- Against an increase in Wahgnion’s production
- Increased operating costs in Houndé, Mana and Boungou
- Lower costs for Wahgnion
Endeavour Mining operates 4 industrial mines in Burkina Faso including Houndé, Boungou, Mana and Wahgnion. On 4 May 2023, the company presented the operational and financial results for the first trimester of 2023 for all its mines.
In the first trimester of 2023, Endeavour Mining’s overall production is 301,000 ounces of gold, sold at an average price of 1.886 USD per ounce.
Highlights of the Burkina Faso mine results indicate that Houndé produced 45,000 ounces compared to 63,000 ounces in the last trimester of 2022. Mana produced 44,000 ounces compared to 46,000 ounces in the last trimester of 2022. Boungou produced 19,000 ounces compared to 26,000 ounces in the last trimester of 2022. In contrast, Wahgnion produced 39,000 ounces compared to 36,000 ounces in the last trimester of 2022.
From the presentation, it appears that in Burkina Faso, the low production from Houndé and Boungou is explained by the focus on stripping activity to open up higher grade mining areas for later in the year. Mana had slightly lower production due to the focus on underground development to increase access to underground production workings later in the year. This underperformance was partially offset by increased production from Wahgnion, in line with the mining sequence.
Increased operating costs for Houndé, Mana and Boungou versus a decrease for Wahgnion
In terms of operating costs, they have increased at Boungou and Houndé due to the mining of low-grade areas at higher strip ratios, as the mining plan focuses on stripping activities.
At Mana, the higher costs were the result of sequencing the lower grade ore from the underground development to prioritise the advancement of the third decline in the Wona underground. These cost increases were partially offset by lower costs at Wahgnion due to lower processing costs resulting from the benefit of softer oxide ore accounting for a greater proportion of the mill feed.
Elie KABORE
#Mines_Actu_Burkina
