Australian company Skylark Minerals has taken a significant step by acquiring 1,200 km² of exploration ground in Côte d’Ivoire, including a controlling stake in the high-grade Zaranou deposit.
Skylark’s expansion, disclosed in a note from the Ivorian Ministry of Mineral Resources, positions the relatively young Australian miner among the sector’s new contenders as the country pushes aggressively to diversify its cocoa-dependent economy.
The portfolio includes three significant projects. The most advanced, the Zaranou deposit in the southeast, already hosts 364,000 ounces of certified gold based on initial exploration.
Skylark has secured a 51% interest, with an option to acquire full ownership. The license covers 287 km² and is situated in a region attracting growing investor interest.
A strategic bet on Côte d’Ivoire’s gold boom
Skylark has also acquired 100% of the 398 km² Maphai project, while the Vavoua project – comprising two contiguous permits totaling 537 km² – comes with an option for the firm to increase its stake to 100%.
The entire deal, valued at approximately AU$6 million ($4 million), highlights how smaller explorers are utilizing strategic acquisitions to gain rapid exposure to Côte d’Ivoire’s underdeveloped yet highly prospective mining belt.
“Skylark came with a different strategy by acquiring stakes in already licensed projects. It is a brilliant move that allows the Australian firm to avoid huge costs of exploration and installation,” said Karim Koné, a project inspector at SODEMI, the Ivorian state mining development agency.
“They now boast enough reserve to grow and even to acquire more projects because Côte d’Ivoire’s mining sector is just kicking into gear.”
Côte d’Ivoire issued six new gold exploration permits in September to companies from Canada, Australia, and Oman, strengthening its ambition to become a regional gold heavyweight alongside Ghana and Burkina Faso.
The government aims to raise mining’s contribution to GDP – currently about 5% – as part of a long-term diversification strategy away from cocoa, which accounts for roughly 20% of national output.
Koné said the momentum is real but warned progress will take time. “The sector suffered neglect for many decades, and it’s only just opening up. However, there is huge potential,” he said.
“We might never reach the level of Ghana in terms of gold production, but data show that the Ivorian sub-soil is very rich and will continue to attract investors.”
Gold production has climbed steadily in Côte d’Ivoire: 48 tonnes in 2022, 50 tonnes in 2023, and 59 tonnes in 2024. Output is forecast to reach 65 tonnes in 2025 – but Koné believes that may be conservative.
“We could get past 65 tonnes, because several projects have entered into production since that projection was made,” he said. “In the next few years, I think 100 tonnes should be in sight.”
With more than 120 active exploration permits and around 10 industrial mines under development, Côte d’Ivoire’s mining future is accelerating – and Skylark Minerals now appears firmly in the mix as one of the newest players shaping that trajectory.
