The company's drilling highlights included 12m at 5.87g/t gold from 10m, including 2m at 33.8g/t; 8m at 1.29g/t from 7m, including 2m at 3.17g/t; and 1m at 3.13g/t from 32m at the end of the hole.

"We are pleased to be advancing our extensive gold portfolio in Côte d'Ivoire on multiple fronts, with drilling, regional geophysical and regional geochemical surveys ongoing concurrently," said IronRidge chief operating officer Len Kolff.

The company has completed an airborne magnetics geophysical survey over the Zaranou gold license in the south-east of the country and is now using drones to survey the terrain to help it hone in on drill targets.

Separately, IronRidge has started a 3,000-hole auger geochemical drilling programme over geophysical anomalies in the Vavoua gold portfolio, which it acquired in June, in the central-west of the country, along strike from the 1.73 million oz Abujar resource.

The company has started a regional geochemical soil sampling programme over the Kineta west license area in the north-east of the country; along the same structure that hosts Centamin's Konkera resource and Azumah Resources' Wa-Lawra resource.

London-listed IronRidge Resources (LSE: IRR) shares were trading at 15.1p on Wednesday. The company's shares usually trade between 25p and 12p. Its market capitalisation is £47.3 million.