WEST African Resources on Tuesday forecast record annual gold production of between 430,000 and 490,000 ounces for 2026 owing to a first full year of output from Kiaka mine in Burkina Faso.
All-in sustaining cost of below $1,900/oz has also been targeted.
The company also said it was considering maiden shareholder returns in dividends and a share buy-back in the second half of the year. Shares in the West African gold miner gained just under 5% on the Australian Securities Exchange today.
West African said Kiaka would produce between 240,000 and 280,000 oz while Sanbrado, the firm’s founding mine, also located in Burkina Faso, would add a further 190,000 to 210,000 oz. 2026 would be “a landmark” year for the group, said West African CEO and chairman Richard Hyde.
West African has allocated $20m to exploration this year, with more than 100,000 metres of drilling planned across Sanbrado, Kiaka and surrounding areas targeting depth extensions and near-surface anomalies to extend mine lives.
Hyde said updated resource, reserve and ten-year production plan figures, also released on Tuesday, reflected higher modelled throughput at Kiaka following strong process plant performance while on stable grid power in the December 2025 quarter, as well as increased production from Sanbrado on the back of strong 2025 drilling results.
“Planned production increases from Sanbrado and Kiaka underpin WAF’s goal of being a sustainable 500,000-plus ounce gold producer,” he said.
