Aim-listed Oriole Resources says its joint venture partner Iamgold has completed a 10 000 m aircore (AC) drilling programme at the Senala gold project, in Senegal, with the results due before the end of the quarter.

The drilling is intended to better define the geochemical footprint of the gold mineralisation at the Faré prospect, where historical drilling has returned best results of 20 m grading 31.12 g/t and 10 m, grading 60.98 g/t, from reverse circulation (RC) drilling.

Depending on the results of the AC drilling programme, Iamgold plans on undertaking a follow-up 5 000 m RC drilling programme and a 1 000 m diamond drilling programme to test mineralised intervals previously identified by Stratex International.

Iamgold is in the third year of its earn-in to an initial 51% interest in the Senala project and must have spent a further $1-million by the end of February to keep its option in good standing.

In Cameroon, Oriole anticipates first results from its maiden diamond drilling programme at the Bibemi project later this quarter and into the second quarter.

The total planned programme now stands at 28 holes for 3 080 m and will focus on testing the depth extension of surface gold mineralisation identified at four main prospects – Bakassi Zone 1, Bakassi Zone 2, Lawa West and Lawa East – that occur over an 8.3-km-long system.

Some of the best results from the work completed to date include up to 135.40 g/t gold from selective rock-chip sampling and 9 m grading 3.14 g/t from trench sampling.

Completion of the drilling programme at Bibemi is expected to see Oriole satisfy the conditions for the company to earn a 90% interest in Bibemi and the nearby Wapouzé project.

At Wapouzé, pilot trenching is underway to test key gold-in-soil anomalies identified from previous soil sampling campaigns.

Oriole is undertaking sampling and detailed mapping to help understand the spatial-temporal relation between lithologies, alteration and structures. Subject to results, it is possible that the drill rig could be moved to test targets at Wapouzé following the programme at Bibemi.

The company is also awaiting the approval of eight new licences in central Cameroon, which cover a contiguous land package of 3 500 km² within highly prospective terrane for gold mineralisation.

In Djibouti, Thani Stratex Djibouti (TSD), in which the company has an 11.80% interest, completed its Phase 1 programme at the Hesdaba project for 2 242 m of diamond drilling in 17 holes and 3 413m of RC drilling in 33 holes.

The final results for this programme, as well as from TSD’s ongoing RC and diamond drilling programmes at the nearby Assaleyta project, are expected during the first quarter.