Allied Gold Corporation has begun wet commissioning at its flagship Kurmuk Gold Mine in western Ethiopia, marking a major milestone in the project’s transition from construction to production. The company expects to introduce ore into the processing circuit within days, with the first gold pour targeted shortly thereafter.
The development follows months of progressive testing of the mine’s processing systems in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State. Water has begun flowing from the main storage dam to the processing plant, enabling the company to wet-commission individual circuits sequentially ahead of the introduction of ore.
The semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill and ball mill drives have been energised, with testing and commissioning nearing completion. Meanwhile, the crushing circuit is already operational, and the company has been building a stockpile of crushed ore to support the initial production ramp-up.
The Canadian-based gold producer, which operates mining assets in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Ethiopia, considers Kurmuk a transformational project expected to strengthen its position in the international gold mining industry and move it closer to becoming a mid-tier producer.
Kurmuk is a conventional open-pit mining operation using truck-and-shovel methods to supply ore to a carbon-in-leach (CIL) processing plant. The project currently has Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves of 2.7 million ounces of gold across its Dish Mountain and Ashashire deposits.
Allied Gold expects the mine to produce between 25,000 and 35,000 ounces of gold during November and December 2026, with commercial production targeted within the same period. Production is forecast to reach between 55,000 and 65,000 ounces in the first quarter of 2027, with monthly output expected to increase as the processing plant stabilises and operations ramp up.
The company’s 2027 production guidance for Kurmuk stands at between 240,000 and 270,000 ounces of gold. Output is projected to increase further to approximately 300,000 ounces in 2028.
Over the first four full years of operation, Allied Gold expects the mine to produce an annual average of nearly 300,000 ounces. The operation is designed to sustain average annual production of at least 240,000 ounces over an initial 15-year strategic mine-life target.
The project is supported by a land package covering approximately 1,450 square kilometres, offering considerable potential for further mineral exploration and resource expansion.