Dalaroo Metals Ltd (ASX:DAL) last week began its maiden reverse circulation drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, marking the first drill testing of the targets outlined by the company’s previous exploration work.
CEO John Morgan told Proactive that Dalaroo had started a planned 12,000-metre RC campaign, with the initial work comprising 24 holes for around 4,200 metres.
Morgan said the first stage was intended to establish the orientation of the mineralisation before the company moved into a further 7,800 metres of drilling.
“It’s an exciting stage for Dalaroo,” Morgan said, adding that the company now had its “first drill bit into the ground” at the project.
The initial program will concentrate on three targets — Wilfred, Ali and Mag — with Wilfred scheduled to be tested first.
Morgan said Dalaroo had interpreted a fold hinge at Wilfred and believed the area offered the strongest opportunity in terms of ounces per vertical metre. Drilling would subsequently move to Ali and Mag to test the broader strike of the system.
He said Mag was also a high-priority target because the company had recorded its highest-grade soil samples in that area.
The first 24 holes represent an important near-term step for Dalaroo because they are designed to provide definition within what Morgan described as broad soil anomalies. That information will then help guide the remaining 78 holes in the program and allow the company to refine its understanding of the mineralised system.
One of the principal near-term catalysts will be the arrival of assay results. Morgan said the first results were expected within approximately four to six weeks, although the timing would depend on laboratory capacity in Côte d’Ivoire.
He said Dalaroo had six people on the ground in the country and expected the team to begin modelling the data as soon as results became available.
Further catalysts could emerge as the follow-up drilling defines the strike and orientation of mineralisation in greater detail.
Looking beyond the RC campaign, Morgan indicated that the company intended to turn its attention to diamond drilling later in the year and into the new year. He said a better understanding of mineralisation orientation from the current work should enable Dalaroo to target that subsequent drilling more effectively.
Interview highlights
- Dalaroo Metals has started its maiden RC drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
- The company is undertaking a 12,000-metre program, beginning with a 24-hole orientation phase of around 4,200 metres.
- A further 7,800 metres across 78 holes is intended to provide greater definition along the mineralised system.
- The principal targets are Wilfred, Ali and Mag, with Wilfred scheduled to be drilled first.
- Morgan said Dalaroo has interpreted a fold hinge at Wilfred, which the company believes offers strong potential in terms of ounces per vertical metre.
- Ali and Mag will test extensions along the strike of the system, with Mag also supported by the highest-grade soil samples discussed in the interview.
- The first holes are designed to improve Dalaroo’s understanding of the location and orientation of mineralisation before more extensive follow-up drilling.
- Assay results are expected in around four to six weeks, subject to laboratory capacity in Côte d’Ivoire.
- A six-person Dalaroo team is in-country and is expected to begin modelling results as they arrive.
- Morgan indicated that diamond drilling later in the year and into the new year could follow once the company has a clearer understanding of mineralisation orientation.
Proactive: Dalaroo Metals has started its maiden reverse circulation drilling campaign at the Bondoukou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire. Here to discuss the program is CEO John Morgan. John, good to see you again. Good to have you here. Let’s talk about this program. Talk us through it and what it means for the company.
John Morgan: It’s an exciting stage for Dalaroo. We’ve got the first drill bit into the ground at the gold project over in Côte d’Ivoire. We’ve just started 12,000 metres of RC drilling.
We’re focusing initially on a 24-hole campaign of around 4,200 metres, and that’s really going to define the orientation of the mineralisation. We’ll then follow that up with a further 7,800 metres to really define that area.
So, exciting times. A geologist always loves getting a drill bit into the ground, so we’re all pretty pumped and excited.
Proactive: There are three main targets — Wilfred, Mag and Ali. They’re the key focus. Talk us through why.
John Morgan: We’ve had really good soil anomalies there. We really like Wilfred. That’s the target we’ll start with first. That’s where we’ve interpreted a fold hinge, and we think that’s where we’ve got the highest chance of ounces per vertical metre.
Then we’ll move out to Ali and Mag, and that really extends the strike of the system. At Mag, we’ve had the highest-grade soil samples out there, so it’s a pretty high-priority target as well.
Proactive: What are you hoping to learn from the initial 24-hole orientation program?
John Morgan: We’ve had quite broad soil anomaly results, so it’s really about getting some definition of where that mineralisation is before we start really getting into it with some follow-up drilling.
Proactive: Speaking of follow-up, there are another 78 holes in the campaign. How will these results influence what’s to come?
John Morgan: Those further 78 holes will further define the strike and help us work out where these areas are, creating better definition.
Our attention later in the year and into the new year will then be to start diamond drilling. From that work, we’ll have a much better understanding of the orientation, so we’ll be able to target a lot better with the diamond drilling.
Proactive: We’ve talked about what’s coming next, but to sum up, what can we expect to see in the next few weeks?
John Morgan: We should start seeing assay results within the four-to-six-week range, depending on laboratory capacity in-country.
We’re really excited to start seeing some of those results and getting into them pretty early. We’ve got a team of six people in Côte d’Ivoire with Dalaroo, so there’s plenty of horsepower there to start modelling this as soon as we get the results.
Proactive: Plenty to look forward to. John, thanks for your time this morning, and we’ll catch up as the results come through.