Endeavour achieves first gold pour at Senegal expansion project

Ian Cockerill, CEO, commented, “We are proud to have achieved our first gold pour at the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX Expansion with over 3.5 million man hours worked with no lost time injuries.

We have commissioned the project and delivered first gold in only two years, marking the fourth capital project that we have completed in the last 10 years. All of these have been completed in two years or less, and have been delivered on schedule, on budget, and with no lost time injuries. This is a testament to the quality of our projects team and the competitive advantage we have in West Africa.

At the Sabodala-Massawa BIOX Expansion we expect to achieve nameplate capacity in 3Q24, driving stronger production at lower all-in sustaining costs through the year, sustaining the Sabodala-Massawa complex’s industry leading cost profile.

With the Sabodala-Massawa expansion successfully commissioned, we are now focused on delivering the Lafigué project in the coming weeks, a full quarter ahead of schedule. The successful launch of both the Sabodala-Massawa expansion and the Lafigué project will further improve the quality of the portfolio, adding low-cost production and extending mine life visibility. The completion of the two projects underpins our transition to a more cash flow generative phase, from the second half of the year, when we will focus on enhancing shareholder returns and de-levering our balance sheet, as we continue to execute on our strategy.”

Since the start of wet commissioning on 27 February 2024, approximately 50 000 t of ore have been processed through the BIOX Expansion, with the processing plant operating in line with expectations. The first gold pour from the gravity circuit was completed on 18 April 2024 and yielded approximately 112 oz of gold, the first gold pour from the BIOX circuit was completed on 28 April 2024 and yielded approximately 612 oz. The BIOX Expansion is expected to achieve commercial production in late 2Q24 and ramp up to its stable nameplate capacity of 1.2 million tpy, in 3Q24.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/29042024/endeavour-achieves-first-gold-pour-at-senegal-expansion-project/