K92 Mining Inc. has reported strong fourth-quarter production from its Kainantu Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea, capping a record year in which the company achieved the upper end of its production guidance and completed commissioning of its Stage 3 process plant expansion.
In a statement released on January 12, the TSX-listed miner said fourth-quarter 2025 production reached 47,178 ounces of gold equivalent (AuEq), comprising 44,129 ounces of gold, 1.94 million pounds of copper and 47,427 ounces of silver. Quarterly sales totalled 41,344 ounces of gold, 1.73 million pounds of copper and 44,317 ounces of silver.
For the full year, K92 recorded its highest annual production to date at 174,134 ounces AuEq, or 176,995 ounces AuEq when calculated using 2025 guidance commodity prices. This included 164,484 ounces of gold, 5.94 million pounds of copper and 159,309 ounces of silver, representing a 16 per cent increase from 2024. The result fell within the company’s guidance range of 160,000 to 185,000 ounces AuEq. Annual sales also reached record levels.
Operationally, the company processed a record 186,198 tonnes of ore in the December quarter, almost double the volume treated in the same period a year earlier. Average head grade was 8.0 grams per tonne AuEq, with metallurgical recoveries of 94.3 per cent for gold and 93.9 per cent for copper, exceeding or matching parameters set out in the updated definitive feasibility study.
Mining activity intensified during the quarter, with total material mined reaching a quarterly record of more than 404,000 tonnes. Ore production was drawn from multiple levels across the Kora and Judd deposits, supported by expanded underground development and improved haulage and ventilation infrastructure.
K92 confirmed that commissioning and performance testing of the new 1.2-million-tonnes-per-annum Stage 3 Expansion Process Plant was completed in December, with operations formally handed over from the projects team. The plant achieved daily throughput records of more than 3,800 tonnes during the month and has processed all material exclusively since late October. As at December 31, about 95 per cent of Stage 3 growth capital had been spent or committed, with the project remaining on budget.
Progress was also reported across a suite of supporting infrastructure projects, including pastefill facilities, ventilation upgrades, power generation expansion and the decline–incline convergence linking the main mine with the Twin Incline. Several of these projects are due for completion in the first half of 2026 and are expected to lift productivity and material handling capacity.
Chief executive officer John Lewins said the December quarter marked a strong finish to a year of significant milestones for the company, highlighting record production, successful plant commissioning and multiple operational records achieved during the period.
K92 said it entered 2026 with a strong balance sheet, an expanded processing and mining platform, and ongoing exploration programmes, positioning the company for further growth at the Kainantu operation in the year ahead.
