Ariana Resources (ASX: AA2) Advances Dokwe DFS With Broad Gold Hits

Ariana Resources has completed assay work from its 2026 metallurgical drilling program at the Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe and shipped eight tonnes of material to China for feasibility-level testwork.

The program forms part of technical studies supporting Dokwe’s definitive feasibility study, with Ariana saying it remains funded to complete the relevant workstreams during the first quarter of 2027.

Dokwe is the company’s principal development asset and is wholly owned through its Zimbabwean subsidiary. The project hosts an existing Mineral Resource of about 1.6 million ounces of gold.

Broad Gold Intercepts Support Testwork

The metallurgical drilling campaign comprised 15 diamond holes for a total of 2,822 metres across the Dokwe North and Dokwe Central deposits.

At Dokwe Central, hole DPD150 intersected 98 metres at 2.85 grams per tonne gold from 91 metres, including one metre at 93.72 grams per tonne from 184 metres.

A second hole at Central returned 59 metres at 1.52 grams per tonne from 53 metres.

Results from Dokwe North included 68 metres at 2.03 grams per tonne from 160 metres in DPD142 and 24 metres at 4.71 grams per tonne from 172 metres in DPD141. The latter included two metres at 46.95 grams per tonne.

Other North intersections included 41 metres at 1.51 grams per tonne and seven metres at 9.75 grams per tonne.

The reported intervals are downhole lengths, with true widths yet to be calculated. Significant composites were reported using a 0.5 gram-per-tonne gold threshold.

Metallurgical Work Moves Into Feasibility Stage

Ariana has delivered bulk samples to Yantai, China, for feasibility-level metallurgical testing by Hongkong Xinhai Mining Services.

The drilling was designed to collect material representative of the broader deposits, with half-core allocated to metallurgical work and quarter-core used for assay analysis.

Core recovery across the program averaged 97%.

The latest announcement reports drilling assays rather than metallurgical recovery or processing results. Those outcomes will feed into the wider DFS, with Ariana yet to provide completion dates for individual testwork components.

Exploration Tests Eastern Extensions

Ariana also completed four exploration diamond holes totalling 1,005 metres at Dokwe North, including drilling along the deposit’s eastern flank and northeast continuation.

DPD154 intersected eight metres at 1.45 grams per tonne from 96 metres and 10 metres at 1.02 grams per tonne from 282 metres.

DPD155 returned two metres at 17.31 grams per tonne from 174 metres, while DPD156 and DPD157 recorded no significant gold intersections.

Resource Base Remains Unchanged

Dokwe’s current Mineral Resource stands at 62.47 million tonnes grading 0.80 grams per tonne gold for 1.598 million ounces.

Dokwe North accounts for about 1.50 million ounces, while Dokwe Central contains about 100,600 ounces.

The estimate, which includes Ore Reserves, remains unchanged following the latest drilling.

Ariana plans further drilling around the existing resource and along extensions to both deposits. Sterilisation drilling is also scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.