Canadian-based True Gold Mining has commenced irrigating ore on the heap leach pad at its Karma gold project in Burkina Faso.
The company reported that commissioning of the absorption, desorption and refining (ADR) plant is also going on.
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Mining at Karma is progressing with 600,000t stockpiled at above average reserve grade.
The mine is expected to produce its first gold during the end of March 2016.
True Gold president and CEO Christian Milau said: "With gold production only weeks away and almost five months of mining under our belts we are pleased to see mining costs tracking in-line with the feasibility study.
"We have purchased all key supplies and reagents and are seeing the benefits of lower prices for fuel, cement and cyanide at below feasibility cost estimates."
At present, the crushing, agglomerating and stacking circuit at the mine is operating continuously and is treating ore at a rate of 600t per hour.
Recently, Canadian company Endeavour Mining signed an agreement to acquire True Gold for C$191m ($143m).
The acquisition will allow Endeavour to acquire access to the Karma gold mine.
True Gold’s Karma property comprises six exploration permits including Goulagou, Rambo, Kao, Rounga, Youba, and Tougou totalling more than 856km² in size.
The property also has more than 45 high-priority targets, with high-grade rock values associated with gold-in-soil anomalies.
