Mali

The West African state of Mali has followed its neighbor Ghana in becoming a significant producer of gold. According to GFMS, Mali is today the third largest producer in Africa (producing more than Zimbabwe since 2000) and thirteenth in the world. Gold production in the country has increased almost seven-fold in a mere five years, thanks to the development of several new mines. GFMS estimates that Mali produced 44.6 tonnes (1.43 million oz) in 2001.

Historically Mali has been a source of alluvial gold for centuries, supplying the Mediterranean world by caravans across the Sahara. More recently, its capital, Bamako, has been a centre for collecting alluvial gold from West Africa for dispatch to Europe. A small mine at Kalana was operated by the Russians in the late 1980s, but the first major new mine was opened by BHP at Syama in 1990, with production building up to around 6 tonnes (0.2 m oz) per year by the mid-1990s. Randgold Resources bought the mine in 1996 with the aim to increase production, but the sustained low gold price resulted in the mine being placed on care and maintenance in September 2000. Stockpiled ore was being processed until June 2001, but production at Syama has now ceased. Gold is currently generated at a new generation of gold mines.

First among these is the Sadiola mine. AngloGold, in partnership with Canada’s IAMGOLD, started up Sadiola in 1997. Production at the mine peaked in 2000 before dropping back slightly to 16.7 tonnes (0.54 million oz) in 2001. Another joint venture between AngloGold and Randgold Resources brought the Morila project on stream in October 2000. Morila is now the country’s largest gold mine, with production of 19.6 tonnes (0.63 million oz) in 2001. A third new mine, the heap-leach operation at Yatela, poured first gold in May 2001, and produced 4.4 tonnes (0.14 million oz) in its first year. Production at Yatela is expected to grow to around 7 tonnes (0.23 million oz) per year at full capacity.