Cora Gold is moving swiftly to enhance the value of its Sanankoro Gold Project in southern Mali with a processing optimisation breakthrough that promises to reduce costs and boost efficiency. Through a fresh round of metallurgical test work, the company has confirmed that introducing a scrubbing circuit before the ball mill could streamline operations and reduce power consumption — a critical win for long-term operating margins.
The original Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) conducted in 2022 had assumed a full circuit of gold-bearing ore feeding into a ball mill. However, the new testing has revealed a more cost-effective route. By first introducing a scrubbing circuit, finer materials, particularly clay-rich ore less than 0.212 mm, can bypass the energy-intensive milling stage. Instead, this material moves directly into the leaching process, conserving energy, boosting throughput, and avoiding over-grinding.
This dual-track approach is particularly well suited to the saprolite and oxide-hosted gold mineralisation found at Sanankoro, where gold is dispersed both freely and in quartz-bound structures. While fine material benefits from the scrubbing process, coarser fractions still proceed to the ball mill for further grinding, ensuring maximum gold recovery through the carbon-in-leach process.
This two-tiered strategy, common in other successful African operations, is well matched to the specific geological profile at Sanankoro. Importantly, it reduces operational complexity while enhancing scalability. For investors, the implications are clear: improved economics, reduced energy demand, and a streamlined pathway to production.
The test work is part of a broader strategy to revisit and refine the 2022 DFS. With the updated DFS set for release in the third quarter of 2025, the company is actively implementing enhancements that could yield even stronger project economics than originally projected. Further engineering and optimisation work will carry forward any improvements not included in the immediate update, ensuring continuous progress through the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase and into construction.
The original DFS, based on a gold price of \$1,750 per ounce, already projected a robust internal rate of return above 50 percent. With this new processing breakthrough and current gold prices trading at significantly higher levels, the margin upside is compelling.
Cora Gold’s management has reiterated its focus on reaching construction readiness as swiftly as possible. This momentum reflects the broader vision for Sanankoro — a high-potential, low-cost gold project positioned to generate meaningful returns in an underexplored region with supportive infrastructure and mining-friendly jurisdiction.
As the company works toward finalising reserve updates and engineering refinements, investors are gaining a clearer view of Sanankoro’s potential to emerge as a cash-generative gold asset. In a market where capital discipline and operational efficiency are paramount, Cora Gold is aligning technical excellence with economic opportunity.
Cora Gold Ltd (LON:CORA), together with its subsidiaries, explores for and develops mineral projects in West Africa. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. Its flagship project is the Sanankoro Gold project located in the Yanfolila Gold Belt, Southern Mali.
