Ariana Resources (AIM: AAU, ASX: AA2) has said its immediate focus is to bring the Dokwe Gold Project (Dokwe) in Zimbabwe into production this year.

In a 2025 annual report released on March 30, the firm’s chairman, Michael de Villiers, said exploration and technical work at the “transformational” asset, which is situated west of the southern African nation, continued to deliver positive results during 2025.

Drilling and soil sampling programmes identified new gold anomalies and further enhanced Ariana’s understanding of the project’s mineralised system.

“These results reinforce our view that Dokwe represents part of a potentially world-class gold district with considerable development potential,” he said in the report.

“During the year, the company continued with a range of technical studies aimed at accelerating project development through the feasibility stage and positioning Dokwe as Ariana’s next major producing asset.”

The company’s use of the DetectORETM technology, which provides near-real-time gold analytical data, contributed to the efficiency of its exploration programmes at Dokwe.

The Xinhai Group came on board as a new shareholder and development partner for the project in December last year.

“Xinhai brings extensive engineering, technical and mine development expertise, and we look forward to working closely with their team on the accelerated development of the project,” he said.

“Initially, Xinhai will provide technical services in relation to a metallurgical sampling and testwork programme and the completion of a definitive feasibility study of Dokwe, under the management of Ariana.”

The project has 1.42mn ounces in JORC measured, indicated and inferred resources, with significant scope for growth.

Ariana ended the year with cash and cash equivalents amounting to $7,1mn, a huge increase from $1.2mn it had in 2024. This followed the company’s ASX listing in September and the strategic investment from Xinhai three months later.

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