Ariana Resources plc, the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company, has announced the discovery of a significant 500-metre-long gold-in-soil anomaly at its Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe, located just 125 metres northeast of the planned Dokwe North pit boundary.
By Ryan Chigoche
The anomaly, detected using a combination of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and detectORE technology, marks a major step forward in the project’s exploration campaign.
Geochemically, the newly identified anomaly closely mirrors the gold and arsenic signature already known above the Dokwe North deposit, reinforcing confidence in the continuity of mineralisation. Ariana says the area presents a strong target for near-term drilling, with no prior drilling having taken place within the anomaly zone.
“This is a highly significant discovery and will be tested as a priority,” said Managing Director Dr Kerim Sener. “It’s located immediately along strike from Dokwe North and aligns geologically with the known mineralised zones.”
The discovery adds further momentum to a string of positive updates from Ariana this year. In March, the company reported a 9% increase in its In-Pit Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), now totalling 19.7 million tonnes at 1.54 g/t gold (977,000 ounces) in the Measured and Indicated category at a 0.6 g/t cut-off.
Across all categories, the resource stands at 1.42 million ounces of gold at a 0.3 g/t cut-off, making Dokwe Zimbabwe’s largest undeveloped gold project.
The updated geological model, particularly at Dokwe North, has significantly improved the delineation of higher-grade zones, offering more flexibility in mine design and scheduling.
In April, as reported by Mining Zimbabwe, Ariana presented an independent valuation of the Dokwe North deposit to shareholders, placing the asset’s worth at US$160 million based on a gold price assumption of US$2,000/oz. Notably, this figure excludes the 0.5% net smelter return royalty payable to Yataghan Investments.
The valuation highlights growing confidence in Dokwe’s economics. Ariana’s current mine plan targets a 2 Mtpa processing facility and a 10-year mine life with projected annual production of up to 100,000 ounces of gold. The valuation, however, assumes a more conservative output of 60,000 ounces per year.
The Dokwe Project lies within the Tsholotsho District, 110 km northwest of Bulawayo, in the western Bulawayo-Bubi Greenstone Belt. The resource is primarily hosted in Archaean volcanic rocks, with gold mineralisation occurring where sub-vertical shear zones intersect southeast-dipping lithological contacts—most notably within dacite, tuff, and porphyry units, often showing visible coarse gold.
As of July, Ariana has collected and analysed over 6,100 soil samples as part of a regional pXRF programme across the 42 km² project area.
The gold-in-soil anomaly northeast of Dokwe North was first flagged by an arsenic anomaly (4–8 ppm) through cover, leading to a follow-up detectORE analysis, which confirmed elevated gold levels. The new zone, trending northeast for approximately 500 metres, has now become a central target for Ariana’s upcoming drilling campaign.
“This discovery aligns with everything we’ve learned about the geological setting and mineralisation controls at Dokwe,” said Sener. “It also showcases the power of detectORE to identify buried mineralisation across broader regional terrains.”
Looking ahead, Ariana intends to apply detectORE and pXRF technologies across other underexplored zones in the Bulawayo-Bubi Greenstone Belt, testing whether Dokwe forms part of a larger camp-scale system. A new drilling programme set to begin in June 2025 will focus on metallurgical, geotechnical, and step-out exploration drilling to further define the resource and advance project development.
With growing resource confidence, a compelling valuation, and continued exploration success, Ariana Resources is firmly positioning Dokwe as a cornerstone asset in Zimbabwe’s evolving gold sector.
