Mining News
B2Gold Anticipates Shattering 2017 Output Record In 2018
B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO, NYSE: BTG, NSX: B2G) reports record gold production in the fourth quarter and full-year 2017, plus the company expects significantly higher output in 2018 due to its new Fekola Mine. The company says it achieved record annual gold production for the ninth consecutive year at 630,565 ounces, which includes 79,243 ounces of pre-commercial production from Fekola. The total exceeds the upper end of the revised guidance range of 580,000 to 625,000 ounces. For the fourth quarter, B2Gold’s consolidated output was a quarterly record 240,753 ounces, including 72,903 ounces of pre-commercial production from Fekola, with the total exceeding revised guidance by 5% and up 71% over the same period in 2016. The Fekola Mine achieved commercial production ahead of schedule on Nov. 30. With the planned first full year of production from Fekola, the company’s 2018 outlook calls for “dramatic production growth of approximately 300,000 ounces versus 2017, as consolidated annual gold production is expected to increase significantly to between 910,000 and 950,000 ounces.” B2Gold lists projected cash operating costs and all-in sustaining costs of between $505 and $550 per ounce and between $780 and $830 per ounce, respectively
