** Shares of Olympio Metals rise 61.8% to A$0.055, heading for their best session since early April 2023

** Stock hits highest level since July 5

** Aussie metal explorer signs option agreement to buy 80% interest in Dufay copper-gold project in Canada for C$75,000 ($53,479.75) from private vendors

** Adds co will issue 1 mln shares to vendors upon signing agreement

** Says acquisition represents a low cost addition to co's portfolio

** More than 80,000 shares change hands, 2.1 times the 30-day avg of about 38,900 shares

** OLY down 47.6% YTD, including current session's moves

($1 = 1.4024 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Nikita Maria Jino in Bengaluru)

((Nikita.Jino@thomsonreuters.com))