• Robex pours first gold at Kiniero, ahead of commercial production in 2026
• Mine targets average output of 139,000 ounces a year over nine years
• Guinea holds 15% stake and levies a 5.5% royalty on sales

Canadian mining company Robex Resources announced today, December 22, it has completed the first gold pour at the Kiniero mine in Guinea. This marks the official start-up of the project. Kiniero then becomes the country’s second industrial gold mine to enter production in three years, after the Kouroussa mine developed by Hummingbird Resources, now Nioko Resources, in 2023.

The Kiniero project required a total investment estimated at $243 million. It is designed to produce an average of 139,000 ounces of gold per year over a mine life of nine years, a level above that of Kouroussa, whose average annual output is estimated at about 100,000 ounces. Following the first pour, Robex said it will move the mine toward commercial production, expected in the first quarter of 2026.

Reaching this milestone is particularly significant for Robex amid a sustained rally in gold prices. After rising by more than 60% this year, gold currently trades around $4,300 an ounce, well above the $2,330 an ounce price assumption used in Kiniero’s feasibility study.

The project also strengthens Guinea’s mining base and its fiscal outlook. The state holds a 15% equity stake in Kiniero, while Robex owns the remaining 85%. In addition, the government will receive a 5.5% royalty on all gold sales, alongside other tax revenues, including a corporate income tax set at 30%.

For its first full year of operation in 2026, Kiniero is expected to produce about 155,000 ounces of gold. The mine will contribute to national output in a country where gold production remains largely dominated by artisanal mining. Other large-scale projects are also advancing, including the Bankan gold project, for which Predictive Discovery plans to take a final investment decision in 2026.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou