BAMAKO, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Mali's Fekola gold mine, which is
believed to have the largest deposits of its kind in West
Africa, is set to open in early 2017, the president of the
Chamber of Mines, Abdoulaye Pona, said on Wednesday.
Mali is the third-largest gold producer in Africa behind
South Africa and Ghana. It expects to produce 48.9 tonnes in
2015, up from 45.8 tonnes last year, the Ministry of Mines said.
Fekola contains reserves of an estimated 215 tonnes of gold
and would produce 10 to 15 tonnes a year, said Pona who visited
during a week-long tour of Mali's mines.
"The mine will create 1300 jobs, 850 of which will be
permanent," Pona told Reuters.
Fekola was discovered by Papillon Resources. The company was
bought by Vancouver-based company B2Gold BTO.TO in 2014. The
Malian government has a 20 percent stake in the project, which
was initially expected to open next year.