ASX-listed Toubani Resources has announced further drill results from the current reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme at its Kobada gold project, in southern Mali.

The Kobada project hosts 2.2-million ounces in mineral resources, which occurs over a 4.5 km strike length and is predominantly oxide and openpittable.

Recent results have been received from infill drilling in the northern area of the Kobada mineral resource estimate (MRE), as well as from follow-up drilling at Kobada South.

Pre-production infill drilling at the Kobada gold project has continued to return high-grade gold mineralisation.

This includes 72 m at 2.27 g/t gold from 92 m (KBRC26_161B) including 3 m at 16.8 g/t gold and 4 m at 12.5 g/t gold from 151 m; 53 m at 3.67 g/t gold from 87 m (EOH) including 7 m at 16.3 g/t gold (KBRC26-142); 20 m at 4.58 g/t gold from 198 m including 1 m at 64.6 g/t gold (KBRC26_160); 61 m at 1.8 g/t gold from 183 m including 7 m at 6.61 g/t gold (KBRC26_190); 31 m at 3.12 g/t gold from 187 m (KBRC26_160); 1 m at 86.5 g/t gold from 17 m (KBRC26_180); 62 m at 1.52 g/t gold from 139 m (KBRC26_188); 34 m at 1.45 g/t gold from 228 m including 6 m at 4.94 g/t gold (KBRC26_160); 15 m at 4.93 g/t gold from 204 m (EOH) including 3 m at 19.8 g/t gold (KBRC26_161B); and 12 m at 4.41 g/t gold from 49 m including 1 m at 35.2 g/t gold (KBRC26_193).

Toubani says all drilling is targeting areas where further data is required to improve definition of mineralised structures and provide further assay data ahead of the forthcoming MRE update, scheduled to start in the third quarter of this year.

The updated MRE will be used to finalise the near-term mining schedule for the start of mining activities early in 2027.

Further oxide results were also received from follow-up drilling at Kobada South, building on results announced earlier this year from zones parallel to the main Kobada mineralisation.

Drilling is currently being undertaken at Foroko and is targeting additional ore sources to increase optionality in upcoming mine planning work streams.

The company adds that news flow from drilling will continue throughout this year with RC drilling ongoing on site from multiple rigs.

FORWARD DRILL PLAN

Current drilling by Toubani is testing surface exploration targets in the Foroko area, to the north-east of the Kobada MRE.

The company says the aim is to delineate near-surface, openpittable oxide mineral resources, which can then be evaluated as a potential source of mill feed, either later in the project life or as an alternative mining front to increase optionality in scheduling and equipment usage.

Following the completion of drilling at Foroko, Toubani says it will target mineralisation at Gosso and Kobada West where mineralisation has also been intersected in drilling previously, with similar aims to test the potential for near-surface, openpittable oxide mineral resources in these areas.

To date, about 30 000 m have been drilled from the budgeted 60 000 m of RC drilling 2026, which is part of a 100 000 m project-wide drilling programme. Aircore drilling programmes testing regional targets are currently being designed for implementation later this year.

Toubani MD Phil Russo says this latest set of infill results successfully validates the high-grade zones within the Kobada mineralisation, offering great encouragement for the company’s upcoming MRE update as it prepares for mining operations.

Russo says this drilling demonstrates the “high calibre” of the Kobada gold project, adding that the company anticipates that the remaining assays will continue to support this view.

In the meantime, he notes that drilling is underway at targets located in close proximity to the processing plant, namely the Foroko and Gosso targets, aiming to expand near-surface oxide resources with the strategic goal of extending mine life and injecting valuable flexibility into the company’s mining schedule.

“We are on track to build West Africa's next premier gold mine, and these results clearly highlight Kobada's long-term production potential,” says Russo.