Dalaroo Metals Ltd (ASX:DAL) is advancing final preparations for a 20,000-metre drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, with maiden drilling scheduled to begin at the Wilfred target in early August 2026.
The staged campaign will systematically test the approximately 7-kilometre Gold Ridge gold corridor, which contains the Wilfred, Mag and Ali priority targets.
Phase 1 will comprise around 10,000 metres of reverse circulation drilling focused on Wilfred, the largest of the three targets, while a further 10,000 metres of diamond drilling is planned across Phases 2 and 3.
The company had completed the second tranche of its placement, lifting total proceeds to approximately A$1.75 million and strengthening its capacity to advance gold and critical minerals exploration in Côte d’Ivoire and Greenland.
Bondoukou Gold Ridge Project showing Dalaroo’s planned three-phase drilling approach.
Phase 1 targets Wilfred discovery potential
Drill pad preparation is scheduled to begin during the coming week, ahead of rig mobilisation.
The initial RC program will test geological, structural and geochemical targets beneath surface and auger gold anomalies, with holes planned to reach depths of approximately 100 to 150 metres.
Wilfred extends for about 3 kilometres and is supported by anomalous gold geochemistry, favourable geological contacts, interpreted structures and nearby artisanal workings.
Dalaroo has elected to concentrate the initial campaign at Wilfred rather than spread drilling across the full corridor, aiming to generate sufficient coverage to assess the continuity, orientation and potential scale of any bedrock gold mineralisation.
RC drilling was selected for the discovery phase because of its faster penetration rate and lower cost per metre, enabling the company to test more priority positions before committing to higher-cost diamond drilling.
Diamond drilling to follow strongest targets
Results and geological observations from Phase 1 will be progressively incorporated into Dalaroo’s geological model and used to refine the placement of diamond drill holes.
Phases 2 and 3 are planned to comprise around 10,000 metres of diamond drilling, initially following up the strongest positions identified at Wilfred before expanding into the Mag and Ali targets.
Diamond drilling will provide continuous core for detailed geological and structural logging, helping Dalaroo assess mineralisation style, controls and continuity along strike and at depth.
Mag, in the northern part of the corridor, hosts some of the strongest gold-in-soil results identified across the project, while Ali in the south is supported by geochemical, geological and structural evidence.
The final scale and sequencing of the later drilling phases will depend on Phase 1 results, funding availability and operational conditions.
Final preparations underway
Dalaroo’s drilling contractor has completed site and access inspections, covering drill access, proposed working areas and mobilisation requirements.
The company is finalising drill-hole locations using soil geochemistry, auger drilling, geological mapping and structural interpretation.
Pre-drilling work also includes confirming access routes, water and fuel arrangements, sampling and quality-control procedures and continuing consultation with local communities and landholders.
Next steps
Dalaroo will begin drill pad preparation and peg the final Phase 1 hole locations before mobilising the RC rig to Gold Ridge.
Drilling is expected to start in early August, followed by progressive submission of samples for laboratory analysis.
The company will use drilling observations and assay results to rank follow-up targets, finalise the Phase 2 diamond program and progressively extend drilling across Wilfred, Mag and Ali.