Ariana reports water strike as Dokwe feasibility work advances

[SMM Gold Flash] Burkina Faso inaugurated RAFFINOR-BF in Ouagadougou on 28 September, the government and mines ministry said. The ministry reported that officials observed the refining of initial gold bars during a tour of the plant. It puts the first phase’s theoretical refining capacity at 164 tonnes a year; an additional phase would raise that to 515 tonnes a year. The government says the facility cost about CFA11 billion and was financed mainly through the state precious-metals company SONASP and private partners. The opening marks a step in Burkina Faso’s effort to refine industrial and artisanal gold domestically and retain more processing value. Capacity is a design figure, however: neither the inauguration nor the observed first bars establishes annual throughput, sustained operation or sufficient supply. Feedstock collection, refinery utilisation and the proposed expansion remain the figures to watch.

[SMM Gold Flash] GoldStone Resources said on 29 September that Asian Investment Management Services agreed to extend the interest-free period on its existing gold loan through 31 December 2026. The lender also irrevocably waived its entitlement to interest from 1 January through 31 December 2026. A waiver announced in June had been due to expire on 30 September. The loan still matures on 30 June 2027, and its other terms are unchanged. The extension eases near-term financing pressure as GoldStone invests in its Homase mine in Ghana. It provides no new cash and does not forgive the loan principal. The announcement gives no new production figure or revised mine plan; Homase’s operating performance and repayment of the loan remain the points to watch.