Skylark Minerals Ltd (ASX: SKM) has strengthened its technical leadership as it prepares to kick off field operations at its flagship Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, with drilling targeted to commence in the March quarter of CY2026.
The company has appointed experienced resource geologist Arnand van Heerden as vice president of exploration, a move that comes as drill planning reaches an advanced stage and Skylark confirms it is fully funded for the year ahead.
Van Heerden will take responsibility for leading Skylark’s on-ground exploration strategy and execution at Zaranou during the upcoming 2026 field season, working closely with long-standing technical adviser and geologist Howard Golden.
He brings more than 25 years’ experience across mineral resource management, exploration and mine planning, having held senior executive and technical roles with major gold producers including Nordgold, Barrick and BG Gold.
Most recently, van Heerden served as director of geology and group mineral resource director at Nordgold, where he oversaw a portfolio comprising 16Moz of ore reserves and 40Moz of mineral resources across multiple jurisdictions, including West Africa. His previous roles also include head of mineral resource management for Latin America and Asia Pacific at Barrick.
Executive chair Nikolai Zelenski said the appointment of van Heerden significantly strengthened Skylark’s technical credentials at a critical point in the company’s growth.
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Arnand to the Skylark team as our inaugural vice president of exploration,” Zelenski said, noting his extensive global field exploration experience and long history of working in West Africa.
“Together with Howard, he has been responsible for the discovery of several multi-million-ounce deposits that have been developed into successful mines. With drilling due to commence at Zaranou very soon, I am confident that we now have a team in place that will maximise the opportunity in the ground as we look to add to our current resources and identify further targets.”
Proven discovery track record
van Heerden and Golden have been involved in a number of multi-million-ounce gold discoveries that have gone on to become producing assets, including the Agbaou, Niou and Tokko projects.
Golden, a highly regarded geophysicist with more than 40 years’ experience in mineral exploration, has previously held senior roles at BHP, Kinross and Rio Tinto, and has contributed to globally significant discoveries such as Oyu Tolgoi and Syama. He continues to advise multiple mining companies on exploration targeting and geophysical interpretation.
Flagship Zaranou project
Zaranou is Skylark’s cornerstone asset and currently hosts an inferred mineral resource estimate of 364,600oz at 1.8g/t gold. The project covers 287km² on a single granted exploration licence and is located about three hours by road from Côte d’Ivoire’s capital, Abidjan.
The licence area encompasses approximately 47 kilometres of prospective strike, with gold mineralisation defined over about 8 kilometres to date. Historical drilling has been relatively shallow, with average depths of around 62 metres, supporting the potential for cost-effective follow-up drilling.
A substantial historical dataset underpins the upcoming program, including around 5,850 soil samples and approximately 85,000 metres of predominantly air-core drilling, providing a robust platform for target refinement and extension testing. Multiple shallow mineralised zones and priority targets, including Ehuasso and M’Basso, have been identified and will be central to the initial drilling campaign.
Broader Côte d’Ivoire portfolio
Beyond Zaranou, Skylark holds a growing exploration footprint in Côte d’Ivoire, with four exploration licences granted and one application pending. This includes the Maphai Project, a 398km² licence application located along strike from Zaranou, and the Vavoua Project, where the company has an option to acquire up to 100% across two contiguous licences covering 537km² near the operating Abujar gold mine.
With funding secured, drill planning well advanced and a strengthened technical team in place, Skylark is positioning itself for a busy and potentially transformational year as exploration activities get underway in early 2026.