Montage Gold Corp, a Toronto Stock Exchange-listed company, has successfully completed its first gold pour at the Koné mine in Côte d'Ivoire, marking a significant milestone in the company's strategy to establish itself as a premier multi-asset African gold producer. According to MiningWeekly.com, the achievement was reached on budget and ahead of the planned timeline. Construction activities at the Koné site commenced in December 2024, with the initial gold pour taking place on September 26, 2026.
The first production run yielded approximately 1,140 ounces of gold. Since ore was first fed into the oxide circuit on September 8, the operation has processed more than 400,000 tonnes of ore. Montage Gold attributed the accelerated gold production timeline to the addition and early completion of the oxide circuit.
The oxide circuit is anticipated to reach commercial production during the fourth quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, construction of the hard-rock comminution circuit continues to progress within budget and remains on schedule for completion in the second quarter of 2027. Montage CEO Martino De Ciccio emphasized the importance of the Koné milestone, noting that the mine is now the ninth operating gold mining facility in Côte d'Ivoire.
The project has generated substantial employment benefits, with approximately 3,600 direct jobs created to date, over 95 percent of which are held by nationals, alongside additional indirect employment opportunities. The company's expansion strategy extends beyond Koné. De Ciccio indicated that Montage intends to continue advancing its development pipeline, with the Didievi project in Côte d'Ivoire identified as the next development asset to be brought online.
Montage President and Chief Development Officer Peder Olsen highlighted operational efficiencies that contributed to the accelerated timeline. He noted that the company's ability to self-perform construction activities substantially lowered capital cost requirements and optimized the construction timeline. Olsen reported that the ramp-up of the oxide circuit is progressing favorably, with ore from the Koné deposit being directly fed into the mill.
The mining operation is expanding its production base through satellite deposits. Olsen indicated that mining activities at the higher-grade Gbongogo Main satellite deposit are expected to commence late in the fourth quarter of 2026, while other recently discovered higher-grade satellite deposits are slated for development throughout 2027. Source: MiningWeekly.com, as reported by IndexBox.
Source: indexbox.io