• Kinross expects 505,000 ounces of gold production at Tasiast in 2026.
• Output remains below 2024 levels due to lower-grade ore phase.
• Tasiast accounts for about 27% of Mauritania’s extractive revenue.

In its operational report published Wednesday, February 18, Canadian mining company Kinross said it is targeting gold production of 505,000 ounces in 2026 at Tasiast, the country’s largest gold mine. The forecast is broadly stable compared with the 503,429 ounces produced at the site last year.

After producing 622,394 ounces in 2024, Kinross entered a mining transition phase at Tasiast in 2025, marked by the extraction of lower-grade ore. This shift is already reflected in output, which declined 23% year-on-year in the past financial year. The 2026 guidance aligns with this trend, with the company not expecting to return to the 600,000-ounce level before 2028.

“Tasiast achieved its annual production and cost targets [set at 500,000 ounces in 2025, ed]. Annual production decreased compared with 2024, mainly due to planned lower grades,” Kinross said regarding its 2025 performance.

The downward production trend at Tasiast is already affecting commercial performance. Total sales fell 20% compared with 2024, despite a global environment marked by rising gold prices, which increased by more than 60% over the year. As Kinross did not break down revenues by mine, the precise economic impact of developments at Tasiast remains unclear.

According to the 2024 report of EITI-Mauritania, the mine accounted on average for nearly 27% of the extractive sector’s contribution to the Mauritanian economy, based on the reference year considered.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou