West African Resources, an Africa-focused gold mining company, set a record for gold production and sales in Q4 2021 despite seeing open-pit production decrease by 15%.

The company said gold production increased by 7% in Q4 with a record 87,320 ounces of gold produced from 796,000 tonnes of ore milled, bringing full-year gold production to a record 288,720 ounces.

Additionally, it sold 86,520 ounces in Q4, bringing gold sales to a record 295,220 ounces. Gold production forecasts will be published in Q1 2022.

Richard Hyde, executive chairman and chief executive officer of West African Resources, said the company had reached the production milestones despite "a very challenging year."

Furthermore, Hyde also said the company would complete the feasibility study on the Kiaka Gold Project in Burkina Faso, which it acquired in October 2021 from B2Gold, by the end of January 2022.

Previous feasibility studies have been delayed due to global high fuel prices and the instability of the gold market.