Brazil
Rare Earth Projects
Côte d’Ivoire Gold Projects
A Significant Gold Exploration Portfolio in West Africa
Eminence Minerals Limited (ASX: EMA) has secured exclusivity under three option agreements providing a staged pathway to acquire interests of up to 85% across five gold exploration projects in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
The proposed portfolio covers approximately 1,508 km² across several established and actively explored gold districts, providing exposure to prospective Birimian geological terranes and regions hosting significant gold mining operations and exploration projects.
The portfolio combines substantial granted exploration tenure with additional permit applications, creating opportunities for systematic exploration and target generation across multiple gold districts.
Portfolio Highlights
- 1,508 km² — total proposed portfolio area
- 871 km² — approximately, of granted exploration tenure
- 5 gold projects — spanning northern, central-western and western Côte d’Ivoire
- Up to 85% interest — proposed staged acquisition pathway
Figure 1: Location of the EMA projects in relation to regional operating gold mines and significant projects. All granted PR areas are from current public cadastre-derived records. Application areas/status remain subject to final government documentation.
Five Gold Projects Across Established Mining Districts
Tarato Gold Project
Korhogo District | Northern Côte d’Ivoire
The Tarato Gold Project comprises granted exploration permits PR1016 and PR1026, covering approximately 154 km² within the Birimian granite-greenstone terrain of northern Côte d’Ivoire.
Initial field reconnaissance in October 2026 identified artisanal shafts, trenches and other workings within PR1016. These areas provide priority targets for follow-up geological mapping and systematic sampling.
The project is located approximately 50 km southwest to south-southwest of the producing Tongon gold mine.
Kounouman Gold Project
Boundiali District | Northern Côte d’Ivoire
Kounouman comprises two exploration permit applications, PR1014 and PR1017, covering approximately 160 km² in the broader Boundiali gold district.
Regional geological information indicates a setting of metasedimentary sequences, subordinate metavolcanic rocks and felsic intrusions affected by regional structures. Artisanal workings were observed during initial field reconnaissance within the PR1014 application area.
The project provides exposure to an established gold exploration district, approximately 7 km from Aurum Resources’ BST1 deposit.
Figure 2: Tarato and Kounouman Geological Map and regional gold exploration activity. Intercepts source: Aurum Resources ASX Announcement, 25 September 2026; Montage Gold TSXV Press Release, 27 March 2023; Barrick Gold Corporation Q2 2021 MD&A, 9 August 2021.
Banandje Gold Project
Mankono–Kani District | Central-Western Côte d’Ivoire
The Banandje Gold Project covers approximately 451 km², comprising granted permit PR1047 and an additional exploration permit application.
The project is located approximately 10 km northwest of Montage Gold’s Koné Gold Project, within a district attracting significant gold exploration and development investment.
The substantial granted tenure provides scope for systematic geological interpretation, target generation and follow-up exploration.
Sarhala Gold Project
Dianra–Mankono District | Central-Western Côte d’Ivoire
Sarhala comprises granted exploration permit PR1041, covering approximately 319 km² in the Dianra–Mankono district.
The project occupies a geological setting mapped predominantly as plutonic and anatectic rocks, with additional intrusive and related geological units in the surrounding region.
Initial exploration priorities include geological reconnaissance, review of available historical datasets and systematic geochemical sampling to assess the area’s gold exploration potential.
Figure 3: Banandje and Sarhala Regional Geological Map and regional major gold deposits.
Tonkpi Gold Project
Danané–Ity District | Western Côte d’Ivoire
The Tonkpi Gold Project comprises two exploration permit applications covering approximately 424 km² near the Guinea and Liberia borders.
The broader district includes the Birimian Ity–Toulepleu belt, which hosts both skarn-hosted and structurally controlled gold mineralisation. The project applications are located approximately 18 km from Endeavour Mining’s Ity gold mine.
Tonkpi provides exposure to a well-established gold mining district, with future exploration activities subject to permit grant, completion of the proposed acquisition and confirmation of access.
Figure 4: Tonkpi Project Geological Map and regional major gold deposits.
Regional Geological Setting
Côte d’Ivoire lies within the West African Craton and hosts extensive Paleoproterozoic Birimian volcanic, volcanosedimentary and sedimentary sequences intruded by granitoid complexes.
These granite-greenstone terranes host numerous gold deposits, with mineralisation commonly associated with regional shear zones, subsidiary structures, lithological contacts and hydrothermal alteration.
Eminence’s proposed portfolio spans several geological and structural settings, providing opportunities to investigate multiple gold exploration concepts across established mineralised districts.
Exploration Strategy
A program at the Central Block confirmed rare earth mineralisation developed within the Subject to completion of the proposed acquisitions and confirmation of access, Eminence intends to progressively evaluate the granted exploration areas through a systematic exploration program.
Initial activities are expected to include:
- Compilation and validation of available historical geological, geochemical and geophysical data.
- Geological and structural interpretation to identify prospective corridors and target areas.
- Field reconnaissance and geological mapping.
- Systematic geochemical sampling and follow-up investigation of reported artisanal workings.
- Target generation, ranking and prioritisation to guide subsequent exploration expenditure.
The staged approach is intended to focus exploration expenditure on areas supported by the strongest geological and technical evidence.
Building a West African Gold Exploration Portfolio
The proposed Côte d’Ivoire portfolio represents an opportunity for Eminence to establish a substantial exploration position across several established gold districts, supported by granted tenure and a staged acquisition structure.
Eminence intends to advance its understanding of the portfolio through systematic technical evaluation and field exploration, subject to completion of the proposed acquisitions and applicable approvals.
Figure 5: Evidence of artisanal mining activity in the southern portion of exploration permit PR1016. (Photos clockwise from top left. Permit number, geolocation (WGS 84/UTM Zone 29N, EPSG:32629; metres), date captured, captured by, description: 1. PR1016, 824188 E/1054298 N, 8 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal mining shaft; 2. PR1016, 824188 E/1054298 N, 8 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal trenches; 3. PR1016, 824188 E/1054298 N, 8 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal mining shaft; 4. PR1016, 824188 E/1054298 N, 8 October 2026, Field Geologist, Material excavated from artisanal workings; 5. PR1016, 824188 E/1054298 N, 8 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal mining shaft; 6. PR1016, 817656 E/1058648 N, 7 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal mining activity).
Figure 6: Evidence of artisanal mining activity in the southern portion of exploration permit application PR1014 (Photos clockwise from top left. Permit number, geolocation (WGS 84/UTM Zone 29N, EPSG:32629; metres), date captured, captured by, description: 1. PR1014, 808084E/1045338N, 5 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal shelter and stockpiled material; 2. PR1014, 808082E/1045194N, 5 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal workings; 3. PR1014, 808082E/1045194N, 5 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal pits and dumps; 4. PR1014, 808082E/1045194N, 5 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal wash pits; 5. PR1014, 808084E/1045338N, 5 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal shaft; 6. PR1014, 805283E/1057692N, 7 October 2026, Field Geologist, Artisanal trenching).