The new US$448 million Lafigué gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire is on the verge of pouring its first gold, about three months ahead of schedule.

With construction 94% project complete, wet commissioning at the open-cast mine has already started, according to Proactive Investors.

London-headquartered Endeavour Mining reports it is targeting an average annual production of 203 000 ounces at an all-in cost of US$871 per ounce.

‘We expedited the necessary technical studies before launching construction in Q4-2022, and we have now started wet commissioning at the project in only 21 months from construction launch,’ says Endeavour chief executive Ian Cockerill. ‘We continue to track ahead of schedule for first gold in late June.’

The expected life of mine is almost 13 years, with the mine employing 1 500 people during production.

4 June 2024
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