A few months after putting a major oil and gas deposit into production, Ivory Coast announced the discovery of a gold deposit in the northwest of the country. This deposit is expected to come into production from 2027. According to the Montage Gold mining group, it is the 3rd largest gold mine in West Africa.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan, Bineta Diagne
The “Koné project” is located in the departments of Kani and Dianra, in the northwest. The resources of this gold deposit are estimated at 155.5 tonnes of gold. It is an ore which has a content of 0.72g of gold per tonne. The annual production capacity is estimated at 11 million tonnes for an operating life of 20 years.
This is a “ major deposit », Estimates an expert in the mining sector. This specialist places this discovery in a broader sub-regional geological context: there are already two significant gold deposits in Burkina Faso and one in Guinea. “ This discovery in Ivory Coast will make the country attractive and attract other companies », continues this expert.
For now, the site must first be secure. A factory must be installed. According to the Montage Gold group, nearly 4,500 direct and indirect jobs should be created. Production from this gold deposit is expected to start in 2027.