Ariana starts drilling at Dokwe gold project in Zimbabwe
UK mining company Ariana Resources Plc has begun drilling operations at the Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe to extend known deposits and confirm mineral estimates at the site containing more than one million ounces of reserves. With current prices near $3,966 per ounce, the underground holdings carry an estimated value approaching $4 billion.
The reverse circulation drilling program will target zones at Dokwe North and Dokwe Central following completion of soil sampling across 44 square kilometers that identified promising areas for exploration. Managing director Kerim Sener said the company analyzed 10,086 soil specimens using portable equipment on a grid pattern and expects initial results before year’s end. The method brings rock samples to the surface rapidly for assessment, with diamond drilling planned later for engineering purposes.
Ariana previously disclosed that capital requirements would exceed an initial $82 million estimate after production projections rose to 100,000 ounces annually. The property sits in the Tsholotsho District, approximately 110 kilometers west and northwest of Bulawayo. Metallurgical testing will use material from the reverse circulation program to advance feasibility planning for the deposit.
