MetalsGrove Mining Ltd (MGA) has initiated a 10,000-metre auger drilling program at its Zuenoula permit in Côte d'Ivoire. The current operations are designed to evaluate gold anomalies identified through recent systematic soil geochemistry, providing the first direct assessment of bedrock potential across six priority drill targets.

The campaign focuses on the Fifty-Five and Central prospects, where infill soil sampling has refined the exploration geometry. At the Fifty-Five prospect, technical teams extended the strike length of the primary drill target to approximately 3.3 kilometres. This area also yielded a peak soil assay of 1.324 g/t gold, which the company indicates reinforces the prospectivity of the gold system. The drilling is set to reach an average depth of five metres, targeting the upper saprolite horizon to better understand the distribution of gold within the weathering profile.

Beyond the ongoing auger drilling, the company continues its infill soil sampling at 200m by 50m spacing. This work is currently active at the South East prospect, while results for an additional 343 soil samples from the northeastern extension of the Fifty-Five prospect remain pending. The integration of this geochemical data is intended to refine the prioritization of targets for future testing.

This methodical exploration phase serves as a foundation for more intensive subsurface evaluation. The data gathered from the current auger program and the pending soil assays will be used to calibrate the next phase of development. Specifically, the company plans to move forward with Aircore, Reverse Circulation, and Diamond Drilling campaigns starting in late 2026. These subsequent programs will be essential for testing the depth and continuity of the gold mineralization identified during the current surface and shallow auger exploration efforts across the three principal prospects.

Read the full announcement: Auger Drilling Commenced at Zuenoula