West Africa's Birimian Greenstone Belt, which extends from Ghana through Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali into Guinea, is one of the world's most productive gold-bearing geological formations. Ghana leads in production at 130 to 145 tonnes annually but the belt continues into countries with significant production of their own. Burkina Faso produces approximately 60 tonnes annually from mines operated by Endeavour Mining, West African Resources, and several smaller producers. Mali produces 50 to 60 tonnes from mines including Loulo-Gounkoto (AngloGold Ashanti) and Fekola (B2Gold). Security conditions in the Sahel have suspended or restricted operations at several mines since 2022.
Junior Exploration Activity
Despite security risks, junior gold mining companies continue to explore the Sahel belt, attracted by the exceptional grade and size of discoveries made at relatively shallow depth. Guinea's gold sector, partially sheltered from Sahel insecurity, is growing: SMB-Winning's operations and several junior exploration companies are active. Gold sector investors and commodity traders can access West African mining contacts and production data on intra-africa.com.
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