By Loucoumane Coulibaly
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – London-listed Endeavour Mining said on Saturday it had a goal of producing about 200,000 ounces of gold per year from 2025 from its second gold mine in Ivory Coast.
Lafigue Mine, inaugurated on Saturday, is located about 500 kilometres (km) northeast of the commercial capital Abidjan, in the Dabakala region. It began gold production in early August and is expected to produce between 90,000 and 100,000 ounces by the end of the year, the company said.
In a statement, Endeavour said it had invested 250 billion CFA francs ($415 million) in the project, which it expects to have a minimum mine life expectancy of 13 years.
It said the mine could contribute more than 380 billion CFA francs in taxes and revenue to the West African nation.
“With Lafigue, we are shaping the future of Endeavour in Cote d’Ivoire,” Endeavour CEO Ian Cockerill said at the inauguration ceremony.
“Our partnership with Cote d’Ivoire, which already features two operating mines, Lafigue and Ity, is a growing one.”
He cited the Tanda-Iguela site, discovered in 2022, where exploration is ongoing, and which he said could become another “flagship asset” for Endeavour.
Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producer, is seeking to develop its long-neglected mining sector to diversify its income streams.
Mines Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly in June told Reuters that the country’s gold output could reach at least 100 metric tons per year within the next five years.
Other mining companies operating in Ivory Coast include Barrick Gold , Perseus Mining and Roxgold.
(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Portia Crowe and David Evans)
