Modern Mining June 2019

REGIONAL FOCUS: WEST AFRICA

Wahgnion in its final phase of construction

The gold boom in Burkina Faso that has seen around 13 new commercial- scale gold mines being commissioned since 2007 is continuing, with at least two substantial newmines due to come on stream in the near term. One of these is Wahgnion, a US$240 million development by TSX-listed Teranga Gold Corporation (Teranga), which is expected to produce an average of 132 000 oz/a of gold in its first five years of operation. According to Teranga, Wahgnion is on track for commissioning in the third quarter of this year.

T he surge of gold activity in Burki- na Faso has catapulted the country into the ranks of Africa’s top gold producers, behind Ghana, South Africa, Mali and (possibly) Sudan but ahead of Tanzania and Zimbabwe. This is a remarkable achievement given that the country scarcely rated as a gold producer 15 years ago, when its main export commodity was cotton.

It is thought that the country produced 55 tonnes of gold in 2018, a tenfold increase from 5,5 tonnes in 2008 and this looks set to in-

A recent view of the Teranga plant under construction. The process plant design is based on a nominal capacity of 2,7 Mt/a of oxide ore and 2,0 Mt/a of primary ore.

crease in 2019 as new mines enter production. Wahgnion will be the second producing gold mine of Toronto-based Teranga. The company

26  MODERN MINING  June 2019