban, Woussoubadou, Branama, Doutila, Moussaya, and Yarakoyura tenements, all located along the structurally favourable Siguiri Gold Mineralisation Trend, which hosts AngloGold Ashanti’s 5.28 million ounce Siguiri Mine and Asara Resources’ nearby 0.9 million ounce Kada Project.

The 143 collected samples have been dispatched to Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Perth for assay, with results eagerly awaited. BLEG sampling, a technique pioneered by companies like Newmont, is designed to detect gold anomalism over large areas by sampling fine-grained sediments in low-energy stream environments, helping to mitigate the notorious nugget effect that can skew gold assays in alluvial settings.

Systematic Approach to Target Generation

Unlike traditional grid-based sampling, DeSoto’s program targeted first and second-order drainage catchments at an average density of one sample per 5 square kilometres. This method aims to rapidly rank catchments and identify coherent gold and pathfinder element anomalies, which will guide follow-up exploration including detailed mapping, soil and rock-chip sampling, geophysics, and ultimately drilling.

Supervising the program was specialist BLEG technician Benoit Sanon, who brings prior experience managing similar projects for Predictive Discovery (ASX:PDI). This is the first systematic exploration effort across these project areas, which are readily accessible from DeSoto’s Kankan exploration headquarters.

Expanding Footprint in a Proven Gold Province

Since early 2025, DeSoto has amassed approximately 1,300 square kilometres of tenure across more than 22 reconnaissance authorisations and exploration permits in the Siguiri Basin, making it the fifth-largest landholder by area in this prolific Birimian gold province. The company’s strategic acquisition approach, led by Chairman Paul Roberts and Non-Executive Director Dr Barry Murphy, applies a mineral systems framework to identify structurally favourable positions and prospective host rocks within underexplored corridors.

The recent BLEG program complements ongoing work at other projects, including the identification of priority soil anomaly zones at Timbakouna ahead of drilling priority soil anomaly zones and the expansion of the company’s footprint by 532 square kilometres in the basin’s southwest expanded Siguiri Basin footprint. These efforts collectively underpin DeSoto’s basin-scale exploration strategy.

Next Steps and Permit Progress

With assay results pending, DeSoto plans targeted regolith mapping, soil and rock-chip sampling to pinpoint mineralised structures and favourable host lithologies. Geochemical anomalies identified will be prioritised for follow-up programs including power auger and aircore drilling, as well as airborne geophysical surveys. Meanwhile, the company is advancing the conversion of reconnaissance authorisations into formal exploration permits, a critical step for progressing towards resource definition.

DeSoto’s systematic approach and substantial land position along a major gold corridor position it well to uncover new discoveries in a region that has seen limited modern exploration despite its rich endowment.

Bottom Line?

Assay results will be the key catalyst to validate DeSoto’s extensive BLEG sampling and unlock targeted drilling campaigns in one of West Africa’s most promising gold provinces.

Questions in the middle?

• Will the pending assays confirm significant gold anomalies to justify accelerated drilling?
• How quickly can DeSoto convert reconnaissance authorisations into exploration permits?
• What is the potential to link anomalies across DeSoto’s contiguous tenements into larger mineralised systems?