Endeavour Mining (TSX, LSE: EDV) suspended underground mining at its Mana gold mine in Burkina Faso after part of an access road sank, adding another setback at an operation already expected to miss its annual production target. The Oct. 28 incident restricted access to two underground entrances, Dangouna and Aviera, through the depleted Wona open pit, Endeavour said Monday. Workers were evacuated, nobody was injured and local authorities were notified. Mining has been stopped at all three active underground entrances while specialists assess ground stability and repairs. Endeavour didn’t immediately disclose the cause of the incident or announce a restart date. Despite the incident, Endeavour said it remains on track to hit full-year production and all-in sustaining cost targets even if no further mining occurs at Mana in the fourth quarter. Endeavour previously said it expected 2026 output to range between 1.09 million oz. and 1.27 million ounces. “The overall impact will depend on how long portal remediation takes (we think one to two quarters) and on whether open pit feed, subject to permitting, can supplement throughput,” National Bank Financial mining analyst Mohamed Sidibé said Monday in a note. Repair plan Endeavour is considering restarting and accelerating mining through the Wona entrance, which remains accessible, and drawing on nearby open pits to limit lost production. It plans to outline the ground assessment and repair plan when it reports third-quarter results on Nov. 12. The disruption follows an earlier ground-stability concern. In July, Endeavour disclosed that mining at Aviera had paused that month to monitor a surface fracture in the depleted Wona pit above the deposit. At the time, it said the fracture didn’t affect active ore zones and anticipated resuming work around mid-third quarter, subject to monitoring. Monday’s announcement didn’t say whether that fracture and the latest subsidence were connected. The event disclosed Monday “appears to have occurred on a structure parallel to the July one, though it is too early to tell if they are related,” Sidibé said. Mana represents about 5% of the company’s net asset value, according to his calculations. Along with the Houndé mine, Mana is one of Endeavour’s two producing assets in Burkina Faso. In West Africa, the company also produces gold in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Earlier depletion Mana’s difficulties also extend beyond ground conditions. Endeavour warned in July that annual output would fall below the bottom of its original 155,000–180,000 oz. target, with sustaining costs exceeding guidance. It attributed the weakness partly to earlier depletion of the higher-grade Siou underground deposit after unsuccessful drilling to extend its resources, and delayed mining at the Bana Camp open pit. First-half production fell to 68,000 oz. from 87,000 oz. a year earlier, a decline of about 22%. Mana accounted for about 12% of Endeavour’s first-half output. London-based Endeavour owns 85% of Mana, with Burkina Faso’s government holding the balance. The mine lies about 60 km north of Houndé. Mana’s processing plant began operating in 2008, and the mine shifted to fully underground production in 2024. It produced 173,000 oz. last year. Endeavour’s longer-term strategy is to extend its operating life beyond a decade by expanding underground deposits and evaluating nearby surface targets. Restoring reliable access to those underground workings is now the immediate priority for the operation.Top of FormBottom of Form Toronto-traded shares of Endeavour rose 0.9% to C$70.33 Monday morning, valuing the company at about C$17 billion ($12.2 billion). The stock has traded between C$53.37 and C$98.71 in the past year.
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