Aim-listed Oriole Resources on Monday confirmed that its exploration partner Iamgold would restart exploration at the Dalafin gold project, in Senegal, next month.
The first results from the 2019 drilling programme are expected to be available late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter.
Oriole currently owns 85% of the project, but Iamgold has the option to spend up to $8-million to earn a 70% interest in the project.
This follows after drilling results in the fourth quarter last year delivered an intersection of 8 m at 2.56 g/t gold.
The drilling programme will continue to explore the Madina Bafé and the Saroudia prospects.
Iamgold will start the $1-million year-two earn-in on Dalafin’s Madina prospect with 5 000 m of aircore (AC) drilling to extend the 2018 campaign to the north and 4 000 m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling to follow up on best results from the 2018 drilling programme, while initiating 2 500 m regional AC drilling to explore for stuctures beneath transported laterites, at Saroudia.
Subsequent RC drilling of 1 600 m will follow up on best AC results.
Both these targets are located within 20 km of Iamgold’s 2.49-million-ounce Boto gold project.