Endeavour expects first gold from Sabodala-Massawa in May

Mining group Endeavour has announced that wet commissioning activities are now underway at the Sabodala-Massawa Expansion project in Senegal, with first gold expected in early May.

The company said that the expansion, known as BIOX Expansion, is on budget with construction now 91% complete, including more than 3m man-hours and no lost time to injuries. Construction activities at the asset began in April 2022.

The Sabodala-Massawa project, which Endeavour expects will "become a true top-tier asset", is expected to produce between 360,000 and 400,000 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost of $750-850 per ounce. Costs are expected to improve further in the coming years.

“We are extremely pleased with our progress as we start wet commissioning at the BIOX® Expansion project," said Endeavour chief executive Ian Cockerill.

"Importantly, we have achieved this milestone with no lost-time injuries having worked more than three million man hours, which is a testament to the strong safety culture that is a hallmark of our in-house construction teams."