Desert Metals (ASX:DM1) has commenced ground surveys and sampling at its key Adzope Gold Project in southeastern Côte d'Ivoire.
The on-ground exploration activities aim to identify high-quality drill targets for an upcoming drilling campaign scheduled for October.
Ground geophysics, channel sampling of artisanal pits, and soil sampling programs are now underway.
The company reported it is undertaking a two-phase soil sampling program, planning to collect up to 2,793 samples to identify in-situ gold anomalies.
The focused area includes Adzope's extensive artisanal gold operations in the permit's northeastern corner.
Desert Metals Managing Director Stephen Ross stated, "We are excited to commence exploration on the ground at Adzope and believe a combination of our ground geophysics and sampling programs will allow us to define targets for our planned drill program next month."
Stephen Ross emphasised the significance of artisanal mining data guiding their initial survey and sampling strategies.
In addition to soil sampling, Desert Metals will also carry out a gradient array induced polarisation and ground magnetic survey across a 5.5km2 area—spanning a total of 55.5-line km—to map out lithologies and structures.
The geophysical surveys are projected to be completed within two weeks and will highlight priority drill targets.
The exploration program marks a significant step in advancing the Adzope Gold Project, with drilling planned to start in October, based on data derived from the preliminary surveys.
At the time of reporting, Desert Metals' share price was $0.025.