MetalsGrove Mining Identifies New High Priority Gold Targets at Zuénoula Project in Central West Côte d’Ivoire

MetalsGrove Mining discovers the "Fifty-Five Area" gold target at Zuénoula. Explore how portable lab tech is accelerating this West African gold discovery.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 6:17 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The West Australian

Accelerated Exploration Success in Central West Côte d’Ivoire

MetalsGrove Mining is rapidly advancing its gold exploration strategy in central-west Côte d’Ivoire, successfully identifying a second high-priority target at its Zuénoula permit. The new discovery, named the Fifty-Five Area, is located approximately one kilometer north of the previously established Central Area. Early stage soil sampling has revealed a northeasterly structural trend stretching over 2.4 kilometers, characterized by four distinct gold anomalous samples. This development significantly enhances the prospectivity of the project, suggesting that the gold mineralization within the permit may be more extensive than initially anticipated by the company's geological team.

Innovative Portable Lab Technology Speeds Field Decisions

To maintain a fast-paced exploration schedule, MetalsGrove has deployed a PortablePPB field laboratory directly in the Zuénoula township. This facility utilizes a specialized method known as detectORE, which allows for the rapid assaying of soil traces. The process involves leaching small soil samples to extract microscopic gold particles, which are then analyzed using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence machine. By bypassing the traditional delays associated with shipping samples to distant commercial laboratories, the company has gained the ability to refine targets and adjust its infill sampling programs in near real-time, providing a distinct tactical advantage in the field.

Validation Through Fire Assay Geochemistry

While the portable field results have provided the initial guidance, the company has begun validating these findings through traditional fire assay analysis. In the Fifty-Five Area, initial fire assays returned a value of 23 parts per billion of gold, which is considered a significant anomalous figure for near-surface geochemistry in this region. At the neighboring Central Area, validation has been even more robust, with two samples delivering peak results of 49 parts per billion. These technical benchmarks confirm that the geochemical signatures identified by the field lab are grounded in verifiable gold presence, anchoring the company's confidence in its broader drilling strategy.