Multiple coherent soil anomalies with coincident artisanal workings have been defined from the first phase of the soil sampling programme at the Kineta project, which is part of Aim-listed IronRidge Resources’ joint venture (JV) agreement with Gail Resources South Africa, in Côte d'Ivoire.

The company is reviewing the next phase of work, including possible trenching and drilling options.

IronRidge chief geologist Len Kolff on Monday commented that the completion of the first phase of the Kineta soils programme has delivered high-priority soil anomalies with results of up to 3.7 g/t of gold in soil and coincident with artisanal workings, which have now been largely abandoned.

Multiple soil anomalies have been defined within a broader 7 km by 1.5 km anomalous gold corridor occurring within mafic schists wedged in between granite plutons, he explained, adding that this sets a favourable structural setting for gold mineralisation to occur.

He further added that the highest priority soil anomaly is over 2 km long and up to 250 m wide, defined by >30 ppb with results of up to 3.7 g/t of gold in soils and coincident with a 700-m-long zone of underground artisanal workings with previous reported rock-chip sampling returning results including 15 g/t, 32.4 g/t and 46.4 g/t gold.

"We are pleased to have defined new targets outside of existing artisanal sites, as well as confirming the anomalous gold trends. We are now in a better position to prioritise targets. We are currently reviewing the follow-up exploration programme and look forward to keeping the market updated,” Kolff further said.

In terms of the Kineta soils programme, he explained that 3 392 soil samples, not including quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) samples, were collected over a three-month period as part of the first phase soil programme over the Kineta licence in the north-east of the country.

All samples were submitted to ALS Laboratory for fire assay and passed internal QAQC checks, he pointed out.

The programme was designed to test a 7-km-long north-north-east trending artisanal mining corridor, now largely abandoned, which occurs within a mafic schist greenstone belt wedged between granitic intrusions.

Further, the company has secured, through earn-in agreements, access rights to nine licences and applications prospective for gold covering a total of about 3 475 km2 within Côte d'Ivoire.

The tenement portfolio covers major shear zones and associated second and third order structures along proven, gold-bearing shears.

All projects are well serviced, with an extensive bitumen road network, well-established cellular network and good high-voltage transmission line network.