Gold: Côte d’Ivoire gains importance in Resolute Mining’s growth plans

Côte d’Ivoire is becoming increasingly important to the growth strategy of Australian gold producer Resolute Mining as operational difficulties at its Syama mine in Mali force the company to lower its production expectations for 2026.

In an operational update published on Sept. 21, Resolute cut its 2026 production guidance for Syama to between 150,000 and 160,000 ounces, down from its previous forecast of 195,000 to 210,000 ounces. The company also raised its expected all-in sustaining cost for the Malian mine to between $2,300 and $2,400 per ounce.

Resolute said production at Syama has remained below plan because of operating difficulties affecting underground and open-pit mining as well as sulphide processing. Supply-chain disruptions and delays in importing critical mining inputs have also affected fleet availability and explosives supplies.

The revision has reduced Resolute’s overall 2026 production guidance to between 205,000 and 225,000 ounces, compared with the previous forecast of 250,000 to 275,000 ounces.

Against this backdrop, the company’s operations and development projects outside Mali are gaining greater importance. Resolute said production at its Mako mine in Senegal remains on track with its guidance, while construction of the Doropo gold project in Côte d’Ivoire remains on schedule and on budget.

Doropo, located in northeastern Côte d’Ivoire, is currently under construction, with first gold expected in the second half of 2028. Resolute’s updated feasibility study estimates average annual production of about 169,000 ounces over a 13-year mine life, with an average all-in sustaining cost of $1,406 per ounce.

The project is therefore a key part of Resolute’s planned production growth in the coming years. The company has described Côte d’Ivoire as an increasingly important part of its portfolio, with Doropo expected to complement its existing operations in Mali and Senegal.

Resolute is also advancing exploration at its ABC project in Côte d’Ivoire. The company said in its latest update that infill drilling is continuing following an expansion of the project’s inferred mineral resource estimate announced in July. Technical studies, environmental and social work, metallurgical testing and permitting are also progressing.

The growing focus on Côte d’Ivoire comes as Resolute seeks to expand its production base while managing operational challenges at Syama. In a second-quarter presentation, the company said that once Doropo is in production, Côte d’Ivoire could account for around 40% of its gold output, with Mali also contributing around 40% and Senegal about 20%.

Resolute’s broader growth strategy includes Doropo, ABC and other development and exploration assets. The company says the development of Doropo will supplement production from Syama and Mako as it enters a new growth phase.

For Côte d’Ivoire, the development of Doropo represents a major new gold-mining project in the northeast of the country and further strengthens the country’s role in Resolute’s long-term West African portfolio.