Zoukougbeu is a department located in the center-west of Ivory Coast which contains geological formations with gold mineralization highlighted by Tietto Minerals mining company during its mapping and drilling campaigns. The general objective of this study is to determine the petrographic characteristics of these formations and the associated gold mineralization. Thus, data acquisition consisted of collecting rock samples in the field from mapping and core drilling, followed by the macroscopic identification of these samples and then the making of thin sections for their microscopic characterization. Petrographic analysis reveals that these geological formations globally oriented NNE-SSW (Eburnean direction) consist of gneiss associated with plutonic intrusives (granodiorites, diorites, granites) deformed and mineralized in syngenetic gold bearing disseminated sulfides. These formations are crossed by faults and of quartz-albite-calcite veins (containing epigenetic gold bearing sulfides) trending NW-SE and E-W. All these rocks are crossed by unmineralized pegmatite veins trending E-W. The mineralization is mainly formed of pyrite and secondarily chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and native gold. Zoukougbeu rocks are affected by regional metamorphism of greenschist facies accompanied by hydrothermal alteration (pervasive and fissural) which have contributed to the concentration of mineralization like other Birimian gold occurrences in Ivory Coast and Africa. These geological formations are topped by a thick regolith profile due to supergene weathering.

Artisanal gold mining is gaining momentum in western Côte d'Ivoire. However, little information is available on the mineralized horizons and primary source of gold. The objective of our study is thus to investigate the artisanal mining sites of Doumbiadougou near Duékoué in order to characterize the gold horizons then the primary source of gold and to propose exploration guides. We carried out fieldwork in Doumbiadougou followed by lithostratigraphic correlations and interpretations at the University of Man. In Doumbiadougou, we observed saprolite derived from a felsic intrusive affected by sheared quartz veins of orientation ranging from N035 to N060°. On the lithostratigraphic level, two quarries served as a basis for study. Thus, in the quarry on eluvial, three horizons are observed from the bottom to the top: fine saprolite, ferruginous shell and ferruginous cuirass. The geological substratum is dominated by quartzites and micaschists. Then, the quarry on alluvium presents four horizons from the bottom to the top: clay, gravelly, clay-sandy, and sandy. Gold mineralization is primarily related to eluvial wells whose elements percolate and enrich alluvium in the surrounding shallows. This resulted in concentrating the gold in the gravelly horizon. The abundance of quartz in the gravelly mineralized horizon and in the veins as well as the substratum made of quartzite and micaschist gives an epigenic origin to the gold of Doumbiadougou. These veins and felsic intrusive that hosts them appear as guides to be sought for the mineral exploration project.