Mali gold output plunges 23% as Barrick halt, tougher rules reshape sector
Mali's industrial gold output fell 22.9% in 2025, hurt by the lengthy suspension of Barrick Mining's operations due to a dispute over tougher mining rules, provisional figures from the West African country's mines ministry showed.
Mali, one of Africa's largest gold producers, has been pushing reforms intended to capture more value from the sector, enshrined in a mining code introduced in 2023.
A sweeping audit led to the recovery of 761-billion CFA francs ($1.2-billion) in arrears from mining companies, the government said in December.
But the tougher rules rattled some miners and sparked a two-year standoff with Barrick, and the Canadian company's massive Loulo-Gounkoto complex was put under provisional administration before a deal was struck late last year.
The standoff weighed on sector sentiment and disrupted output across the industry, offsetting gains from new entrants and expanded small‑scale industrial mines, according to the data seen by Reuters late on Thursday.
Industrial production fell to 42.2 metric tons from an updated 54.8 tons in 2024, the data showed. Mali's industrial gold output peaked at 66.48 tons in 2023.
The Loulo‑Gounkoto complex, Mali's biggest producer, reopened in July under a state‑appointed administrator, but persistent logistical issues capped output at just 5.5 tons in 2025, down from 22.5 tons a year earlier, the data showed.
B2Gold overtook Barrick to become Mali's largest gold producer in 2025, delivering 17.5 tons, according to the data.
Allied Gold, boosted by its large new mine Korali-Sud alongside its Sadiola mine, ranked second with 9.58 tons, followed by Barrick with 5.5 tons.
Artisanal gold output remained unchanged at six tons in 2025. Combined with industrial output, total national production was 48.2 tons in 2025 – 22.7% below the government’s original 54-ton forecast.
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