DeSoto Resources has kicked off a substantial 10,000-metre power auger drilling program at its Timbakouna Gold Project in Guinea, aiming to test beneath lateritic cover and build on historic high-grade gold intercepts.
- 10,000m power auger drilling targeting 6km artisanal gold zone
- Historic intercepts include 18m at 11.8g/t Au remain untested
- Airborne magnetic survey to refine structural and lithological targets
- First modern systematic drilling campaign at Timbakouna
- Part of DeSoto’s strategic landholdings in prolific Siguiri Basin
Maiden Drilling Targets Hidden Gold Beneath Lateritic Cover
DeSoto Resources Limited (ASX:DES) has embarked on its first-ever drilling campaign at the Timbakouna Gold Project in Guinea’s prolific Siguiri Basin. The company has commenced a 10,000-metre power auger program, spread over 485 holes, designed to penetrate the often challenging lateritic surface cover and test for gold mineralisation within the saprolite zone beneath.
This systematic drilling effort aims to follow up on historic high-grade results, including a standout intercept of 18 metres grading 11.8 grams per tonne gold that was never further explored. The program focuses on a 6-kilometre stretch of artisanal workings and newly identified soil anomalies exceeding 25 parts per billion gold, promising to clarify the scale and continuity of mineralised trends.
Integrated Geophysical and Geochemical Approach
Complementing the drilling is an imminent airborne magnetic and radiometric survey, which will provide critical data on structural geology and lithological contacts. When combined with soil geochemistry and drill results, this integrated dataset is expected to sharpen the definition of alteration corridors and key structural features that control gold mineralisation.
Managing Director Chris Swallow highlighted the significance of this milestone: "This program is designed to test beneath the lateritic cover, generate robust saprolite geochemistry and, when integrated with airborne magnetic data, refine priority targets for follow-up RC and diamond drilling." He also acknowledged the support from Guinea’s Ministry of Mines and Geology, underscoring the cooperative environment facilitating exploration.
Building on Limited Historic Exploration
Timbakouna has seen limited modern exploration, with previous drilling by Search Gold, a Canadian private company, largely confined to shallow depths and fresh rock testing. Historic intercepts included multiple high-grade zones such as 1 metre at 78.84 g/t Au and 3 metres at 40.4 g/t Au, but these did not extend beyond approximately 80 metres depth.
DeSoto’s recent surface sampling campaigns have extended gold-in-soil anomalies to nearly 4 kilometres in length, confirming a substantial surface geochemical footprint. These efforts, combined with artisanal workings mapping and structural interpretation, have positioned Timbakouna as a priority target within DeSoto’s growing portfolio.
Strategic Position in a World-Class Gold Province
Since acquiring the Guinea portfolio in early 2025, DeSoto has amassed approximately 1,300 square kilometres of tenure across the Siguiri Basin, making it one of the largest landholders in this richly endowed Birimian Gold Province. The basin is known for hosting a variety of orogenic and intrusion-related gold deposits, with Timbakouna situated along a major structurally prospective gold corridor featuring extensive artisanal workings.
The company’s exploration strategy applies a mineral systems approach, championed by Chairman Paul Roberts and Non-Executive Director Dr Barry Murphy, to identify structurally favourable positions and under-explored corridors capable of hosting significant mineralisation.
With the power auger program underway and airborne surveys imminent, DeSoto is poised to refine its exploration targets and set the stage for more advanced drilling campaigns. The success of this maiden drilling will be pivotal in determining the project's potential to contribute meaningfully to the company’s resource base.
Bottom Line?
DeSoto’s maiden drilling at Timbakouna is a critical step in unlocking the project’s gold potential beneath lateritic cover, with airborne geophysics set to sharpen future drill targeting.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the power auger drilling confirm continuity of high-grade mineralisation beneath artisanal workings?
- How will the integration of airborne magnetic data influence the prioritisation of follow-up RC and diamond drilling?
- Can DeSoto leverage its strategic land position to delineate a significant gold resource in the underexplored Siguiri Basin?