TSX-listed Montage Gold Corp has achieved its first gold pour at the flagship Koné mine in Côte d’Ivoire, on budget and ahead of schedule, the company announced on September 28, 2026.

Construction began in December 2024, and the first gold pour was achieved on September 26, 2026, yielding approximately 1,140 ounces of gold.

More than 400,000 tonnes of ore have been processed since ore was first introduced into the oxide circuit on September 8. The addition and early completion of the oxide circuit enabled gold production significantly ahead of the initial schedule.

The oxide circuit is expected to reach commercial production in the fourth quarter of 2026, while construction of the hard-rock comminution circuit remains on budget and on track for completion in the second quarter of 2027.

“We are thrilled to have achieved first production at our Koné mine safely, on budget and ahead of schedule,” said Montage CEO Martino De Ciccio. “It marks a significant milestone in the rapid execution of our strategy of creating a premier multi-asset African gold producer.”

De Ciccio noted that Koné is now the ninth operating gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire and is poised to deliver strong benefits for all stakeholders, with about 3,600 direct jobs created to date, over 95% of which are held by nationals, and many more indirectly created.

“We’d like to thank our employees for their strong dedication along with everyone who has contributed to reaching this important milestone, including our local stakeholders, financiers, suppliers and contractors,” he said.

Montage president and chief development officer Peder Olsen said the company’s ability to self-perform construction activities significantly reduced capital cost requirements and allowed it to optimise the construction timeline.

“Ramp-up of the oxide circuit is progressing well, with ore from the Koné deposit being directly fed into the mill,” Olsen said. “We look forward to commencing mining activities at the higher-grade Gbongogo Main satellite deposit late in the fourth quarter and other recently discovered higher-grade satellite deposits over the course of 2027.”

De Ciccio added that the company is looking forward to continuing to rapidly grow its business by advancing its development pipeline, with the Didievi project in Côte d’Ivoire poised to become Montage’s next development asset.

The Koné mine adds to Côte d’Ivoire’s growing gold sector, which has attracted increasing international investment in recent years. The country is targeting 100 tonnes of annual gold production by 2030 and aims to become Africa’s largest gold producer by 2035.