First Gold Pour Completed at Montage Gold's Koné Mine in Côte d'Ivoire

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 26, the Koné gold mine of Montage Gold in the Woroba region of Côte d'Ivoire completed its first gold pour, producing approximately 1,140 ounces of gold, equivalent to about 42 kilograms, from the oxide ore processing system. This milestone was significantly ahead of the company's initial target of first gold in the second quarter of 2027, and also earlier than the subsequently adjusted plan of the end of the fourth quarter of 2026. The company stated that project construction remains within budget.

Construction of the Koné gold mine began in December 2024. The oxide ore processing circuit was commissioned ahead of schedule on September 8, and by the time of the first gold pour, more than 400,000 tonnes of ore had been processed. Montage Gold plans to complete ramp-up of the oxide circuit and enter commercial production by the end of 2026, while the hard rock crushing and grinding system remains on schedule for completion in the second quarter of 2027.

The project's 2024 updated feasibility study shows that the Koné mine has a designed life of approximately 16 years, based on the Koné and Gbongogo Main deposits, with a target of more than 300,000 ounces of gold per year for the first eight years. Montage Gold holds a 90% interest in the project, with the remaining interest held by the government of Côte d'Ivoire.

The construction phase has created approximately 3,600 jobs, of which more than 95% are held by domestic employees; once the mine enters stable operation, approximately 1,500 long-term positions are expected to be retained. The project is also currently advancing a 130,000-meter drilling program for 2026, with cumulative drilling expected to reach 380,000 meters since the release of the 2024 updated feasibility study, aimed at further expanding high-grade satellite orebody resources around Koné.

From a project stage perspective, this "first gold pour" has advanced Koné from the construction and commissioning stage to the initial gold production stage. The next substantive milestone is the oxide ore processing system reaching commercial production conditions by the end of the year; the hard rock processing system corresponds to the second phase of production capacity release, with timing locked in for the second quarter of 2027.