PDI Gold (ASX:PDI) to Secure 9.9% Shareholding in Skylark Minerals as Part of Strategic Investment Initiative

Aditi Sarkar

02 November 2026 08:52 PM AEDT

PDI Gold (ASX:PDI) to Secure 9.9% Shareholding in Skylark Minerals as Part of Strategic Investment Initiative

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Highlights

PDI Gold (ASX:PDI) has announced its intention to secure a 9.9% shareholding in Skylark Minerals (ASX:SKM), establishing a meaningful strategic Investment position in the West African gold exploration company.
Skylark Minerals holds the Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire, which has an Inferred Mineral Resource of over 1.2 million ounces of gold following recent resource growth, with mineralisation extending across a strike length of approximately 2 kilometres at the M'Basso Prospect.
PDI Gold is one of West Africa's leading gold producers, with its core Bankan Gold Project in Guinea advancing toward a final investment decision, and a merged platform with Robex Resources creating a portfolio targeting over 400,000 ounces per annum of production.
The investment reflects PDI Gold's strategy of building strategic positions in early-stage West African gold assets, consistent with the company's broader approach to growing its exposure across the region's prospective gold belt.

PDI Gold Limited (ASX:PDI) has announced its intention to secure a 9.9% shareholding in Skylark Minerals Limited (ASX:SKM), establishing a strategic investment position in the West African gold exploration company. The move reflects PDI Gold's interest in Skylark's Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire, which has seen its Mineral Resource Estimate grow substantially following active drilling programs.

Skylark Minerals and the Zaranou Gold Project

Skylark Minerals has been advancing a series of drilling campaigns at the M'Basso Prospect within the Zaranou Gold Project in Côte d'Ivoire since acquiring the asset in late 2025. The results have been encouraging, with the company confirming a continuous mineralised strike approaching and subsequently exceeding two kilometres in length, with wide intersections of gold mineralisation identified across multiple drilling phases.

The Zaranou Gold Project's Mineral Resource Estimate has grown substantially as a result of these drilling programs. Following a resource upgrade announced in October 2026, the Inferred Mineral Resource grew by approximately 228% to over 1.2 million ounces of gold, reflecting the effectiveness of the systematic drilling approach adopted by the company's exploration team. Metallurgical testwork has also returned favourable results, with average gold extraction rates of approximately 95%, supporting the potential for a relatively straightforward processing pathway.

PDI Gold's West African Strategy and Investment Rationale

PDI Gold's strategic interest in Skylark Minerals comes from a position of significant financial capacity and West African gold expertise. The company, formerly known as Predictive Discovery, has been advancing its Bankan Gold Project in Guinea through the final stages of a definitive feasibility study, targeting a final investment decision. The Merger with Robex Resources has created a combined platform with exposure to the Kiniero Project in Guinea, targeting aggregate production of over 400,000 ounces per annum by 2029.

The 9.9% shareholding threshold is notable in a regulatory context. Under Australian securities law, acquiring a position at or below this level avoids the mandatory bid threshold that would otherwise require a bidder to offer to acquire all remaining shares. A 9.9% position is often used as a strategic stake that provides exposure to the target's performance and a degree of influence without triggering full Takeover obligations, and may serve as a base from which to increase involvement over time.

Strategic Implications for Both Companies

The West African gold belt extends across Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, Mali, and several other countries, hosting numerous significant gold deposits. Côte d'Ivoire in particular has emerged as a productive exploration jurisdiction, with its regulatory environment and geological prospectivity attracting a growing number of exploration companies. Skylark's Zaranou Project is located in an area of demonstrated gold mineralisation, consistent with the broader geological setting of the West African Birimian greenstone belts, which are the primary host for gold deposits across the region.

For PDI Gold, the Skylark investment extends its exposure across the West African gold landscape. The strategic rationale aligns with PDI's positioning as a company focused on building a meaningful West African gold portfolio, complementing its existing Bankan and Kiniero Assets with a strategic footprint in Côte d'Ivoire through Skylark's Zaranou Project.

Key Takeaways

PDI Gold's decision to secure a 9.9% shareholding in Skylark Minerals reflects its confidence in the Zaranou Gold Project's exploration potential and its commitment to broadening its West African gold exposure. Skylark's recently upgraded 1.2-million-ounce resource and active drilling programs provide a foundation for continued growth, while the company's position in Côte d'Ivoire's prospective gold belt adds geographic and geological diversity to PDI Gold's broader West African investment thesis.

FAQs

Q: What is PDI Gold Limited?

A: PDI Gold Limited (ASX:PDI), formerly known as Predictive Discovery Limited, is an Australian-listed gold company with its primary asset being the Bankan Gold Project in Guinea, West Africa. The company merged with Robex Resources in late 2025/early 2026, creating a combined platform targeting multi-asset gold production across West Africa.

Q: What is Skylark Minerals' Zaranou Gold Project?

A: The Zaranou Gold Project is Skylark Minerals' (ASX:SKM) flagship asset in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. The project has seen significant resource growth from drilling, with the Mineral Resource growing to over 1.2 million ounces following a 228% expansion. Drilling at the M'Basso Prospect confirmed a continuous mineralised strike of approximately 2 kilometres.

Q: Why is Côte d'Ivoire considered an attractive gold jurisdiction?

A: Côte d'Ivoire is one of West Africa's leading gold-producing countries, with a well-established regulatory framework for mining and a history of significant gold discoveries. The country hosts numerous active gold mines and is considered a Tier 1 jurisdiction within the West African gold belt, which extends across several of the world's most prolific gold districts.

Q: What does a 9.9% shareholding signify strategically?

A: A 9.9% shareholding is typically the largest stake a company can acquire without triggering mandatory takeover bid requirements under Australian securities law. Acquiring a position at this threshold reflects a strategic interest in the target company and may indicate potential for further involvement, commercial collaboration, or a staged investment approach over time.

Q: What is the Robex Resources merger and its significance for PDI Gold?

A: PDI Gold (ASX:PDI) merged with Robex Resources, a Canadian-listed gold company with the Kiniero Gold Project in Guinea, in a transaction announced in late 2025. The combined company targets over 400,000 ounces per annum of gold production by 2029, with a portfolio of Mineral Resources of approximately 9.5 million ounces, positioning it as one of West Africa's leading gold producers.

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