West African gold producer Tietto Minerals (ASX:TIE) reports it has poured first gold at the 3.5 million-ounce Abujar Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire weighing 12.89kg (414 troy ounces).
The company says the first gold pour has been achieved within 12 months after breaking ground for the start of construction at the project.
Commenting on the first pour, Tietto Minerals Managing Director Dr Caigen Wang says: “We are so excited and proud to have reached this transformational milestone at Abujar to become West Africa’s news gold producer.
I thank our building team at Tietto, led by Chief Operating Officer (COO) Matt Wilcox, and all our contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders who have contributed to make this achievement possible.
“We gave ourselves a tight timeframe to achieve our gold production goal and it’s incredibly pleasing to see it come to fruition”
We gave ourselves a tight timeframe to achieve our gold production goal and it’s incredibly pleasing to see it come to fruition. With our first gold pour, we look now to ramping up to commercial production this quarter as we continue our drilling program and progress feasibility study on APG Heap Leach project in tandem to grow our Abujar project even further to realise its full potential and create value for our company, our shareholders, and for the people of Côte d’Ivoire.
The Abujar Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) has forecasted 260,000 ounces of gold in its first year of production. Tietto reports it is positioned to continue building its resource inventory at Abujar while ramping up gold production in 2023.
The company says it aims to complete up to 120,000 of diamond drilling in 2023 with its fleet of 8 rigs in operation at Abujar.
Tietto also notes it is on-track to deliver a resource update in Q1 2023.
Tietto is well placed to grow its resource inventory. It has substantially advanced the project since starting exploration in mid‐2015 with the identification of 3.45 million ounces Measured, Indicated, and Inferred JORC 2012 Mineral Resources and has completed metallurgical test work and a DFS.
The Abujar Gold Project is located about 30km from the major regional city of Daloa in central western Côte d’Ivoire and comprises 3 contiguous exploration tenements including the Middle, North and South tenements.
These tenements cover a total land area of 1,114km-square, and features a north-northeast orientated gold corridor striking across the tenements. Tietto says less than 10% of the total land area held has been explored.
Tietto Minerals is an ASX-listed gold producer focused on its multi-million ounce Abujar Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire. Other assets held by Tietto include The Censtos, Dube South, and Boungouanou granted licences. The company also holds a 50% interest in the B and F Gold Project.
Images: Tietto Minerals Ltd
