Ariana Resources PLC says that feasibility work at its Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe has stepped up, with a three-rig diamond drilling programme now underway and an updated pre-feasibility study expected this quarter.
The AIM- and ASX-listed explorer said it had completed a Metallurgical Sampling and Testwork agreement with Hongkong Xinhai Mining Services, covering 2,370 metres of metallurgical drilling and first-phase metallurgical testwork.
The work package is worth A$1 million and will be paid in Ariana CDIs by the end of May 2026. It forms part of Xinhai’s A$11 million investment into Ariana, announced in December.
Ariana said drill core from the programme will be sent to Xinhai’s metallurgical laboratory in Yantai, China, while Perth-based Independent Metallurgical Operations, owned by SGS, will oversee the programme and carry out some external testing to ensure JORC 2012 compliance.
A separate geotechnical programme at Dokwe Central is also underway, with five holes planned for 1,250 metres. Water balance, tailings and waste management studies are progressing, while Ariana’s BoxScan core scanner has arrived on site from Türkiye to support analysis of current and historic drill core.
Dokwe has a current JORC resource of 1.12 million ounces grading 1.52 grams per tonne gold at a 0.6g/t cut-off. Ariana said a review of the resource is planned for the second half of 2026 and will underpin the Definitive Feasibility Study, which is currently expected in the first quarter of 2027.
