The government of Senegal approved IAMGOLD Corp.'s mining permit application for the Boto gold project for 20 years.

The company started work to advance the project toward full construction and eventually start production, it said Jan. 13.

The Boto project is expected to produce an average 130,000 ounces of gold per year at all-in sustaining costs of US$842 per ounce sold over a mine life of about 11 years.

The company expects the project to require initial capital expenditure of US$271 million, giving an after-tax net present value, at a 6% discount, of US$219 million assuming a gold price of US$1,350 per ounce.