Canadian miner Iamgold said on 5 November that Burkina Faso has granted its Essakane mine a temporary exemption from a new rule requiring gold to be refined in the country. A ministerial order of 12 October obliges industrial miners to deliver all their unrefined gold to approved domestic refineries from 1 November; Essakane, the country’s largest gold mine, produced 110,500 ounces in the third quarter. The rule followed the opening in September of Raffinor, Burkina Faso’s first gold refinery, which is not on the London Bullion Market Association’s list of accredited refiners. The exemption shows the refinery cannot yet meet international buyers’ standards, so the plan to keep refining value at home depends on accreditation.
Sources
- Iamgold Q3 2026 results (via Mining Stock Education): https://www.miningstockeducation.com/2026/11/iamgold-reports-third-quarter-2026-results/
- Ecofin Agency: https://www.ecofinagency.com/news-industry/0611-60575-burkina-faso-s-largest-gold-mine-continues-to-refine-abroad-despite-new-local-refinery