LGL acquired the Bonikro operation in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, along with an extensive exploration portfolio in the country, following a merger with Perth-based mid-tier producer Equigold NL in June 2008. Bonikro is located in the central-southern portion of Côte d'Ivoire, approximately 240 kilometres north-west of the nation’s commercial capital Abidjan.

Click here for more information on Bonikro and Cote d'Ivoire exploration potential or download our fact sheets:

 Côte d'Ivoire Fact Sheet - English (2.6 MB)
 Côte d'Ivoire Fact Sheet - French (2.6 MB)
 Bonikro Fact Sheet (233 KB)

About Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire is located in West Africa.  It has a population of approximately 19 million people.

Côte d'Ivoire became independent in 1960. It was always regarded as one of the most politically stable countries in West Africa. A failed coup attempt in September 2002 saw a brief period of fighting between rebel groups and government forces and led to rebel groups controlling the northern half of the country. A buffer zone was created to separate the two factions and was manned by French and United Nations peace keepers. The ongoing peace and reconciliation process has made significant progress in recent times with the signing of a peace accord between the parties in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) on 4 March 2007. This peace accord saw the appointment of former rebel leader Guillaume Soro as the Prime Minister, whilst Laurant Gbagbo remained as President. This peace accord has been viewed as a positive, concrete step towards the reunification of the country as has the subsequent downsizing of the UN and French peace keeping forces. It is expected that Presidential elections will be held later in 2009.

The Côte d'Ivoire economy, one of the strongest in West Africa, has traditionally been based on agriculture, primarily the production of cocoa (of which it produces in excess of 40% of the world supply) and coffee beans. Significant activity in the mining sector in recent times has culminated in several years of sustained exploration permitting to numerous companies (including some of the world’s largest gold producers), the development approval of significant mining projects (including the Bonikro project) and substantial investment in offshore oil and gas developments.

The country has a very high standard of infrastructure compared to other countries in the region, with a good quality road system, a reliable electricity grid, significant heavy engineering industry and a large deep water port in Abidjan.