(Ecofin Agency) - Mali’s Ministry of Mines announced on Tuesday that the Morila gold mine will close in 2019, six years later than initially planned, as its reserves prove greater than anticipated. Morila which is owned by Rangold Resources, AngloGold Ashanti and Mali’s government, produced since its opening in 2000, 209 tons of gold.

“The remaining reserves were larger than we thought. Research is under way to develop small satellite mines around Morila,” said Karim Berthé, a senior official at Ministry of Mines.

Over the past few years, production at Morila decreased. After 2015 when it produced 4.7 tons, government forecast it will produce 2.8 tons this year.

Ministry of Mines of Mali, sub Saharan third largest gold producer, said last Thursday, that the country’s gold production should rise to 52.9 tons this year from 50.5 tons in 2015, as activities started at new mines.

Louis-Nino Kansoun