IAMGOLD halts Essakane mine operations due to labour unrest

IAMGOLD said it had halted operations at its Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso pending the resolution of some labour unrest.

The company made the announcement on Thursday.

The company president, Steve Letwin, did not provide anymore details about the issues involved.

“We are currently in negotiations to resume operations as quickly as possible and are confident that this work stoppage will not be prolonged nor have a material impact on the Company. We intend to provide further updates when there are any significant changes to the current situation,” said Letwin.

Essakane commercial production began on July 16, 2010 with production of 47,000 ounces (attributable ounces of 42,000) at a cash cost of $459 per ounce during the third quarter.

IAMGOLD Corp. is a Canadian-based mid-tier gold mining company with a focus on West Africa, the Guiana Shield of South America and in Quebec where it has a pipeline of development and exploration projects.

Michael McCrae wrote this story. You can contact him at [email protected] or on twitter at @michaelmccrae.