Montage Gold reports first gold pour at Koné mine

Montage Gold said it has achieved first gold pour at its Koné mine in Côte d’Ivoire on budget and ahead of the initial schedule, with the milestone reached on Sept. 26, 2026 and output of about 1,140 ounces of gold.

The company said construction began in December 2024, and that more than 400,000 tonnes of ore have been processed since ore was first introduced into the oxide circuit on Sept. 8, 2026.

Montage said the oxide circuit is expected to reach commercial production in Q4-2026, while construction of the hard-rock comminution circuit remains on budget and on track for completion in Q2-2027.

In comments quoted by the company, chief executive Martino De Ciccio said first production at Koné was achieved “safely, on budget, and ahead of schedule,” and said the mine is now the ninth operating gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire.

Montage said construction of the mine has created approximately 3,600 jobs, with over 95% of them nationals, and that the operation is expected to create approximately 1,500 permanent roles once ramped up.

The company also said mining of the higher-grade Gbongogo Main deposit is expected to start in late 2026, while mining at other recently discovered higher-grade satellite deposits is expected to begin over the course of 2027.

Montage said an exploration programme of over 130,000 meters of drilling is underway for 2026, and that once complete it will total over 380,000 meters of drilling since the 2024 Feasibility Study was published.

The company said it expects to publish an updated life-of-mine plan for Koné along with year-end reserves and resources, incorporating new data for Koné, Gbongogo Main and other higher-grade satellite deposits.