Kiniero runs well above nameplate as Guinea's newest gold mine ramps up

Predictive Discovery's Kiniero gold mine in Guinea produced 54,252oz in the second quarter of 2026, about 38% more than the 39,367oz poured in the first quarter, the company reported on 9 July. First-half production reached 93,619oz, more than half of the mine's 2026 guidance of 157,000oz to 174,000oz.

The plant milled 2.2Mt of ore in the quarter at an average grade of 0.86g/t. Throughput averaged 1,113t an hour, an annualised rate of roughly 9Mt, well above the plant's 6Mtpa design capacity. Gold recovery improved to 90.5%.

From first pour to commercial production

Kiniero poured its first gold in December 2025 and was declared in commercial production in February 2026. The mine came to Predictive through its merger with Robex Resources, a transaction valued at about $1.45bn that combined Kiniero with Predictive's Bankan project nearby. The enlarged company also owns the Nampala mine in Mali.

The initial mine plan envisaged about 139,000oz a year over a nine-year life, so current guidance already implies the operation is running ahead of the original profile. In the first quarter, Kiniero sold or provisionally sold 32,306oz at an average realised price of $4,804/oz.

Building a Guinea hub

Predictive ended June with cash and bullion of A$530m, about $365m, which it intends to use to advance Bankan towards construction. Bankan is one of the larger undeveloped gold deposits in West Africa, and the company is targeting group production of more than 400,000oz a year by 2029 once it is operating. The company has since adopted the name PDI Gold.

Why it matters

Guinea is central to global bauxite supply, but its gold sector is growing too, with newer operations joining long-established mines such as AngloGold Ashanti's Siguiri and Nordgold's Lefa. A fast ramp-up at Kiniero strengthens the case for the company's next and larger development at Bankan.

The challenge will be policy. Conakry has been pressing mining companies to process more locally and in June moved to halt exports of unrefined gold in favour of domestic refining, a change that producers such as Predictive will need to accommodate as they grow. In the meantime, every quarter of above-nameplate throughput at Kiniero adds cash that can go towards Bankan rather than being raised from shareholders.

Sources

• Business Insider Africa: Guinea's new gold mine hits 60% of annual output target in six months as production jumps, 09 Jul 2026
• Kalkine: PDI Gold Rebrand Puts the Bankan Story Back in the Spotlight for This ASX Gold Producer, 08 Sept 2026
• The Northern Miner: Guinea halts raw gold exports, seeks local refining, 22 Jun 2026

Photo: The Niger River near Kouroussa in Upper Guinea. Flucco, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.