Mauritania’s largest gold mine, Tasiast, is expected to produce 505,000 ounces of gold in 2026, marking a slight increase from last year but remaining well below record levels, Canadian operator Kinross said Wednesday.
The forecast follows a year of transition in 2025, when Tasiast produced 503,429 ounces, down 23 percent from 622,394 ounces in 2024 due to the extraction of lower-grade ore. Kinross said the mine would not return to its 2024 output levels before 2028.
“Tasiast achieved its annual production and cost targets,” Kinross said, noting that the decline was planned and part of a shift in the mining sequence.
The slowdown comes even as global gold prices surged more than 60% in 2025, reflecting strong demand for the precious metal amid economic uncertainty. Total sales at Tasiast fell about 20 percent year-on-year, though the company did not break down revenues by individual mine.
Tasiast is a critical driver of Mauritania’s economy, contributing roughly 27 perecnt of the country’s extractive sector revenue, according to the 2024 report by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI-Mauritania).
Kinross said it expects stable production in 2026 as the mine continues operating in its lower-grade ore phase, with plans to increase output only after 2028.
Mauritania’s Tasiast gold mine is the country’s largest mining operation and a major contributor to its extractive sector, accounting for roughly 27 perecnt of revenues. Operated by Canadian miner Kinross, the mine produced a record 622,394 ounces in 2024, but entered a lower-grade ore phase in 2025, causing output to decline 23% year-on-year to around 503,429 ounces.
Despite rising global gold prices, which increased more than 60 percent in 2025, Tasiast’s reduced production has dampened sales and economic contributions from the mine. Kinross projects 505,000 ounces of production in 2026, remaining below 2024 levels, with a return to higher output not expected before 2028. The mine’s performance is closely watched due to its significant role in Mauritania’s extractive revenue and broader economic impact.
