Desert Gold Ventures Inc. announced the initiation of the second phase of it 2024 drill program. A total of 3,750 meters of exploration drilling is planned on its SMSZ Project in Mali, West Africa. The company plans to drill test for extensions of the gold mineralization at Mogoyafara South, Barani East and Soa Zones.

Mineral resources have been estimated at Mogoyafara South and Barani East. Target: Mogoyafara South. Target Highlights: Extend known 12.39 million tonnes gold resource containing 412,800 ounces.

Specific targets include: 50 m in from of 1.14 g/t Au /12 m, 100 m east of 1.18 g/t Au /46 m and 125 m east of 2.04 g/t Au /41 m, 50 m east of 1.62 g/t Au /15 m, 125 m east of 0.92 g/t Au/34 m, -50 m below 2.92 g/t Au/7 m. Barani East: Extend oxide gold resources to south. Frikidi: Test 8,650, 462 and 440 ppb Au-in-auger anomalies. Soa area: Follow-up on 2.04 g/t Au over 30 meres.

Keniegoulou: Test 1,527 ppb gold-in-auger, proximal to a km-long tourmaline alteration zone and area of structural rotation. Core sampling is in progress. Samples of ¼ cut core will be sent to SGS in Bamako for gold analysis to determine the limits of the gold zones at Barani East, Gourbassi West and Gourbassi West North.

Once the gold zones have been defined, the remaining ¾ cut core will be sent to Maelgwyn South Africa to model the heap leach gold recoveries by zone. This information will form a key part of the ongoing Preliminary Economic Assessment study of the oxide gold resources at Barani East and Gourbassi West. Oxide and transition mineral resources at Barani East and Barani Gap comprise measured and indicated mineral resources of 53,700 ozs Au grading 2.09 g/t Au and inferred mineral resources of 40,700 ounces grading 1.33 g/t Au.

At Barani East, in 2014, 2-tonne metallurgical sample of oxide mineralization, ground to 80% passing 70 micron grading 2.74 g/t Au, was first subjected to a 21.6% mass pull spiral concentrate and then an intense leach combined with normal leaching of the tails over 24 hours, recovered 78.7% of the gold. The Barani East oxide and transition resources lie above the Barani East deposit which contains fresh rock measured and indicated mineral resource totaling 37,500 ounces grading 1.78 g/t Au and an additional inferred mineral resource of 33,700 ozs grading 1.66 g/t Au. Bottle roll leach tests of the fresh rock Barani East gold mineralization, ground to 85% passing 75 microns and leaching over 72 hours suggest gold recoveries ranging from 83% to 98.7%.

This data suggest that fresh rock gold mineralization may also be heap leachable. Oxide and transition mineral resources at Gourbassi West comprises measured and indicated mineral resources of 77,200 ozs Au grading 0.93 g/t Au and inferred mineral resources of 14,600 ounces grading 0.91 g/t Au. Three samples of oxide gold mineralization, grading 0.33, 0.67 and 1.05 g/t Au, were ground to 80% passing 100 microns and subject to a 48-hour bottle roll cyanide leach.

Gold recoveries of 92.4%, 94.3% and 94.2%, respectively, were attained with most of the gold recovered in 24 hours. The 1.6 km long Gourbassi West North Deposit lies 500 metres north of the Gourbassi West Deposit. The upper 25-30 metres of this deposit is oxidized and is expected, as per other oxide gold zones on the property and region, to have gold recoveries in excess of 90%.

A mineral resource estimate of this zone will be carried out and, if deemed material, this zone will be considered as potential feed for a heap leach component of the PEA. Four core holes were completed at the Mogoyafara South and Frikidi Zones. Assays for these holes are pending.