JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – LSE-listed Nord Gold has poured first gold ahead of schedule at its Bissa gold mine, in Burkina Faso.
The $250-million project, which was completed over a period of 15 months and within budget, was on track to produce up to 100 000 oz/y of gold during this year as it ramped up to an eventual production rate of 200 000 oz/y of gold.
“Bissa has the potential to be a major gold-producing asset and it forms a key part of Nord Gold’s growth strategy alongside the company’s other leading development project – Gross, in Russia,” said Nord Gold chairperson Philip Baum.
The openpit mine, with Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant reserves of an estimated 1.8-million ounces at 1.83 g/t of gold and measured, indicated and inferred resources of 4.9-million ounces at 1.1 g/t, was set to be mined at a rate of four-million tons of ore a year.
Bissa is the company’s second operating asset in Burkina Faso, after the Taparko mine, and its third asset in Africa, bringing the total number of Nord Gold’s operating mines to nine.