Mali’s Council of Ministers has granted Cora Gold Limited an interim renewal of the Sanankoro II exploration permit, marking the first permit renewal processed under the government’s partial lifting of a 2022 moratorium.
The Sanankoro II permit, covering 84.11 square kilometers in southern Mali’s Yanfolila Gold Belt, was originally awarded in March 2021. The renewal follows a March 15, 2025 decision by Mali’s mining administration to partially lift a permit moratorium imposed in November 2022, which had halted renewals for permits including Bokoro II and Kodiou.
Cora holds a probable gold reserve of 531,000 ounces at 1.13 grams per tonne within the permit area. The company has applied for a 100 square kilometer mining permit at Sanankoro, which would formalize the transition from exploration to production. Bert Monro, Cora’s Chief Executive Officer, stated the renewal facilitates the permit reshaping process and progress toward the mining permit application.
The Sanankoro Gold Project comprises five contiguous permits in the Yanfolila Gold Belt. Cora secured a $120 million gold stream in April 2026 to fund development through to production, while Front-End Engineering Design work was announced on May 26, 2026.
