- 01DES cleared to resume Timbakouna drilling in Guinea.
- 02485 holes, 10,000m across 6km artisanal zones.
- 03Geophysics over Timbakouna and six targets; 6,262 line-km.
Perth-based DeSoto Resources (ASX: DES) has been given the green light to restart drilling and field work at its Timbakouna gold project on the eastern margin of Guinea’s Siguiri Basin in Guinea.
The approval follows positive engagement with the government of Guinea against a backdrop of security clampdowns and operational bans targeting illegal and semi-artisanal mining.
Drilling will comprise 485 holes for 10,000 metres across six kilometres of semi-continuous artisanal workings along well-defined structural trends where historical intercepts of up to 18m at 11.8 grams per tonne gold were recorded.
Work is expected to ramp up in the coming weeks with two power auger rigs returning to site and line cutting activities to recommence without the assistance of heavy machinery.
Approval to Resume
Managing director Chris Swallow said the company was keen to get back on the ground at Timbakouna after pausing all field programs during the government blitz.
“During this period, we were in continuous engagement with state and national authorities to reiterate our full support as the government cracked down on the illegal use of heavy machinery for illegal mining operations,” he said.
“We have since received approval for our activities to resume, while also seeing encouraging progress on our permit applications and the broader tenure position.”
“This provides us with greater confidence to advance our exploration programs as we pursue new gold discoveries in Guinea.”
The company is one of the largest landowners in the Siguiri Basin, holding the fifth-largest land package by area.
Geophysical Survey
DeSoto also plans to conduct a geophysical survey across Timbakouna and the Dadjan, Tolè, Nèrèkoro Sud, Koba, Kassa Est and Mini projects, which sit within its 1,234-square-kilometre gold portfolio in the mineral-rich Siguiri Basin and Gaoual Gold Belt.
Expected to be completed within three weeks, the survey will comprise 6,262-line kilometres flown at 100m spacings to produce magnetic and radiometric datasets and digital terrain models for generative drill targeting.
It will assist in identifying key structures, lithological contacts, and potential alteration zones.
DeSoto started on-ground exploration at Timbakouna shortly after acquiring the Guinea portfolio in February 2025.
The first systematic campaign included a soil and dump sampling program that collected 820 samples to define coherent gold anomalism and generate first-pass drill targets in areas with minimal previous drill testing.
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