Aim-listed Ariana Resources has reported a significant 500-m-long gold-in-soil anomaly, identified 125 m along strike of the planned Dokwe North pit rim at its Dokwe gold project, in Zimbabwe, using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) coupled with the use of detectORE technology.

The company says the anomaly is geochemically significant, with a near coincident and partially overlapping gold and arsenic signature almost identical to that seen above the Dokwe North mineralisation, further demonstrating the potential of Dokwe to host a multimillion-ounce exploration and development opportunity.

MD Dr Kerim Sener describes this as a highly significant gold-in-soil anomaly, supported by other geochemical and geological information, which must be tested through drilling as a priority.

He says there is potential in this area to identify an extension to the Dokwe North mineralised zone, immediately along strike to the northeast and only 125 m from the planned pit rim.

The Dokwe gold project hosts the million-ounce Dokwe gold deposits.

An ongoing regional soil sampling programme continues to expand to cover the entire project area – 42 km2 – with multi-element pXRF geochemical analyses.

Thus far, 6 139 samples have been collected and analysed. This work has led to the discovery of a new gold-in-soil anomaly to the northeast of Dokwe North contributing to some important modifications to the planned mine site layout for the feasibility study that is under way.

The company notes that the pXRF soil sampling programme to the northeast of Dokwe North has identified an arsenic anomaly – 4 ppm to 8 ppm through cover – prompting a follow-up with detectORE gold analysis, which highlighted a gold-in-soil anomaly in detectORE units.

Ariana says the anomaly trends north-eastwards for about 500 m and shares a similar trend to the mineralisation identified at Dokwe North.

The company explains that there is no drilling within the immediate target area, making this a highly significant exploration target that offers an opportunity to discover an extension to the Dokwe North deposit.

The target will be drilled at the earliest opportunity.

"Today's news reveals an exciting new development for Dokwe, which could greatly improve our development plans for the project,” says Sener.

Over the past few months, Sener says the team has successfully expanded the detection capabilities of the detectORE technology by implementing the latest innovations to locate buried gold mineralisation.

“The discovery of this anomaly aligns with everything we have learnt about the Dokwe mineralisation style and its geological context, as well as the dispersal patterns of trace elements in the soil profile above the orebody

"Importantly, this breakthrough also demonstrates how detectORE can be applied regionally.”

He notes that the company is now preparing to deploy these technologies across the broader Bulawayo-Bubi Greenstone Belt – particularly in concealed, underexplored areas – with the aim of determining whether Dokwe forms part of a larger, camp-scale cluster of deposits.

Similar systems are evident in exposed sections of the belt.

"We have been very successful in adopting and implementing detectORE technology and are leaders in applying the technique in this particular manner.

“This has dramatically reduced our target generation time and allowed us to identify a potential new zone of mineralisation in under six months. I would like to thank the Dokwe team for their outstanding work."