Tietto Minerals Ltd (ASX:TIE) has passed a transformational milestone with the first gold pour at the 3.45-million-ounce Abujar Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire which has seen the project become West Africa’s newest gold mine.
The company has poured gold weighing 12.89 kilograms (414 troy ounces) in its first smelt at Abujar.
This project was constructed on budget and schedule with first gold achieved within 12 months after breaking ground for the commencement of construction.
Importantly, gold production is unhedged and free of debt with the project forecast in the definitive feasibility study (DFS) to produce 260,000 ounces in its first year of production.
Tietto’s chief operating officer Matt Wilcox and the construction team celebrate the first gold pour at Abujar.
“Transformational milestone”
Tietto managing director Dr Caigen Wang said: “We are so excited and proud to have reached this transformational milestone at Abujar to become West Africa’s newest gold producer.
“I thank our build team at Tietto, led by chief operating officer Matt Wilcox, and all our contractors, suppliers and stakeholders who have contributed to make this achievement possible."
Abujar first gold pour.
“We gave ourselves a tight timeframe to achieve our gold production goal and it’s incredibly pleasing to see it come to fruition," he said.
“With our first gold poured, we now look to ramping up to commercial production this quarter as we continue our drilling program and progress a feasibility study on the 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 Cote d’Ivoire.”
Ongoing drilling
In conjunction with ramping up production, the company is committed to continue exploration efforts during 2023 in order to further build its resource inventory and increase the gold production profile.
Tietto aims to complete up to 120,000 metres of diamond drilling in 2023 utilising its fleet of eight rigs in operation at Abujar.
As such, the company is on track to deliver a resource update later this quarter.
Tietto teams celebrating first gold pour at Abujar.
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