Tasiast Gold Mine

The Tasiast gold mine is an open pit gold mine in Mauritania, owned and operated by Kinross Gold.The mine is located 300km north of the capital of Nouakchott.HistoryThe Tasiast Gold Mine began production in 2008.In 2010, Kinross Gold purchased it as part of a $7.1-billion takeover of Red Back Mining in 2010.Planned ExpansionFollowing the purchase, Kinross began an expansion of the mine, which is scheduled to finish in 2014, increasing production from 56,000 ounces per year to 1.5 million. the expansion project was expected to be $1 billion over budget, but it later got scaled back.Kinross plans to build training facilities in the area, including a School of Mines.ControversiesIn 2015, the company came under fire in the Mauritanian media for allegedly favouring contractors tied to the government; Kinross Gold denied the allegations.