Mali forecasts gold production to drop 3 pct in 2019
Mali’s industrial gold production is expected to drop around 3% to 59 tonnes in 2019, down from 60.8 tonnes last year, a mines ministry official said on Friday.
Thiecouta Diabate, director of the ministry’s evaluation cell, said gold output was predicted to decrease after two mining companies announced lower production this year.
Diabate told Reuters B2Gold’s Fekola said it expected to produce around 13 tonnes of gold, down from 14.8 tonnes in 2018.
He said AngloGold Ashanti’s joint venture Sadiola mine expects its gold output to drop by 50% to 2.6 tonnes this year, down from 4.9 in 2018.
Mali’s gold production rose 23% to 60.8 tonnes last year, mainly due to the start of production at B2Gold’s Fekola and Hummingbird Resources’ Komana mines.
Diabate said Komana’s output was expected to rise this year._Reuters