Announcement • Jun 09
Cora Gold Limited Provides Update On Sanankoro Resource Growth Drill Programme
Cora Gold Limited provided an update on its growth strategy at the Company’s flagship Sanankoro Gold Project in southern Mali, as the Project advances towards construction and first gold production. Following the successful financing activities in First Half 2026, which ensure Sanankoro is fully funded to production, Cora is now focused on unlocking the broader long-term potential of the Project through an extensive resource growth and exploration programme. This programme is designed to expand the current JORC compliant mineral resource estimate of 1,044 koz at 1.04 g/t Au, extend Reserve mine life beyond the current 10.2 years outlined in the 2025 definitive feasibility study and support future production growth. The 2026 drill programme will target both extensions to existing deposits and a number of highly prospective near-mine greenfield targets, offering the potential for rapid conversion into future mine plan feed. More than 12,000 metres of reverse circulation and diamond drilling is planned across four existing deposits and high priority greenfield targets. The drill metre allocation is 40% at Zone B (current JORC compliant MRE of 9 Mt at 0.85 g/t Au for 250 koz), 30% at Selin (12 Mt at 1.11 g/t Au for 430 koz), 25% at Zone A and C (7.8 Mt at 1.11 g/t Au for 275 koz), and 5% to greenfield targets. Updated MRE is planned following completion of the programme and receipt of assay results, while exploration will continue across the wider Sanankoro permit package hosting five major gold-bearing structures. Zone B is expected to be a major focus due to extensive strike length (>2 km, excluding the 1.7 km Zone B North trend), broad mineralised widths, extensive artisanal mining activity, limited deeper drilling and potential to improve continuity. Zone B comprises three deposits: Zone B South, Central and North, extending over 3.7 km of strike along the Sanankoro Structure within the hanging wall of the Sanankoro Main Shear Zone. No drilling is planned at Zone B North (2.6 Mt at 0.93 g/t Au for 78 koz), with focus on South and Central to expand and improve continuity. Drilling at Zone B aims to improve resource continuity at depth, reduce irregularities along lower MRE boundaries, extend shallow Inferred resources down dip beyond current pit shells, test additional mineralisation along strike where open, and assess continuity within transitional and fresh rock domains. The mineralised zone is approximately 80 m wide and remains open down dip, with oxide-hosted mineralisation located between reserve pits supporting growth potential. Selin is the largest resource at Sanankoro with 430 koz and remains a key focus. Mineralisation extends below the base of current MRE pit shells based on USD 2,400/oz gold price. Drilling will focus on the southern portion where historical drilling is shallow and spaced, limiting continuity interpretation, and also target a separate western mineralised zone outside reserve pits but within the broader pit shell. Drilling aims to improve continuity at depth, extend shallow Inferred resources down dip, test southern extent mineralisation, and define strike and depth of the western zone. Historical hole SC1032 intersected 18 m at 2.29 g/t Au and ended in mineralisation at 146 m, indicating the system remains open. Zone A, the southernmost deposit along the Sanankoro structural corridor (over 5 km strike from Zone A through Zone B to Dakounkoura), hosts 210 koz (6 Mt at 1.1 g/t Au). Drilling will improve continuity and confidence, particularly in the southern area where mineralisation is open and drilling density is limited. The programme focuses on extending higher-grade mineralisation down dip, improving geological modelling and continuity at the southern end of the ore reserve pit, and testing additional mineralisation at both northern and southern extents. The MRE pit shell extends to the base of drilling in several areas, indicating further growth potential at depth. Zone C is located in the footwall of the Sanankoro Main Shear Zone within the Bokoro structure and hosts an entirely Inferred MRE of 65 koz (1.8 Mt at 1.1 g/t Au) with no current ore reserves due to drill spacing. Drilling will focus on the central portion with infill drilling at approximately 50 m spacing to improve geological confidence, strengthen continuity and support classification upgrades. It will also test for additional mineralisation along strike and extend higher-grade zones down dip. The deposit shows higher-grade mineralisation and limited deeper drilling; both the USD 2,200/oz and USD 2,400/oz pit shells extend to the base of current drilling, indicating the MRE is constrained by lack of deeper drilling rather than economics. Greenfield drilling will test undrilled targets near existing and planned infrastructure, where success could enable rapid incorporation into mine plans. The programme is considered the first phase of a broader long-term resource growth strategy, with potential to materially extend mine life and increase production capacity beyond the levels in the 2025 definitive feasibility study.
