Skylark Minerals Confirms 2km Continuous Gold Strike With MRE Upgrade Imminent
Key Takeaways
- Final assay results from 85 RC holes (15,888m) confirm continuous gold mineralisation across the full 2km of strike at M'Basso, closing the gap between Phase 1 and Phase 2 drilling areas.
- Standout intercepts include 14m at 3.26 g/t Au (with 1m at 44.04 g/t Au) and a broad 65m at 0.63 g/t Au, demonstrating both high-grade shoots and bulk-tonnage potential within the same system.
- Depth continuity has been extended beyond 200m vertical, with ZARC0211 stopping in mineralisation — meaning the system remains open at depth.
- An updated Mineral Resource Estimate is being finalised for imminent release, representing the most tangible near-term re-rating catalyst for Skylark shareholders.
- The current Zaranou MRE of 364,600 oz at 1.8 g/t Au was built before the 2026 programme added 85 holes — the update incorporates greater strike length, deeper continuity, and tighter infill spacing that could upgrade Inferred ounces to Indicated.
Continuous gold mineralisation confirmed across 2km of strike at M’Basso
Skylark Minerals (ASX: SKM) has received final assay results from the last 23 Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes at the M’Basso Prospect, completing the 2026 drilling programme. The headline result: continuous gold mineralisation confirmed across the full 2km of strike, closing the gap between the Phase 1 and Phase 2 drilling areas.
Mineralisation has also been extended beyond 200m vertical depth, and the system remains open along strike and at depth. In total, 85 RC holes for 15,888m were completed and assayed at M’Basso during 2026. With all assay results now received, an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is being finalised for imminent release.
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What the final drill results revealed
The final 23 holes delivered a combination of high-grade narrow intervals and broad mineralised widths. Key intercepts include:
- 14m at 3.26 g/t Au from 78m (ZARC0213A), incl. 5m at 9.00 g/t Au and 1m at 44.04 g/t Au
- 65m at 0.63 g/t Au from 41m (ZARC0184A), incl. 6m at 2.52 g/t Au and 1m at 8.31 g/t Au
- 10m at 2.40 g/t Au from 140m (ZARC0211), incl. 5m at 4.40 g/t Au and 1m at 18.00 g/t Au — ZARC0211 stopped in mineralisation
- 10m at 1.55 g/t Au from 217m (ZARC0212), incl. 5m at 2.58 g/t Au and 2m at 4.10 g/t Au
- 20m at 0.62 g/t Au from 178m (ZARC0200A), incl. 7m at 1.19 g/t Au
- 10m at 1.21 g/t Au from 170m (ZARC0214), incl. 4m at 2.84 g/t Au and 1m at 6.21 g/t Au
- 10m at 1.16 g/t Au from 97m (ZARC0215), incl. 5m at 2.01 g/t Au and 1m at 7.12 g/t Au
The contrast between ZARC0213A’s bonanza-grade 44.04 g/t Au hit and ZARC0184A’s 65m broad intercept is significant. A system that produces both high-grade narrow shoots and wide lower-grade envelopes carries implications for both MRE classification and future project economics — it suggests the potential for both selective high-grade mining scenarios and bulk tonnage approaches.
Infill drilling closes the Phase 1–Phase 2 gap
ZARC0215 was the key infill hole, returning 10m at 1.16 g/t Au from 97m across the boundary between the two phases and confirming geological continuity along the full 2km of strike. ZARC0212 separately confirmed depth continuity at approximately 217m, representing roughly 100m of vertical depth extension below prior intercepts.
Nikolai Zelenski, Executive Chair, Skylark Minerals
“These final results are an excellent conclusion to the 2026 drilling programme at M’Basso. The previous gap between Phase 1 and Phase 2 has now been closed with drilling extending known mineralisation to at least 2km of strike, while deeper drilling has extended the system beyond 200m of vertical depth. Importantly, it remains open along strike and at depth.”
Understanding mineral resource estimates — and why the MRE update matters
A Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is a formal, JORC-compliant calculation of how much gold may be in the ground, at what concentration, and with what level of geological confidence. The JORC Code classifies resources into three categories by confidence: Inferred (lowest confidence), Indicated, and Measured (highest confidence).
Skylark’s current Zaranou MRE, announced on 12 November 2025, stands at 364,600 oz at 1.8 g/t Au (Inferred). That figure was built on the dataset available at that time, before the 2026 programme added 85 holes for 15,888m of additional drilling.
When a company expands its drilling dataset, three things drive an MRE upgrade: greater strike length coverage, deeper depth continuity, and tighter infill spacing that allows resource classifiers to upgrade Inferred ounces into Indicated. The 2026 programme has delivered all three at M’Basso. The company has noted that the increased strike and depth continuity and additional mineralised volumes defined by Phase 2 provide strong potential for a material increase and upgrade to the M’Basso portion of the Zaranou MRE. For investors, the imminent MRE update represents the most tangible near-term re-rating event on the calendar.
What comes next for Skylark and Zaranou
The M’Basso MRE update is the primary near-term catalyst. The announcement states it is being finalised for release shortly, with no specific date provided. RC drilling is continuing at Ehuasso, with further results expected later in the December 2026 quarter.
For 2027, Skylark is refining a dual-focus drill campaign: additional RC drilling targeting resource extension along the ~8km M’Basso–Coffee Bean–Ehuasso corridor, and diamond drilling to advance understanding of structural controls at depth. The stated ambition is to test whether continuity can be established between M’Basso, Coffee Bean, and Ehuasso across that full corridor. Regional exploration at Ebilassokro and Yakasse is also planned for 2027 to build out the 2028 drill target pipeline.
The indicative programme schedule is outlined below. Note the timetable is subject to change as disclosed by the company.
| Activity | Q2 2026 | Q3 2026 | Q4 2026 | Q1 2027 | Q2 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RC Drilling Commences at M’Basso | ✓ | ||||
| Ongoing RC Drilling at M’Basso and Ehuasso | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| RC Drilling Completes at M’Basso | ✓ | ||||
| RC Drilling Completes at Ehuasso | ✓ | ||||
| Regular Reporting of Drill Results | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Mineral Resource Estimate Update | ✓ | ||||
| Zaranou Central CY2027 Drill Planning | ✓ | ||||
| Zaranou Central — Drilling Ongoing | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Regional Exploration (Ebilassokro and Yakasse) | ✓ | ✓ |
Nikolai Zelenski, Executive Chair, Skylark Minerals
“The opportunity here is huge, Zaranou Central alone already hosts multiple known deposit areas. M’Basso, Coffee Bean and Ehuasso provide three defined areas of gold mineralisation across a much larger corridor, and our next phase of drilling will begin testing the potential to extend these systems and establish continuity between them.”
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The broader Zaranou investment case
The scale of what remains untested at Zaranou is the context that matters when assessing the current MRE. The project covers 287km² on a single granted exploration licence with approximately 47km of prospective strike. Mineralisation is currently defined over just 8km of that total, highlighting the extent of exploration upside remaining.
Five pillars underpin the investment case at this stage:
- Scale: Approximately 47km of prospective strike on a single granted licence, with just 8km currently defined.
- Shallow depths: Average drill depth of just 62m across the broader tenement, supporting capital-efficient follow-up drilling.
- Metallurgy: Initial bottle roll test work returned an average gold recovery of 95%, a positive indicator for future project economics.
- Infrastructure: The project is located three hours by road from Abidjan, a favourable setting for potential future development.
- Portfolio depth: Vavoua (537km²) and Maphai (398km²) projects (both currently under licence application) provide additional district-scale exploration pipeline beyond Zaranou.
The combination of a defined resource base with confirmed 2km continuous strike, depth extensions still open, and the vast majority of the tenement untested positions the upcoming MRE update as a meaningful step in a longer-term resource-building story.
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