Awalé Resources Launches 100,000-Meter Drilling Campaign at Odienné Gold Project, Côte d’Ivoire

Awalé Resources (TSX-V: ARIC), a Canadian junior exploration company, has announced the commencement of an ambitious 100,000-meter drilling campaign at its flagship Odienné gold project in Côte d’Ivoire. Beginning in October 2025, this extensive program represents a major milestone in the company’s efforts to delineate a maiden gold resource by 2026 and advance one of West Africa’s most promising new gold developments. Situated in a region that has rapidly become a focal point for international mining investment, Odienné’s expansion aligns with Côte d’Ivoire’s broader national objective to significantly increase gold output and solidify its status as a regional mining leader.

The drilling campaign will focus on three high-priority prospects; BBM, Charger, and Empire, using five rigs continuously over the next 18 months. These zones were identified through previous geophysical and geochemical surveys that revealed strong mineralization potential across multiple structural corridors. Awalé has secured C$15 million (US$10.7 million) in available cash to fund this phase of exploration, ensuring uninterrupted progress toward key development milestones. The company plans to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) by the second quarter of 2026, followed by a pre-feasibility study in 2027, steps that will move the project closer to production readiness and potential mine construction.

Côte d’Ivoire’s government has set an ambitious goal to increase national gold production to 100 tonnes annually by 2030, up from approximately 58 tonnes in 2024. Projects like Odienné are critical to achieving that vision, as the country continues to attract global majors seeking high-quality, low-cost gold assets. In 2023, Newmont Corporation, the world’s largest gold producer, entered into an option agreement allowing it to earn up to a 65% stake in the Odienné project, contingent on a US$15 million exploration spend and the discovery of at least 2 million ounces of gold. This partnership underscores the project’s strong geological potential and international credibility.

The Odienné initiative comes at a time when Côte d’Ivoire’s mining sector is experiencing robust growth, driven by stable political conditions, modernized mining legislation, and improved infrastructure. If Awalé’s ongoing exploration confirms the scale of mineralization hinted at by early results, the project could become a key driver of foreign investment, employment, and regional development in the country’s northwest.

In the wider African context, Awalé’s campaign illustrates the growing role of junior and mid-tier explorers in unlocking new gold frontiers across the continent. The Odienné project, backed by technical rigor and strategic partnerships, positions Côte d’Ivoire as a rising force within West Africa’s competitive gold mining corridor, alongside established producers such as Ghana, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Successful delineation of a commercial deposit could ultimately reinforce the nation’s long-term goal of transforming its mineral wealth into sustained economic growth.

Mini-Glossary

• Drilling Campaign: A systematic program of drilling boreholes to collect subsurface samples and define mineral deposits.
• Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA): An early-stage study evaluating the potential economic feasibility of a mining project.
• Pre-Feasibility Study: A detailed technical and financial assessment that determines whether a project should proceed to full feasibility and development.
• Option Agreement: A contractual right allowing a company to acquire ownership in a project after meeting specific financial or operational conditions.
• Maiden Resource: The first official estimate of the size and grade of a mineral deposit.
• Structural Corridor: A zone of geological faults and fractures often associated with mineralization.