Skylark Targets 364,600 Oz Gold Resource Growth with Major Drilling Push
Skylark Minerals has kicked off a major 23,000-metre drilling program at its flagship Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, aiming to expand its mineral resource and uncover new gold zones. The campaign marks a rapid progression from acquisition to active exploration.
- Maiden 23,000m drilling campaign underway at Zaranou
- Focus on resource growth at Ehuasso and M’Basso deposits
- Combination of 20,000m reverse circulation and 3,000m diamond drilling
- Existing inferred resource of 364,600 ounces at 1.8 g/t gold
- First assay results expected within one month, ongoing through 2026
Skylark’s Swift Move from Acquisition to Exploration
Skylark Minerals Limited has rapidly transitioned from acquiring the Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire to launching a substantial 23,000-metre drilling campaign. This maiden program is the first since acquisition and signals the start of an active exploration phase designed to unlock the project’s full potential.
Executive Chair Nikolai Zelenski highlighted the company’s strong technical execution and local partnerships that enabled drilling to commence in under two months. The project’s proximity to Abidjan, just three hours by all-weather roads, adds a logistical advantage to this well-positioned asset.
Targeting Resource Growth and New Discoveries
The drilling program is split between 20,000 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling and 3,000 metres of diamond drilling (DD). The RC drilling will rapidly accumulate data from relatively shallow holes, feeding into the DD program that aims to test high-grade structures down to approximately 500 metres depth.
Focus areas include the Ehuasso and M’Basso deposits. Ehuasso hosts an inferred resource of 336,400 ounces at 1.8 grams per tonne gold, with mineralisation open to the southwest and at depth. M’Basso, with a smaller inferred resource of 11,700 ounces at 1.0 g/t, presents an opportunity to upgrade and expand resources by infilling historic air core drilling with RC drilling.
Strong Historical Data and Infrastructure Support
Skylark benefits from extensive historical datasets, including over 85,000 metres of air core drilling and 5,850 soil samples, providing a robust platform for refining targets. The project’s mineralisation has been drilled to an average depth of only 62 metres to date, leaving significant upside potential at depth and along strike.
Notably, historic high-grade intercepts at Ehuasso include 5 metres at 35 grams per tonne gold and 11 metres at 13.3 g/t, while M’Basso has recorded intercepts such as 1 metre at 75.1 g/t gold. These grades underscore the prospectivity of the Zaranou project.
A Six-Month Campaign with Regular Newsflow
The drilling campaign is scheduled to run for approximately six months, with results expected to start flowing in about one month. Skylark plans regular updates throughout the 2026 field season, keeping investors closely informed of progress and discoveries.
With a clear pathway to resource growth and a district-scale portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire, including the Maphai and Vavoua projects, Skylark is positioning itself as a notable player in West Africa’s gold exploration landscape.
Bottom Line?
As Skylark’s drilling unfolds, the market will watch closely for signs of resource expansion and new high-grade zones that could reshape the project’s value.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the drilling confirm continuity of high-grade mineralisation at depth?
- How significantly can the M’Basso resource be upgraded by infill drilling?
- What impact will initial assay results have on Skylark’s development timeline?
