By: Creamer media

Montage notes that the Koné project land package has increased by 381 km2 to 1 699 km2 following the grant of the Gbatosso exploration permit (PR0875). The permit is located in a highly prospective area along the continuity with the Lokolo and Yeré trends and is within trucking distance to the Koné processing plant.

In addition, Montage says it has been granted the Wendé permit (PR1044), covering an area of about 107 km2, located along the Ouango-Fitini shear zone in close proximity to several other significant gold mining operations and deposits.

The company explains that historical workings on the property highlight a significant 7 km2 gold-in-soil anomaly with assays grading over 100 ppb.

Exploration activities on the Wendé property are set to begin in early 2026 and will include geochemical and geophysical surveys, as well as exploration drilling of prospective targets.

“We are delighted to be granted additional exploration permits in Côte d’Ivoire which both strategically expands our land package along the Koné project and adds the highly prospective Wendé advanced greenfield exploration property,” says CEO Martino De Ciccio.

“Moreover, it reflects the strong support we continue to receive from our local stakeholders as we strive to position Montage as the partner of choice through our win-win approach and strong focus on local content”.

With construction at the Koné project rapidly advancing, remaining on-budget and well on-schedule, De Ciccio says the company is well positioned to unlock significant exploration value by leveraging its extensive technical expertise and established presence in the region.

He adds that the recently announced acquisition of ASX-listed African Gold will bring the high-quality resource-stage Didievi project, which is expected to provide near-term growth, while the recently granted Wendé property provides the potential to source the next project organically.

“We are very pleased with the momentum generated across the business as we continue to execute on our strategy of creating a premier multi-asset African gold producer and delivering value for all our stakeholders,” says De Ciccio.

“We are very pleased to have secured the Gbatosso permit given its highly strategic positioning within the Koné project as the Lokolo trend and Yeré trend, which are both known to host significant gold mineralisation as demonstrated with our recent drilling campaigns, are known to extend into the Gbatosso permit,” adds Montage exploration executive VP Silvia Bottero.

“We continue to be very excited with the exploration potential at our Koné project and look forward to continuing to deliver strong resource growth next year, including a maiden resource for the recently announced Petit Yao discovery where drilling is now intensifying”.

Further, Bottero notes that the awarding of the Wendé advanced greenfield exploration permit marks a milestone in Montage’s exploration strategy, as the company advances its objective of creating a multi-asset exploration pipeline by sourcing future proejcts organically through and in-house staking and exploration grounds.

“Wendé is located on a major gold mineralised and structurally important trend where historical exploration work on the property confirmed its prospectivity. As such, we look forward to commencing our exploration work at Wendé in early 2026,” adds Botero.