Advertisement
Mali's industrial gold production beats forecasts
26/01/2017
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Nearly all of Mali's industrial gold mines produced more than forecast last year, defying expectations of an overall decline, a senior mining official said on Thursday.
Mali, Africa's third largest producer after South Africa and Ghana, saw industrial production reach 46.9 tonnes of gold in 2016, up slightly from 46.5 tonnes produced in 2015.
"Due to reinforced production infrastructure, nearly all the mining companies surpassed (targets), aside perhaps from those that are in a phase of exhausting their reserves," Lassana Guindo, a technical advisor at the mines ministry told Reuters.
International mining companies operating in Mali include Randgold Resources, Anglogold Ashanti, Iamgold, Endeavour Mining and Resolute Mining.
Mali's mines minister has previously forecast total annual output, including artisanal production, of 60 tonnes by the end of 2017 helped by output from two new mines, up from 50.9 in 2016. [nL5N1F23MA]
Canadian miner B2Gold's Fekola mine is expected to produce about 10 tonnes per year and Hummingbird Resources' Yanfolila mine about 3 tonnes, according to the ministry.
The industry contributes around a quarter of the government's total revenues.
The following are 2016 production forecasts and actual production, according to mines ministry data. All figures are in kilograms.
Mine 2016 Forecast Production
Sadiola (Anglogold-Ashanti) 5,212 5,867
Morila (Randgold/Anglogold) 2,791 2,342
Yatela (Anglogold/Iamgold) 310 463
Kalana (Avnel Gold) 239 394
Loulo-Gounkoto (Randgold) 21,801 23,801
Tabakoto/Segala (Endeavour) 5,506 5,656
Syama (Resolute Mining) 7,451 7,984
Accord SA not available 35
Total 43,310 46,544
(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Add new comment