Randgold Resources is confident of delivering a new world-class discovery from its portfolio of quality greenfields prospects, according to chief executive Mark Bristow.

The reserve base of the Kibali gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) base will take it beyond the company’s current ten year plan at around 600 000 ounces per year.

At the Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali, the potential for resource conversion at Yalea and Gara and the high-grade underground project at Gounkoto should also enable it to deliver 600 000 ounces and more per year over ten years.

Optimise production

“However, there is still work to do to optimise production in the last four years of the ten year plan,” said Bristow.

“Together with the Tongon life-of-mine extension plan, these potential reserve extensions should give us time to deliver a new world-class discovery from our portfolio of quality greenfields prospects.”

Target turnover accelerated

Bristow said that in order to improve the chances of such a discovery, the turnover of targets was being accelerated, with 45 marginal targets having been rejected to reduce the total to 115.

Key hunting grounds for a new discovery were Côte d’Ivoire, the Loulo district and neighbouring Senegal, and the northeast DRC, which hosts Kibali as well as Randgold’s Kilogold joint venture.