Desert Metals Limited has embarked on an ambitious +5,000m diamond drilling program at its King Kong prospect on the Adzope gold project in Côte d’Ivoire. The project is designed to build on earlier high-grade discoveries, including a 17m intercept grading 7.5g/t gold and a 13m intercept at 1.64g/t gold, by drilling along an interpreted +1.4km gold corridor with an additional 400m extension. The company is targeting coincident anomalies identified by recent dipole-dipole geophysics, surface ground magnetics, induced polarization surveys, soil geochemistry, and auger sampling results. In the initial phase, the program will consist of 18 diamond drill holes reaching depths between 80m and 210m to accumulate approximately 2,200m of drilling. The drilling is being conducted using a low-impact, portable Rock-800 diamond drill rig, which enables quick mobilisation between drill sites and offers operational flexibility while reducing the need for extensive road or drill pad construction. This approach also includes triple-tube technology in oxide zones to maximise core recovery and comprehensive downhole surveys for each borehole. The first stage of the drilling campaign is expected to take 4 to 5 weeks, with preliminary assay results anticipated during the September 2025 quarter. A notable aspect of this program is a drill-for-equity agreement with the local drilling contractor, whereby Desert Metals Limited has the option to pay 50% of the drilling costs through the issuance of its own shares. The share price will be determined based on the ten-day volume-weighted average price after monthly invoice submissions. This cost-effective measure is aimed at extending the scope of the +5,000m drilling program, subject to promising assay outcomes. The ongoing drill program is fully funded and builds on previous exploration success at the King Kong prospect. Market sentiment surrounding the news can be viewed from a bullish and bearish perspective. Bullish observers might highlight the technical merits of the drilling campaign, including the integration of multiple geophysical and geochemical surveys and the potential to significantly extend a previously identified gold mineralised corridor. The cost-saving drill-for-equity arrangement and the use of flexible, environmentally sensitive drilling methods add further positive momentum. Conversely, a bearish perspective may stress the inherent risks associated with early-stage exploration. The forward-looking nature of the announcement reminds investors that uncertainties remain regarding whether the encouraging indications from earlier surveys will translate into a commercially viable deposit, and actual results may differ from initial expectations.